Anyone want a kiln for the low price of free?


A DMS member is downsizing and I intercepted this onto the way to the dumpster. Read the faceplate and Google it for more info - I know nothing about kilns. It appears to need some TLC - the heating element doesn’t rest so neatly in its grooves and the insulation has some gouges. I’m in Lewisville if anyone wants to take it for parts, to rebuild, etc.

1 Like

I’ll take it. How do I get it?

Dan Henderson

Thanks Erik for recovering the kiln. I’ll check it out and see if it can be repaired and used. I think it would make a great size kiln for fusing glass.

Glad you think it will be useful and that it’s neither in the landfill nor my garage.

So I went out to Trinity Ceramics today to speak with Conner about the kiln. I took lots of detail pictures and showed them to him. He said that the kiln was a “frankenkiln”. That is the parts had pieces from several other kilns. He said the kiln sitter was recognizable but that some of the other parts were not.

I asked about replacing the element and he said it would probably not reach glaze firing temperatures with just one element. It should have two. He also said that the brick that is broken would have to be stuffed with some fireproof fiber material or replaced. I asked him how much it would cost to do all of this and he said I’d be better off buying a new kiln.

Trinity did have one suggestion that I actually liked. @Nathan_Jones, @JohnK and I (and others) have been talking about building a raku kiln. Conner said that a lot of people are building raku kilns from old “beater” kilns like the one I showed him. Essentially, he said that you would cut a hole in the side for the propane burner and the top to let the exhaust gas out and you’d have a raku kiln.

The sell the burner and the necessary fireproof fiber for a total cost of $48. We’d still have to get a regulator and tanks etc for the propane but we’d have a small raku kiln. I watched a video where a guy put one on a metal cart and wheeled it outside when he wanted to do raku. The whole apparatus was portable by doing this.

I thought I’d throw out the idea. If this idea isn’t amenable I’m afraid the kiln is going to be thrown out/craigslist for free/free cycle etc. Trinity told me it wouldn’t even work very well for a glass kiln since the temperature regulation would be difficult in an old kiln like this.

Thoughts?

It might be possible to use it as a jewelry kiln without requiring any repairs. It would not have to maintain as high a temperature to be used for some jewelry uses such as burning out wax or enameling as to fire ceramics.

The problem is that the element in it needs to be replaced. It has a break
in it and the pins to attach it to the kiln are missing. All easily
remedied by purchasing the element which comes with the pins. Still it has
never been fired so I don’t even know if the kiln sitter is functioning.
Happy to let you take a stab at it if you’re so inclined. I can bring the
kiln to DMS almost any time since it is in four stackable pieces.

Is there any chance it could be converted to natural gas/propane furnace? Be great to have a large furnace for melting material. Adding a blower would help get the temperature up higher to allow casting brass or copper.

Yes, in fact that is what Trinity suggested. You can insert a gas burner in the kiln and turn it into a Raku kiln or a metal furnace.

On the same note…

I have a kiln taking up space in my garage that I need to get rid of for the same price. It’s a smaller kiln that used to belong to my step-mother. I can’t find any information on Google about the model but here it is.

Paragon A11-98
120 V
17 A
2040 Watts
2200 Max temp.
17.5" across widest portion of the hex on the outside
12.5’ inside
9" deep inside
Manual settings (Off, Low, Medium and High)

I can’t swear to the workability of it. It’s been sitting in the garage for the last 18 years (at least) unused.

2200 is enough to melt most soft metals for jewelry

Sincerely,
Tim Nielsen

Looks like I may have read the model wrong (it’ dark in that garage.) It may be an A11-9B (not 98.)

Just checking, you do know we already have a propane powered foundry furnace that is already used for melting aluminum, and can handle brass & bronze…

True, but usage is tightly controlled. For example, I picked up my own
facilities for melting metals when I realized I’d never get a turn in the
foundry group. Maybe someone wants to take the same route.

Sincerely,
Tim Nielsen

Err, you just have to ask, and bring your own propane…