I’ve come to the conclusion that I need a small oven to anneal my
work in, but all the ones I see on the web are at least six inch cubes
inside, if not larger. I don’t think I really need that much space,
since mostly I would be heating small coils of wire or partially
finished rings (ok, that would be “small tangles of wire” and I
would prefer not to have to heat up a space that is so much larger
than I really need.
So, my question is: how small a furnace can I get? I see a Kerr “666”
on the Alpha Supply website for about $750, but I would like to find
something either smaller or cheaper, or both smaller and cheaper.
Loren: Take a look at the Ultralight Kiln (Rio has them). Would that
be enough for your needs? I use it for granulating as well as
helping to anneal small items and also for providing bottom heat for
soldering heavy pieces. It’s a great deal less expensive than regular kilns.
Sandra
You might check with a dental supply company for a used glazing oven.
they are few and far between but they could be had for much less than
$750.00. Look at e-bay and Yahoo’s wanted section.(e-wanted.com) .
I’ll check for you also. Off group, e-mail me your phone number and
let’s see what we can do.
Look at the paragon SC11 See: http://www.paragonweb.com/catalog.cfm?type=kiln_detail&item_id=46 This
is a very nice very small modern kiln with a digital temperature
controller. They also have a larger one which I have (The 6x6x6
version) . I am very happy with it.
In fact, a well insulated empty burnout oven uses very little more
energy to warm a larger space, as all that is being warmed is a volume
of air. Almost all of the energy used in an oven is used to heat the
solids that are introduced and the fresh air that enters when the door
is opened. You may be just as well off investing in a larger oven. I
think that you will find the Neycraft a better deal at around $500.
Loren, A small enameling oven might work, but why not just dip the
piece in borax/alcohol to protect it from oxidation, turn down the
lights, heat with an apropriately sized flame until the first dark red
appears then drop the piece in pickle? Lot less hassle that way in my
opinion. Sure you can desolder the joints or melt the piece if you
blast it with heat but the idea is to heat gently and in a dark enough
room so as to see the color change.
Hi Loren; The little “ultralite” kiln the enamelists use is only $130
from Rio Grande (page 94 of the 2001 catalog). I’ve been using one a
school where I teach that has a reostat in line with the power cord
and I can dial in anything from tepid to 1500 F. or so. If you
really wanted to scrimp, you can buy just the replacement heating
element for around $36 and build yourself a little “box” out of a
soft refractory brick, or call a ceramic supply place like A .P.
Green’s (have to search the net for that unless someone in Orchidland
knows the address) and see if you can buy a small amount of castable
refractory like castolite 2800. These same ceramic supply places
sometimes sell nichrome wire, and you could make a coil inside a
small refractory box, in effect, building an abreviated version of a
burnout kiln. It would take some experimentation to derive how many
much wire coil would give you the temperature you needed.
Geo, That’s what I usually do, but there have been occasions where I
need to soften something that already has days of work in it, and I’m
terrified I might melt it. In the case of a chain, that would be
months, even. I melt enough links as it is, soldering the joints.
Loren, there are so-called “bee hive” kilns available for about
$100.00. Try Rio Grande or Thompson Enamel. Supposedly you could make
your own via a hot plate (electric one-burner element), something
inflammable over the element & a clay flower pot. Leave the hole in
the flower pot open, & find some way of picking up the hot flower pot!
I have not made this thing, just heard about it. The little kiln is
good for granulation and doing test pieces for enamel.
But if you have a torch, with practice, you can anneal anything.
Care need be taken for annealing small coils of wire.
Hope the above is helpful.
Geo, That's what I usually do, but there have been occasions
where I need to soften something that already has days of work in
it, and I'm terrified I might melt it. In the case of a chain, that
would be months, even. I melt enough links as it is, soldering the
joints. ;-)
You’re right of course. A master (unlike me, the hobbyist who won’t
starve from breaking a piece) who’s income depends on perfect results
after months of effort would weigh the costs versus risks of their
methods and an enameling oven might well be worth it to them.
For people who are starting out flame annealing I don’t think the
idea of using a right sized flame (ie small and soft) in a dark room
can’t be emphasized enough. Its hard to see the first color changes
otherwise…let me tell you the time I broke a 6 inch hammered bowl
from trying to anneal in daylight…it makes a great looking small
part container for the shop.
there have been occasions where I need to soften something that
already has days of work in it, and I'm terrified I might melt it.
In the case of a chain, that would be months, even.
G’day; if you are worried about annealing delicate jewellery objects,
with a flame, and don’t want to have the expense of a small oven, why
not use the old and tried method of putting the items in a small
CLEAN (!!) can and heating the bottom of that with a torch to red
heat? If it is a fairly tall can, you’ll be able to see the colour of
the work in the darker depths of the can. Cheers, –
and I