I also have a few questions: Comments, please!
1. Better to have an electrician come to wire my garage after or before the kiln arrives? There's only one outlet in the garage. Does this matter?
2. Better to have a dryer vent put in the garage before or after the kiln arrives? Not sure how long the cord is that goes into the outlet which would matter where I place the kiln.
And I have other purchases to make including...
clay--- for cone 6. Any suggestions on which to buy? Am thinking about some NC clay (I'm not into porcelain; last clays I used were highwater phoenix and zella stone). Thought about trying some starworks clay- the okeeweemee one.
Also need to make several purchases including...
a banding wheel---
glazes!
a space heater
This is also a big switch for me from cone 10 to cone 6. Any wisdom in this?
Thankfully my parents are coming next Sunday, I think... to help around the house and with a few set-up projects for my studio. It will be wonderful to have them here! We'll do fun things together like create a wedging table and also put some shelves in too.
geez, somedays I tell myself it would be great to have an avocation that is less expensive! Still I love it, and miss it more than I can say.
All these decisions! Would love to hear your nuggets of wisdom about creating a studio.
11 comments:
I used phoenix a ^6, I think it's right on the line? I like starworks ^6 clay. What about little loafers? Definitely get a shimpo banding wheel, best purchase I ever made for equipment! No idea about the electrical, mine came after the kiln got here.... there are some people doing some beautiful cone 6 work, just making lots of test tiles! Get that Colour in Clay book, it's great! I can't remember the other questions, sorry!
oh, space heater! I got the greatest little heater for $20 at Lowes, it's really small but blasts out the heat! Get it now, they will start putting out summer stuff soon and you won't find one, this happened to me last March when I finished my studio and needed a heater, none to be found!
Tracey- Thank you, thank you! I'm headed to Lowe's today... :) will definitely get a shimpo banding wheel. Just gotta decide which one! Will look into that book too. Love your wisdom.
Hi Amy,
I'm not the best source since I don't necessarily do things in the most logical order. I guess the question I have about your set-up is if the outlet you have is in the most logical place for your kiln. Once you get that kiln set down you're probably not going to want to move that beast. Would an electrician come out to give an estimate in case you need more than one outlet or need to relocate one?
I have one outlet wired for the kiln. Another is nearby that I plug the exhaust vent into. The exhaust vent I have just uses regular wiring. I don't know what's typical because this vent was made by a welder my husband knows.
In my case the electrician came after I got the kiln.
About the cord- mine's pretty short.
Glazes- I use cone 6. Are you mixing your own or using pre-mixed? If you are mixing your own I can shoot you some sources. Let me know.
thanks, Melissa! Will be in touch about glazes. I so appreciate your insight...
Hi Amy,
Nice wheel and kiln.
For the electrical you need to decide where your putting your kiln before you hook up the 220 outlet. You will definitely want to make sure you have a standard 110 outlet near to the kiln, just in case you decide to install a kiln vent.
I like Laguna mid-fire clays. If you are interested in making your own glazes, I suggest that you purchase the book "Mastering Cone 6 Glazes". It's a must for cone 6 electric kiln firing.
:) Cindy
O.K. the cord's longer than I thought- about 6 feet (Skutt). Just seems shorter because where my kiln is placed the cord has to pass across the front to the control panel.
have the electrician wire after you get the kiln in place, my cord is shorter than I thought even at 6 feet, also the electrician put the plug in facing the wall and the cord would be better plugged in facing the left. not sure if you understand what I mean, but the plug can only go in one way. The electrician did the same thing for Gary's air compressor in our last house and the dryer plug was upside down too - maybe it's an electrician thing I don't know.
for a space heater get one with a ceramic element they stay warm longer and give off more heat. I have a Holmes ceramic, not sure how much it was but it definitely works better than the Sunbeam I have.
I like Laguna B mix and some of the speckled buff clays for some of the glaze effects the speckles create, some of the same glazes do different things with different clays which I like.
I think it's better to get your kiln hard wired if at all possible. Also your electrician will probably want to put the kiln on a separate circuit so you need to know the location of your breaker box.
As long as you have an electrician around get a couple of more circuits and as many outlets as you can afford.
I waited until my kilns arrived before having the electrician come. If you do it before and have to get him back you will be out another initial payment for a service call.
I installed the vent after the kilns were installed. I didn't want to have to correct placement problems.
If you do need an extension cord for your wheel or heater use a dryer cord. I always go heavier than the recommended gauge and have not had any problems. But them I have intense paranoia around electricity.
This is going to give you a whole new freedom in your work!
Keep us updated!
thanks for all the wisdom. it helps so much! Will definitely keep y'all posted...
Definately go to StarWorks, it is close by (Star NC) to you and they have NC clays and others too.
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