I'm ready to give up!!

This is where mum bought my equipment:

- and I use small cylinders of MAPP gas from Halfords. As for kilns, I don't know, but if you do find anywhere I'd like to know! Have you tried asking UK lampworkers selling annealed beads on ebay?

That's my next stop. I've had several responses via email and will chase them up tomorrow. I'm also planning on calling a few US companies to see if they have UK dealers. If I find anything I'll post the info and share it.

Please don't get me wrong, I love the UK. I just miss the convenience that the US has in supplies.

-Su

Oh, me too!!!!!

Oh, good luck hon! I was just on the phone today with one of my customers in the UK, she's also a beadmaker and she gets all her supplies from Arrow Springs. I don't think shipping is toooo horribly long.

-Kalera

Su/Cutworks wrote:

It's the kiln that's going to be the biggest item, I think. I'm well used to getting stuff from the US, anything that can go regular post isn't a problem, and in most cases by air mail isn't too bad. Actually, it's so cheap to fly to Italy from here that if the husband gets into it in a big way, he could go over there once a month and bring it back the same day if he wants glass. The biggest problem is tools and equipment, really.

We'll keep trying. If I can find Skippy Peanut Butter and Reeses' Peanut Butter cups in the UK, I can find a kiln eventually!

-Su

I just typed hobby kilns in the search engine and it brought several hits. Here is some that may help you.

This one gave a whole listing about glass.

Shirley

Shirley wrote: > I just typed hobby kilns in the search engine and it brought several

Thanks!

I've also been in contact with a place in Stourbridge that will be importing kilns from the US soon. We were told that a kiln is good but not vital when you're starting out. A crock pot with vermiculite seems to be a decent alternative for beginners without being horribly expensive. Fortunately, my husband is more interested by the day so it looks as if I've found something to catch his imagination. He's been surfing today getting some more information and we're waiting on a few catalogues before making the leap.

My thanks to you and everyone who has been so helpful.

-Su

Su,

Not to be nosy or anything but your hubby can cool the beads in vermiculite. However, the beads won't be annealed until you have kiln. I do wish you the best in your search.

Starlia

Maybe you can contact EK Miller? WHen I bought my kiln from them they were talking about making one for their German customers, so maybe they have a distributor there?

-Kalera

Su/Cutworks wrote:

We're looking at that, as with anything it will take some time before he produces things that will require a kiln, I would imagine.

We have a diesel-fired stove in the front of the boat that heats the whole boat during the winter, and we're giving some thought as how to use it. I wonder if we'd have the first diesel-fired kiln!

As for the best wishes, many thanks. We'll just keep looking and doing research until we find what we need.

-Su

I checked their website and no mention of anywhere in Europe as yet.

I did find one place in the UK that said they're planning on importing kilns soon. I'd love something nice and compact but even a small kiln would be too much for my sister to bring over in her carry-on luggage.

Eventually we'll get all the supplies in one place. Many thanks for the help in finding sources.

-Su

Looking at this link:

Their small glass kiln looks wonderfully-built, and I bet you could call them and talk them into building one with a bead door. But you're right, unless you're selling them, a kiln is not essential. I would simply not worry about it yet and focus on making cool beads. You can always anneal them later, and then by the the time you make the investment in a kiln you'll also have had enough practice to make salable beads.

-Kalera

Su/Cutworks wrote:

I'm saving this all up and keeping the info in a file.

That's what I thought. We're pretty well up on things as we have propane in quantity as that's what we cook with on the boat, so spare canisters of that are easy to come by. We're also looking for an oxygen concentrator thingy (technical term, of course!) and waiting on catalogues from several places.

It all comes to those who wait. It's just hard to wait until it all arrives.

Thanks again.

-Su

On Tue, 18 May 2004 8:25:48 -0400, Su/Cutworks wrote (in message ):

Su, you always confuse me. All the names of towns you list are local to me, even though I'm not in Britain. Stourbridge is the one that always trips me up, because here it's spelled Sturbridge. (can you tell I live in New England?)

Whoever told you that is wrong. Crockpots do not anneal anything, and your beads would still be prone to breakage. Vermiculite is dangerous to the lungs when inhaled. I wouldn't do it - even if it meant I had to wait.

Good. Check out the hobby kiln links Shirley mentioned - I'm sure you can find something that fits your wallet and is appropriate for your learning level. One good thing is that if kilns are that hard to find in Britain, they should be easy to resell for what you paid.

Kathy N-V

I grew up in the Midwest, which is as full of names from the UK as the East Coast is. It's funny to go from Manchester Indiana to Manchester England if you know what I mean.

They didn't say it would anneal anything, but that it would be good for holding beads while learning.

This is why I'm not turning as pale at the cost as I could be. We're reading up too as much as we can.

Stourbridge is apparently one of the main glassmaking centers or even centres of the UK, it looks like a very interesting place to visit, so when we do get down there I'll have to take pictures and do a trip report.

-Su

They don't have much info on their website, and it's not up to date... you'd actually have to email or call them and ask. The kiln I bought (The Fusebox 10) was developed for sale in Germany, but I don't know if they were selling diectly or if they had a reseller over there.

-Kalera

Su/Cutworks wrote: