Hopefully after the first of the year I can replace my old burnout
kiln which is just over 30 years old and just has a rheostat for
temperature control and no temperature readout. I use a thermocouple
rated for 1100 C to check the temperature.
I would like to replace it with one that has better temperature
control and perhaps is programmable. I’ve been looking through the
models and trying to figure out what model or models would work best
for me.
At the present I do only lost wax casting in SS. For now I can see
no plans for bead making, enameling, or PMC.
I’d also like to keep the cost at or below $850.00. I’ve had a had
time finding reviews and such.
For you lost wax casters what do you like or not like about your
Kiln, and what models do you like?
I have a similar kiln that works fine, but I need better temperature
control. I have been looking at kiln controllers that your old kiln
would plug into. The controller would then act like a smart switch
with a sensor to turn it on and off maintaining the set point
temperature. Others who have solved this problem might chime in with
make and model suggestions. Rob
Charles, I love my Paragon programmable kiln. I got it to replace my
ancient Satelite which I had to monitor through out the burnout
stageand which was not reliable–too much fluctuations in
temperature.
Check out the Paragon kilns on their website. They have an
interactive tutorial in which you can actually practice programming
online. Their support system is fabulous and you can either phone
them or send email questions to their kiln guru and get immediate
responses.
Programming it is very easy, and the kiln has a memory so that you
can store the different programs.
Also, even during firing, you can check to make sure you have the
keyed in the program you want.
Just about any kiln you can buy will suffice for lost wax burnout
since it only has to go up to 650C. The first issue is deciding on
the size you need sufficient to hold a sufficient number of casting
flasks for your casting session but not so large that it wastes
energy. The second issue is temperature control. At a minimum an
energy controller and thermostat will suffice but you will have to
tend the kiln a little to adjust the energy controller and
thermostat to suit your burnout cycle. Better is a programmable ramp
controller that can control the whole cycle so that all you have to
do then is to close the vent on the kiln at around 500C when the wax
is mostly burnt out.
I use a Australian made Tetlow kiln which has an internal space of
300mm cubed. This is on the large size but it only draws 10 amps at
240 volts. It can easily hold 4 100mm casting flasks which is the
maximum I do at a time.
I could put in 8 if I put in an additional shelf. The kiln can fire
up to 1100C and I sometimes share it with my partner for pottery
firing to earthenware temperatures, less often lately because she now
has stoneware kiln.