FrogBlog
12 Ways to Improve Your Cutting
Bullseye Glass Studio Tip: Glass cutting is a fundamental skill any kilnformer needs to be able to master. If you’ve never cut glass or you’re unconfident in your abilities, there is good news. This is a skill you can improve! With proper cutting tools and techniques, even beginners can learn how to produce clean, accurate glass shapes. Your glass cutting skill level will not only affect the quality of work you produce, but also how much money you spend. Think about it: better glass cutting skills mean fewer mistakes and less wasted glass. Ready to sharpen your skills? Of course you are... #1: Dowload the 12 Ways To Improve Your Cutting from Rudi Gritsch of the Glasfachschule in Kramsach, Austria. Rudi is former Director of Research at Bullseye Glass Co. and a world-class glass cutter. #2: Watch the video lesson below. This will teach you how to properly score a piece of glass and how to break the score as well as how to cut circles in glass. Check out some of our best-selling glass kilns to fire your cut pieces however you desire: Paragon Kiln - SC2 Evenheat Studio Pro STP with Window Jen-Ken Kilns - AF3P 15/6 Olympic Kiln - Champ XL
Read moreFrogBlog
Moving Your Studio Kiln... and other crazy annoying things!
It's a fact of life that humans are nomadic. We try to settle down in one place, but as comfortable as we get, we eventually pick up all of our stuff and move it to another location. As an artist I am certainly not immune to this condition. Over the last 15 years I will have moved my studio 4 times. First my home, then my first real studio out of my house - 8 years, then the next one - 3 years, now this one - 2 years. The reasons always seem legitimate; bigger space, which eventually raised rents too high, then less expensive space, which eventually proved to be too far to travel (45 minutes each way) The current space is close to home (8 minutes!) but alas, crowded. Nothing is every perfect it seems.... so we move to create a more perfect situation. This brings me to the point of this blog; moving the most important thing in everyone's studio.... the kiln. Just thinking about how to move a kiln brings a lump to the throat. It makes even the most relaxed person a little nervous. You might think that small kilns would be a "no-brainer" to move, but they can be damaged too. Often, it's the items we don't go out of our way to protect that become the most damaged. Arnold Howard, Engineer Extraordinaire from Paragon posted a blog a few years ago that covered this really well. He states,"The main concern in moving a kiln is brick damage, especially to the lid. The wiring is usually not affected by a move." Those of us with Fiber kilns also need to take great care to not dent the or damage fiber exterior! Here's what to do: ..."Sandwich a 1/16" thick sheet of foam packing between the kiln body and the lid." (This is the stuff that comes in rolls at the office supply store, or at home depot.) "The foam sheet must extend under the lid completely so that no section of the lid touches the kiln walls. This is very important. I have seen kilns sent to the factory without the protective sheet under the lid. The kilns were always damaged. If you are moving a front-loading kiln, place the foam sheet between the door and firing chamber." Strap the tip or door down and wrap the entire small kiln in a blanket. Then place the kiln in your trunk surrounded by blankets and towels with no other hard objects in the area. Then proceed to your destination. If you are moving a larger kiln, follow the same instructions for the smaller kiln, and then,...."Lay a 1" thick piece of Styrofoam board over a wooden pallet. Then place the kiln on the Styrofoam. (The Styrofoam and pallet must be large enough for the entire kiln.) On top of the kiln lid, place one or two sheets of 1" thick Styrofoam, and on top of that, a light-weight pallet. Then band the two pallets tightly. If you are moving the kiln a long distance, you could nail vertical 1x4 boards at the corners to form a crate. Then add diagonal boards on the sides for stability." I love this video, also from Paragon which shows how to crate a kiln! He also states, "Do not place anything inside the kiln during a move, especially shelves and posts. Unless your kiln is securely crated, do not place anything on top of it. Place the kiln near the front of a truck or trailer where the ride is smoother." For those of you who are moving your studio... best of luck! It will all be over soon! Your Kiln Gal, Gail
Read more
What does it REALLY cost to run my kiln?
Sometimes we would rather put our heads in the sand then face the reality of what it costs to run our kiln. Don't worry! Firing your kiln costs less than you’d imagine. Even though a kiln draws electricity, it does not draw it continually, so during a typical glass firing, a kiln's elements are drawing power only a fraction of the time. Most digital controllers allow you to enter your cost per kilowatt hour for electricity and they will report back the cost of the firing. Here’s one formula for calculating the cost of firing your kiln: 1 = Amps2 = Volts3 = Estimated Firing time in hours time x .75 (kiln is only on full power intermittently)4 = Cost per kilowatt hr from your electric bill 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 = Firing Cost 1,000 A longer firing will increase the energy cost, it will not be a large increase because the kiln will not be on full power any longer and the .75 factor in “3” of the formula would be lower. The formula assumes a normal, even increase per hour. Here’s another way to calculate electric usage and costs: Step 1: Determine the wattage of the kiln (Volts x Amps = Watts... ex. 120 volts x 15 Amps = 1800 Watts) Step 2: Multiply wattage by 1000 (ex. 1800 Watts / 1000 = 1.8 KW) Step 3: Multiply kilowatts (KW) by KW cost on your energy bill (ex. 1.8 KW x $0.15 = $0.27 per KWH for each hour the kiln is on high and not cycling on and off) Step 4: Multiply the answer you received above by .75 (ex. $.27 x .75 = $.20 per hour to run the kiln) We assume the kiln is cycling on and off during this firing so the actual amount of time the kiln is running a program is about 66% to 75% on. This is not much for a 120v small kiln, but can add up over a month of firing a 240v 45 amp kiln. So.... step one is to go get your electric bill and find out what you pay per Kilowatt Hour (KWH). Then, you can really know what it costs to run your kiln. So... step two....include those costs in your cost of goods when you are selling your beautiful glass work! Finally.... step three...make a profit and have some fun! Your kiln gal - Gail Want to save on electricity bill? Here are some of our top 120V kilns: Paragon Kiln - Caldera Digital Jen-Ken - AF3P Vitri Barrel Vitrigraph Evenheat Studio Pro 17 Oympic Doll-E/Test-E Hot Shot Oven and Kiln HS16 Pro Clamshell
Read more