| First
of all, you have to understand that no one can tell you what kiln to buy
- and be assured you won't hate them for life after you have taken their
advice. We are all different. We have different wants. We
have different expectations. We have different financial limitations and
we generally don't know enough about the subject to ask intelligent questions.
This article is designed to give you answers to the intelligent questions
most people ask. The rest is up to you. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
QUESTION: Which brand is most reliable? ANSWER: In this age of high technology, reliability is seldom a problem. We have seen no difference in reliaibilty in all three of our brands: Jen Ken, Paragon, Sierra. QUESTION: How big a kiln should I buy? ANSWER: Since you are asking this question, you are probably fairly new to glass work. Look at what you are going to do with the kiln. If you want to make beads only, buy a bead kiln and save money. If you think you also want to fuse jewelry and small pieces, you can probably do these in a bead kiln, but sometimes the bead door and bead kiln configurations prohibit some types of fusing. Consider a larger kiln with a little more depth. Because you are fairly new, you may not know what all you are going to do. In this case, I recommend you buy a larger kiln that can do everything: fuse jewerly, make bowls and plates and even anneal beads. If you don't, it will cost more later when you decide you need to buy a second kiln. If money is not a problem, buy the small kiln and if you need another later you can buy it. It is always nice to have two size kilns. QUESTION: What controller should I get? ANSWER: There are 12-key and 3-key controllers made by both Bartlett and Orton. Either company makes good controllers and they are very similar. The 12-key controllers have more bells-and-whistles than 3-key controllers, but I find 3-key controllers to be just fine for what I do. I very seldom use the other functions on the 12-key controllers. QUESTION: Can I use a ceramic kiln to do glass? ANSWER: Yes you can. However, it is not as efficient as a glass kiln. Glass kilns always have elements in the lid and ceramic kilns always have elements in the side. This is because it is preferred to have the heat coming down on the glass evenly. But, you can use a ceramic kiln. Got enough money? Buy a glass kiln too. QUESTION: Should I buy a top loading or front loading kiln? ANSWER: The placement of the door in a kiln has pro's and con's. Top loading kilns are easier to do glass combing and things like that because you can keep your face away from the heat while you use gloves on your arms to reach into the kiln. Front loading kilns give a blast right at your face when you open them. It is a little easier to load a front loading kiln than to reach over the top of a kiln and set something down inside. However, I have both and don't think I'd base my purchase on just that. QUESTION: Can I use any kiln for PMC and glass? ANSWER: Yes. The only difference is the temperatures to fuse glass and cure PMC. All glass kilns can do both. Again, if you are only going to do PMC, then a small kiln will work fine. If you want to do larger pieces, pick a larger kiln. QUESTION: Won't a bigger kiln cost me a lot more in electricity? ANSWER: It will cost more, but the difference is insignificant. You probably won't notice the difference in your electric bill once whether you have a kiln or not. Would you notice it if your toaster was no longer used? QUESTION: Do any kilns have options that make them better than others? ANSWER: Better is a very subjective word. Most Jen Ken kilns can be ordered with a glass window and the larger Jen Ken kilns come with one. This is a nice feature for new glass artists who want to watch the process and learn where the glass begins to bend and fuse, etc. But when you get used to your kiln, you don't need to "peak" any more. I can't remember when I last looked into my windowed kiln. Some kilns have special settings for PMC. This is nice, but again, since kilns with digital controllers store programs, this is not a reason by itself to buy one kiln or the other. You can see that things are really subjective. Everyone has an opinion. But in the long run, there are very few features that make one glass kiln significantly better than another. QUESTION: Should I buy a used kiln? ANSWER: If you find one, which is difficult, try it first and do a project with it to be sure it does what you want. QUESTION: How do I know where the best buys are? ANSWER: Check the Internet. Be sure that your pricing oranges and oranges. Some sellers include all the shelves, posts, manuals and kiln wash - and some don't. Some have large shipping costs. If you are buying a Jen Ken or Paragon kiln, we gurantee to beat any other dealers prices. QUESTION: Is there an advantage to having elements in the sides as well as the top? ANSWER: In larger kilns, you have a larger space to heat. You will find that all large glass kilns have element in the top and sides. On smaller kilns it is not necessary. I know that you have questions that weren't answered here. Call me toll free at 1 877 832-9235. I want you to be a satisfied new kiln owner. Just ask for Murray WHERE TO FIND
120 VOLT JEN KEN KILNS 120 VOLT PARAGON KILNS 240 VOLT JEN KEN KILNS 240 VOLT PARAGON KILNS |