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EGG As A Kiln?

Adult ADHD
Adult ADHD Posts: 150
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
My daughter wants to do some ceramics. Has anyone ever used their EGG as a kiln? It would be so nice to pick up pieces of greenware and not have to make trips back and forth.

Comments

  • What temps do you need?
    The Naked Whiz
  • dbCooper
    dbCooper Posts: 2,061
    Several months back I took a introductory glass blowing class, a single evening for 3 hours. After the glass is shaped it needs to go into an annealing oven heated to approx 900', this toughens the brittle glass by heating and slow cooling it.

    The class sparked my interest enough that I bought a basic home glass blowing kit. I am using my Egg for the annealing oven, it seems to work well. I let the Egg roar away at 900-1000' for about 30 min, then close the vents and add the blown glass.

    I am not familiar with ceramics and kilns. Can you provide the temps you need and how long you need to sustain them? Likely are people here that can provide reliable ways to get those results.

    Someday, if my glass blowing skills get beyond rank amateur status, I'll post some pics of my work.

    Kind regards,
    dbCooper
    LBGE, LBGE-PTR, 22" Weber, Coleman 413G
    Great Plains, USA
  • It has been many years since I did any ceramic work and never did the firing. I will have to investigate.
  • I have never fired any ceramics. I will have to investigate.
    Please post picutres of your glass work. I am sure others would enjoy too. You don't need to wait until you are an expert. Watching someone enjoy and progress in a craft is a pleasure.
  • tjv
    tjv Posts: 3,830
    not sure it is a good idea and if you can get hot enough. firing ceramics can be tricky, controlling how fast the temperature climbs, how long the temp. maintains your target temp and then the rate the temp cools down.

    ceramics use "cone" temps to describe firing procedures. Also important to the firing method is the type of ceramic material used and how it is formed - for example slip cast vs pressed.

    it's a science all to itself........

    t
    www.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
    My mother was an art teacher and she had a small kiln in her studio. I don't remember exactly, but I do recall that thing would hit 1500! I'm not sure she fired at that temp but I do remember she cooked stuff for a long time, several hours, I think.
    I would not want to try it in my egg :pinch: :P B)
  • Thank you. Just the info I needed. I had hoped my neice would know, but she has someone to fire peices for her at school.

    Now, I'll work on finding a loacl studio. I hope it is not a lost art.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    Porcelain fires to 2000° - 2200°, if my memory serves ceramics 1800° - 2000°. BEG claims the ceramics are safe to 1800°.

    It is questionable if you can get your egg to 1800° without using forced air.

    The ceramics and porcelain take a very slow heat ramp up and cool down. My porcelain firing takes about 18 to 20 hours (heat up and cool down). I am not sure how the ceramics would handle a quicker fire up and cool down process.

    The next consideration is how much, and how much cost, lump is going to be required to get and hold the egg to those temperatures.

    If you shop around you can get a kiln that will easily handle ceramics and glazing for as low as $100 and you could get a nice kiln for $450 (used).

    GG
  • GG,
    Thank you. I am just going to use a shoppes kiln. The recreation deptartments here no longer offer classes, etc. I have left an email with someone I found on an internet search.
    I hope that you are well now.