Home Forums Explore Media Glass Art Let’s Talk Glass Technical Forum Questions about and Pyrometer for EvenHeat Jr. Copper Kiln?

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  • #983445
    Tink
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        I’ve acquired the above kiln, and I need to find a pyrometer for it. It’s an older model, rather than the one shown in the Wale catalog, but it’s called the same thing.

        I understand I would be able to use it for fusing, as well as for firing overglazes and such. Yes?

        I’m kiln-ignorant, as I have a Don McKinney Toolbox Annealer with a digital controller. It works like a charm, and I don’t have to think much with it. LOL!

        I suppose I could try using cones with this EvenHeat kiln, but it sounds too easy to screw up.

        Anyone have info on this kiln or advice in general?

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        Etsy

        #1013129
        Kalera
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            I couldn’t figure out exactly which kiln it is by looking at the Wale website, but I’ve been fusing with an Evenheat for more than four years, and I’m very happy with it. Any $50 pyrometer should do for you, and I would very much recommend picking up copies of “Glass Fusing: Book 1” and “The Fused Glass Handbook”. You’ll want to initially adjust your pyrometer by using cones, and they’re really pretty foolproof if you keep a good eye on them. Also, glass is surprisingly forgiving, so as long as you’re around and able to check in on it every 15 minutes or so, you can actually do fusing without a pyrometer at all. It is easier with one though!

            OK, I just rummaged around in my basement for my box of cones. No such luck. Oh well; you can ask at a ceramics or art supply store. All you need is a cone that bends at, say, 1000 degrees; then you watch the cone and when it starts to bend, you set your pyrometer to that cone’s bending temp. If you don’t have a pyrometer, instead of fussing around with cones, stick a 2″ piece of the glass you’re using in between two small hunks of kiln brick: note how long it takes the glass to start bending, and that’s roughly your tack-fuse point. That’s a useful baseline for when to start watching your glass; keep notes after that on how long it takes to fuse fully, and then you can just go by a timer instead of a pyrometer. Like I said, it’s easier with the pyrometer, but I’ve had some pretty successful fusing projects just eyeballing it.

            Have fun!

            -Kalera
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