Electric Kiln Instructions

Hi Folks, Can anyone point me in the direction of some instructions
for creating a small (just large enough for a few PMC pieces)
electric kiln? I’ve salvaged enough nichrome wire for a heating
element and have some type K thermocouples for thermal feedback and
control, but I’m having a hard time deciding how best to lay the
heating coils and what best ceramic to use for a body and coil
separators. I think I’ve seen such instructions on the net, but I
sure can’t find them now! Thanks in advance, Tom

Note From Ganoksin Staff:
Looking for an electric kiln for your jewelry projects? We recommend:

Tom Depending on what size furnace you want, but two suggestions, the
first, get some fire brick and for as close to a circle as possible
the size you want (Before cementing together) get all that figured
out. Then get some refractory cement or ceramic fill, and cement the
walls, after it sets up, take a grinder and cut grooves aprox 3/8"
wide x 1/2" deep into the brick on 1" intervals, do this in a
circular pattern from bottom to top. Drill a small hole in the side
to hook up the element to the outside controller. You will have to do
a little shopping around to find some type of clips to hold the
element in place. On mine I do not use them. But I cast my walls.
You will have to place brick on the bottom or pour 2-3" refractory in
the bottom and form a 2-3" lid and pour it with a vent hole. the other
method would be get a 5 gallon metal bucket, fin something else
round 6 1/2-7" Dia for the inside form or make it out of sheet
metal, it is optional what you use as long as the outside and inside
is round and you can get up to a 3" wall, no less than 2" and thats a
little thin. Use some stiff heavy wire in the walls to reinforce the
refractory, kind of like when you see concrete being place on a
construction project, but smaller. get some rubber hose or similar
and wrap it around the inside form to act as the element form. The
ideal size for this method is find something that is 14" Dia, and get
some 8" sono tube from Home Depot for the inside form. This will give
you 3" walls and an 8" chamber, but what ever you can come up with.
If you want to do just real small items, you can also make the forms
out of coffee cans, popcorn cans, etc, you get the idea. Make the
lid and bottom 3" if possible. You can modify this unit to use a
home made propane burner for hotter melts, but would need to do some
modifications in the forming of the walls, etc. Hope this helps

Clint

Note From Ganoksin Staff:
Looking for an electric kiln for your jewelry projects? We recommend: