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kerr kilns?

updated mon 23 may 05

 

Marcia Selsor on sat 21 may 05


I never heard of a a Kerr kiln but I fire my little Crucible test
kiln on 110 v. frequently. I would wonder at any kiln model # 666.
I'll bet it gets HOT.
Doesn;t 666 kinda make you wonder what kind of sense of humor the
company has?
Marcia Selsor
On May 21, 2005, at 7:27 PM, Kate Johnson wrote:

> Hi all...I have a chance to get a small Kerr test kiln--no idea how
> old it
> is, unfortunately, but it apparently says 666 Furnace on it (I
> don't even
> want to know what that means...)
>
> The owner says it is about 20" tall, and it's 110, not 220. I'm
> told "it
> gets really hot." It has a thermostat on it.
>
> Anybody know ANYTHING about these? Is this worth my checking out
> further?
> I Googled it but didn't turn up anything specific...
>
> Best--
> Kate Johnson
> graphicart@epsi.net
> http://www.cathyjohnson.info/
>
> Art, History, Nature and More at Cathy Johnson's Cafepress--
> http://www.cafepress.com/cathy_johnson/
>
> Graphics/Fine Arts Press--
> http://www.epsi.net/graphic/
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
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>

John Rodgers on sat 21 may 05


Kerr use to make kilns - burn-out ovens they were called - for the
jewelry trade. used to burn out wax in the investment plaster molds and
prep them for the lost wax casting process. They were usually limited to
around 1700 or so degrees - just hotter than the melting point of silver
or gold. The molds were heated in these ovens to burn out the wax models
inbedded therein, then at temperature - 1650F - quickly transferred to a
centrifugal casting unit or vacuum casting uning for the casting of the
metal. The temperature of the mold and the metal need to be fairly
close, otherwise you got porosity, corrosion, etc, in the casting.

If this oven is is good condition, it might be worth grabbing,
espefially if you have any metal working ambitions.

Regards,

John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL

Kate Johnson wrote:

> Hi all...I have a chance to get a small Kerr test kiln--no idea how
> old it
> is, unfortunately, but it apparently says 666 Furnace on it (I don't even
> want to know what that means...)
>
> The owner says it is about 20" tall, and it's 110, not 220. I'm told "it
> gets really hot." It has a thermostat on it.
>
> Anybody know ANYTHING about these? Is this worth my checking out
> further?
> I Googled it but didn't turn up anything specific...
>
> Best--
> Kate Johnson
> graphicart@epsi.net
> http://www.cathyjohnson.info/
>
> Art, History, Nature and More at Cathy Johnson's Cafepress--
> http://www.cafepress.com/cathy_johnson/
>
> Graphics/Fine Arts Press--
> http://www.epsi.net/graphic/
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>

Kate Johnson on sat 21 may 05


Hi all...I have a chance to get a small Kerr test kiln--no idea how old it
is, unfortunately, but it apparently says 666 Furnace on it (I don't even
want to know what that means...)

The owner says it is about 20" tall, and it's 110, not 220. I'm told "it
gets really hot." It has a thermostat on it.

Anybody know ANYTHING about these? Is this worth my checking out further?
I Googled it but didn't turn up anything specific...

Best--
Kate Johnson
graphicart@epsi.net
http://www.cathyjohnson.info/

Art, History, Nature and More at Cathy Johnson's Cafepress--
http://www.cafepress.com/cathy_johnson/

Graphics/Fine Arts Press--
http://www.epsi.net/graphic/

Kate Johnson on sun 22 may 05


>I never heard of a a Kerr kiln but I fire my little Crucible test
> kiln on 110 v. frequently. I would wonder at any kiln model # 666.
> I'll bet it gets HOT.

Yeh, me too, Marcia!

Actually when I did a Google search I found they still make jewelry
kilns/crucibles, so this mayb be what this is...

> Doesn;t 666 kinda make you wonder what kind of sense of humor the
> company has?

OH yeah. Definitely! Just hope it's not a MEAN one.

Best--
Kate

Kate Johnson on sun 22 may 05


Hi John...

> Kerr use to make kilns - burn-out ovens they were called - for the
> jewelry trade. used to burn out wax in the investment plaster molds and
> prep them for the lost wax casting process.

Yep, I found they still make crucibles...so that may have been what this was
intended to be. The owner said it had a thermostat on it, but when I tried
to get him to tell me what it SAID, as in how high it went, he didn't seem
to understand what I was asking. Guess I'll have to go see it...

They were usually limited to
> around 1700 or so degrees - just hotter than the melting point of silver
> or gold.



> If this oven is is good condition, it might be worth grabbing,
> espefially if you have any metal working ambitions.

I definitely have PMC ambitions--I bought some of the clay last year but
haven't been sure enough of myself (or the little weird firing "oven" that
came with it) to use it yet. The little Kerr might work for that,
anyway...thanks for the input! I would bet that's what it is...and it IS
very affordable. He got it from a mutual friend who got it in trade for
yard work for an estate, so the person who originally USED it is long gone,
no way to ask what they did with it...

Thanks for the info...

Best--
Kate