Tips for Purchasing a Kiln for Jewelry Making

Probably one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make concerning jewelry making equipment was which kiln to purchase. While I can’t give you a black and white answer as to which kiln is best for your needs, after doing a lot of research myself and then finally taking the plunge a few years ago, I do have some tips to help you in figuring out which kiln is best for your jewelry making needs.

1. Determine what you need it for now. First, of course, you need to figure out what exactly you’d like to use it for right now. I bought mine for fused glass and lampwork bead annealing.

2. Think about what you might need it for in the future. This is difficult to do, but try to think a year or two from now. What other types of jewelry or related art work might you want to use this for? For example, I knew I wanted to make fused glass jewelry, but I was also playing around with slumping plates and bowls, so I need one that was large enough for this.

3. Find a spot for it before you buy. You need a place that your kiln will fit, but you also need to think about a place that will be safe for you and your family. I’ve talked about little about this in my blog post on Jewelry Making Safety Tips.

4. Ask around. Talk to other jewelry makers that have kilns and ask what they liked and didn’t like about their kiln.

5. Talk to vendors. Discuss your future purchase with vendors and ask questions. A reputable vendor will have lots of good information about his product that you might find helpful.

Buying a kiln can be a difficult purchase because there are so many variables to consider, but these tips will help you start thinking through your decision. The kiln pictured is model number AF99 and available through Arrow Springs and other glass suppliers. I’ve got more food for thought on kilns and fused glass equipment in the following articles:

To Buy a Kiln or Not to Buy a Kiln

Tim McCreight Answers Jewelry Kiln Questions

Create a Glass Studio