FrogBlog — Ceramic Kiln

When you are looking for the perfect kiln, you might think there is one out there that does it all, but kilns are made for specific purposes. The perfect ceramic or pottery kiln might be a poor choice for an enamel artist. The best knife oven would not necessarily be great for a glass fuser. In the next few weeks, we are going to take a look at several different categories of kilns and discuss what we think are important features to look for when you are deciding on your next kiln. Let’s start with kilns for clay artists!  ...

For a limited time, the Paragon TNF82, TNF823, TNF1613, TNF233, Janus 1613, and Janus23 kilns have joined our READY to SHIP program! Say goodbye to waiting weeks for your kiln as they will be on their way to you within 3-5 business days of your order!! All READY to SHIP models are single-phase and are equipped with an upgraded 12-key digital controller! TNF82 / TNF823 - The TNF82 kiln is large enough for most ceramic projects. Figured at the cost per cubic foot, it is among Paragon's lowest priced hobby kilns. The TNF82 features a top row of 2” high...

Learning from others is at the heart of the kiln community. So, I thought everyone would enjoy some Q&A as we just love to share knowledge and information! When using or buying a kiln... this extra insight not only saves you time but, often money, too! Can a small test kiln accurately duplicate the firing of my larger pottery kiln? A digital controller on a test kiln can duplicate the firing of a large kiln. Find a test kiln that has a simple 3-key controller. It won't have all the features of the more expensive 12-key controller, nevertheless, it can...

Don't sweat it!  We've got you covered. From glass to pottery, heat treating to annealing... we have handled thousands of questions that revolve around buying your first kiln. So, we thought we would share our favorite nuggets of advice from some of our most frequent questions. Q1: I am considering buying my first kiln. The choices and information seem overwhelming as they all look so similar. How do I know which one is right for me? It can be an instant information overload. We think that choosing a kiln becomes simpler when you narrow the search with these factors: The...

Last week, we got an e-mail with a bunch of great questions about peepholes and venting your kiln when using powdered enamels dry on copper. So, we thought that we would give you some insights on venting for all kinds of enamels on glass, and metals too. Hopefully, this Q&A from Gail will help you in the future... it always helps me!   Why does my kiln have a Peephole? Large peepholes (viewports), tapered for a wide view without heat loss, were originally designed for manual kilns so you could see when the pyrometric cones bent. With venting as their secondary function, peepholes allow...