My Hotstart Kiln

[Zeldazog]

Hi All

Q suggested I post this info on the forum, I am not sure if I have put it in the right place, mods feel free to move it!

Late last year, I bought a Skutt Hot Start Pro - it was a bargain on offer at £530 delivered (usually around £700) hence why I got that one!

So far, I am thrilled to bits with it so I thought I would let you know, in case anyone is looking for a kiln and wanted to know more about this one.

It has top elements and fires very evenly.  All the results have been as I expected (as in the degree of firing) - so I guess that means the temperature must be pretty accurate.  I haven't found any cold or hot spots so far.

I haven't noticed any dramatic increase in my electricity costs, apart from the usual winter rise.  The claim is that it only costs 50p per firing to run - I don't know how true that is, I haven't used it lots of times yet.  Insulation must be good, cos even at top temperatures, you can put your hand within a couple of inches of the body or top.

I found it easy to use.  It has different levels of programming, with glass cycles already programmed in.  I have to say, having previously used kilns, I skipped onto the advanced, programme-it-all-myself level (control freak!), but I am a devil for not looking at instructions, and it was pretty easy to use, and was easy to change from preset fanrenheit to centigrade.

Has four empty programmes, and a fifth programmed in, but off the top of my head I cannot remember what that is for!  It's easy to adjust a cycle you already have programmed in (if you want to increase a rate or hold time, for example).

I would say its only downside is that it will only go to 870 centigrade, but that covers *most* glass things - I will just have to borrow someone elses when I do a potmelt.

It IS big.  And heavy. Fortunately for me, I have a clever brother who made a heptagonal shaped trolley for me - which not only raised the height (the stand it comes with is only a few inches high) - but allows me to wheel it away when not in use.

I think it is a fabulous kiln. 

Dawn
X

[Dennis Brady]

You can do a potmelt of screen melt with that kiln if you just increase the amount of time at top temperature.

[Zeldazog]

Oh, really, Dennis?  I thought it was well under temperature for a pot melt - any ideas how long I would have to hold it for at the top?

[Dennis Brady]

Although many claim it's necessary to melt at higher temperatures, those claims are wrong.  All these melts were done at 1600F (870F).  Click on each photo for a larger version.
http://www.vicartglass.com/products/screen%20melts/screenmelts.html

Here's the instructions on how to do screen melts:
http://www.glasscampus.com/tutorials/pdf/SCREEN%20MELT%20USE%20INSTRUCTIONS.pdf

Here's the firing schedules:
http://www.glasscampus.com/tutorials/pdf/Screen%20Melt%20Firing%20Schedules.pdf

[Zeldazog]

Cheers, Dennis - yay, I can have a go at this now!

[Zeldazog]

Oh, Dennis, I just had a thought - is the a Bullseye schedule - or Spectrum (or something else)?

[Dennis Brady]

That's for Spectrum.  For Bullseye, add 25 deg F to all temperatures (just the temperatures, not the ramp speeds).  My experience has consistently been that Bullseye always needs 25 deg more then Spectrum to produce the same effect.  If you're doing a melt with BE, I recommend firing to 1600 and adding 20 to 30 minutes to the hold at 1600 to ensure the melt is completed.  The smaller the hole the glass is melting through, the longer it will take to complete the melt.