should i buy a kiln?

Hi Beowulf:

You and I are at about the same point in the ceramic journey. I fire my pieces at the school I attend. I throw them in my garage on a used wheel and transport them to a guy's house seven blocks away. I'll buy a new wheel once I've had a chance to try out all the main brands. I haven't broken any pieces in transport yet. The only ones that broke were those that got bumped off the shelf. I get charged about $5 a cubic foot, $20 might not be too bad. I'm dying to get my first kiln, but really want to do the research and learn first. I don't want to endanger the lives of my family by gasing them out with toxic fumes by putting the kiln in my garage. I've got to build a separate structure and will have to move out to the country to avoid all the zoning rules. I went through the same thought process you did. It's not so much the money as what do I do with the kiln if I figure out it's not what I want. I'm also observing how another potter is having a miserable time with zoning just a half mile away. Her kiln has been inspected a couple of times and still hasn't gotten approved, with new requirements each time they come out.

My "I want it now" mode has been tempered by the patience and critical research required of this medium of expression. If everyone who ever bought a piece of pottery could experience just once what is involved, they wouldn't complain about the $45 price tag on a hand thrown mixing bowl.

:D

Go with the Electric Kiln for starters; it will introduce you to the basics of firing. Firing a gas kiln is not something I would recommend as a way of learning about firing; come to it later when you've got more experience.

Steve Bath UK

In article , Beowulf writes

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 15:01:52 -0800, Diego wrote: ..

Yeah i have gained a lot of respect for the artistry and time that goes into creating handmade pottery. One reason I want to make my own functional dinnerware-- it will be so rewarding to eat off my own medievil looking plates, mugs, bowls, have friends over for dinner, etc.

I need to temper my ambition to get a kiln with patience to learn it all, consider zoning regulations, and I really would prefer not to take on the spatial requirements of a big kiln and the associated 4'x3' propane gas tank to go with it.

$20 for a firing sounds reasonable, work out the energy cost involved plus something towards the next lot of maintenance on the kiln.

However, the best place to get a first kiln is often second-hand. We have five such kilns here of varying shapes and sizes. They were acquired for a total cost (including various bits of kiln furniture) for less than the list price of a single new electric kiln.

Dave

Um, folks. I wasn't going to get involved in this thread, but here anyway is my $0.02 for what it's worth... A few things to consider, first, that it does not cost THAT much to fire a kiln. I fire in a 27cu ft electric, in a place charging truly outrageous energy costs, and my firing (to cone 10) rarely exceeds $30. As Deborah suggested, one can fill a kiln rather quickly with a bunch of small pieces like witness cone pack bases, tile samples etc. Depends on whether or not you are actually intending to SELL anything to justify firing an almost empty kiln, and what waiting to fill the kiln is going to cost you in time and money. Don't forget that each piece you DON'T fire right away is still materials and labor you have expended. How long do you want it tied up? Personally, I fire about once a month, full or not. I hate waiting, and no, I don't sell. At this point I'm still what others would look down their noses at and call "hobby potter".

Second, time has a way of diminishing your memory. How many times have I said to myself "Oh, I'll remember what glaze/underglaze (supply your own terms here) I put on this mug/bowl/spitoon". Waiting to fire only adds to the confusion. Now add in the cost of your time and energy in schlepping everything over to that commercial kiln. How much is it going to cost you if (for some reason) the kiln is not fired to your requirements, too hot or cold, or gods forbid way overfired. I have heard too many times "Oh. I thought you said cone 6 not cone 06". (and every piece ends up shattered, and the kiln owner is mad, and you've lost it all.) Is it worth buying a kiln, even used? Absolutely! That way, you can adjust the firings to suit your particular glaze/clay, longer soak, stepped cooling, whatever. A test kiln, while in some cases a good idea, will NOT match conditions in a "real" one.

Yes, it is a large outlay of funds. But it gives YOU the control you need as an artist, and you no longer have to depend on anyone else for your art. Just my humble opinion. Been there, done that, prefer doing it myself so there's no one else to blame.

Wayne Seidl

Absolutely on the nail Wayne.

Steve Bath UK

In article , wayneinkeywest writes

i taught an adult education pottery class for 9 years and this was a common question for "beginner" potters. meanwhile, they didn't think twice of the "cost" or "payback" of getting into other hobby areas like golf, fishing, boating, skiing, wood working, etc.

for some reason clay seems to "need" a payback of some sort for people?

the cost of setting up basic equipment for pottery is VERY small in general and VERY small compared to any of the areas i just listed. meanwhile pottery equipment likely has a better resale value then the equipment for the areas i just listed as well!

i did sail boating & model remote control airplanes, & windsurfing & backpacking for a while before i got into claywork; l and dropped more money in any of those areas then i did in my initial dive into pottery.

as for family use, i consider the setting up of a small kiln & wheel to be a great way to guarantee family home weekends messing around in the garage or where ever you & the group like to make clay projetcs. it's sure a cheap date once you're set up!

also, ceramics monthly noted once that getting a KILN is preferred over getting a wheel since even if you have a wheel you have to fire it somewhere... with a kiln at least the world of hand building can amuse you for several years before you get around to buying a wheel.

see ya

steve

steve graber