Pottery Kiln?

C

crzyCanuk

Joined
Jul 24, 2007
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Just wondering if there are people using Pottery Kilns for heat treating? Seems that they can be had for cheap used. I am looking at different options for annealing and heat treating. Any comments would be appreciated. Im starting of working with 1095 but would like to get into stainless (stock removal)

Thanks
 
I'm no pro myself, but my fiancee does pottery work quite a bit. I asked her what her take on it was and she said that she'd not reccomend trying it, as you would probably damage the kiln walls and shelves badly by opening it at the heats you'd need to for heat treating steel.
Her take says that the kiln walls may blow up in your face from the temperature shock. If that's not bad enough, she also warns that the shock could also damage the thermocouple.

But we're not sure, so I'd keep your ears open.
 
A knife oven (kiln) is nothing more than a pottery kiln done horizontally. It's got a smaller chamber sure, but the idea is still the same. The firebrick used is still the same. So yes, you can use a pottery kiln to heat treat knives, however, it's kinda scary to open the kiln of a top loading furnace, stick your face above it to pull out the knives as heat rises ! :eek: The evenheat, paragons, sugarcreeks all are horizontal so when the door is opened, the heat goes upwards and not straight up into your face. They are still hot like MAD if you get too close, but safer than a vertical kiln with the door on top much like that for ceramics which were designed to open after the kiln has cooled down to room temperature a day or so later.

With horizontal/vertical kilns, you always run the risk of popping some firebrick cos of the shock the bricks gets when you open the door.

A horizontal kiln http://www.evenheat-kiln.com/knifeovens/knifeovens.htm
 
most pottery kilns i've seen are crude," old school " tools that can easily have a second door cut into the side and never open the top. The heat up-cool down parameter will stay the same.
 
I have heard that some use them (pottery kilns) to heat salt pots for heat treating.
 
Last edited:
crzyCanuk said:
Could I not just lay a Horizontal Kiln on its side??? Is that not what a Knife Kiln is????

Something like this on its side? http://london.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-hobbies-crafts-Pottery-kiln-W0QQAdIdZ118505089

what are other in expensive options?
Click to expand...

I think since the kiln was not designed to lay on it's side.....you could (over time) seriously tweek the walls of the kiln since they are only made of brick and thin steel covering it. i'd stay away from that idea !
 
Several folks cut through the top of the Kiln and hang their carbon blades from a wire. While the kiln is warming to temp and while the blades are in the kiln, they place a thick piece of Kaowool on top of the cutout to prevent heat loss. No heat blast to the face at all. Now how would you use this set up with alloy blades wrapped in steel foil packets?
 
aktoklat said:
Several folks cut through the top of the Kiln and hang their carbon blades from a wire. While the kiln is warming to temp and while the blades are in the kiln, they place a thick piece of Kaowool on top of the cutout to prevent heat loss. No heat blast to the face at all. Now how would you use this set up with alloy blades wrapped in steel foil packets?
Click to expand...

Now thats a neat idea. For alloy blades maybe some sort of cage you could lower in?

What are the advantage of salt bath heat treating? since they use vertical kilns for that.
 
I have been using the same Pottery Kiln for years and it works fine. However it has a front opening door.
No the brick will not explode, Yes it may damage the thermocouple and make it less accurate. Just about all kilns (Except the High end ones) temp indicators are off somewhat. The cheap but accurate solution is to use "Witness Cones" to check the temp.
Go online or to the local ceramics supply house and get the temp rated cone closest to what you are going to HT at.
OR
There is a seller on Fleabay that sell the entire probe and a thermocouple you can hardwire in. Allows you to rampup and hold at temp Etc. Under $100
Craigslist is a great place to find used kilns, but do yourself a favor and get a Front opening one!
Laying a top loader on its side is asking for trouble:eek:
 
I use one but it is a "test" kiln for potters. I customized the door for my liking to the kiln manufacturer. Just stay away from the ordinary big pottery kilns, it is real hard to use them for HT also you will be surprised when you see the electric bill. I used my moms 11 KWatt one for a couple of occasions and it is really not feasible to use one...

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