Yes, I have another kiln to write about.
It seems like just yesterday I was buying my first baby kiln an Evenheat Studio Pro. Then I got the papa kiln a Paragon Pearl 22. The first is sometimes too small, while the second is sometimes too big. So I now have the mama kiln a Skutt Firebox 14. This means I pretty much have one kiln from each of the major manufacturers. And I promise, hon, it’s my last kiln. Really, I do!
The Firebox 14 kiln gives me the ability to do tests and experiments on smaller pieces without heating up my bigger kiln. It’s really a great size. This kiln will hold a square foot of 4×4 tiles. The shelf kit that comes with the kiln is 12″ x 13″. I am not sure why they didn’t make it square. I have to remember to grab the shelf on the shorter 12 inch side so that I can get my fingers out after placing the shelf in the kiln.
The first thing I noticed about the Skutt was the awkward placement of the electrical cord. It comes out from the front of the kiln (the controller box). So if you place the kiln facing out into the room the cord goes from the front, under the kiln to the back. This means you basically have to place the kiln right in front of the outlet. My outlet is raised up on the wall. As you can see in the picture, I ended up placing the kiln sideways to give me a few more inches to position the kiln where I wanted it. I’m sure there is some engineering requirement that resulted in this configuration. Just wish they had made the cord a bit longer.
The other thing I had to get used to was the controller. Now I will readily admit that I have been spoiled with the 12 key controller on the Paragon Pearl. The Skutt has just 3 buttons that are used to access all functions and input firing schedules. Using the arrow up key to advance the temperature to 9999 is not the most convenient. I can see that a 3 button controller can be more confusing for some than a 12 button controller. All in all though, after using it a few times, it started to make sense. It does come programmed with several basic firing schedules, but these are just a place to start. One other thing I miss is an alarm. On the Paragon I can set an alarm to go off based on the temperature. This is nice to have when you want to check on things during the process time of the schedule.
The Firebox 14 runs on standard household current. This makes it a great kiln for anyone that doesn’t want to add a 240 electrical line. It is big enough to do some decent size plates and bowels. However, at 6.5″ deep it will be limited on the size of any drape molds. All in all I am very impressed with this kiln. But I am glad I have my other two kilns as well. Each one serves a purpose. I really do need three kilns!
well congrats!
I’m curious, why did you go with the Skutt Firebox 14 instead of the Paragon Fusion 14? I’ve been trying to decide between these two models myself…
I think it was a price issue. The Skutt was less expensive. Knowing what I know now, I think I would have gone with the Paragon. I would get the optional ceramic fiber top. I have this on my Pearl 22 and never had any problems with “stuff” falling on my piece. The first time I fired the Skutt, I had several spots on my pieces. The Paragon also has an alarm, which I didn’t think I would miss but I do.
If you are looking at the Fusion 14, I’d also look at the CS-14S which is a clam shell style. The clam shell is really convenient. Darn! They didn’t have this model when I researched 14 inch kilns and ordered mine. I definitely would have gone with this one.
Also, I can’t tell on the Fusion, but on the CS the top looks like it is a metal, on the Skutt it is some kind of cement like coating that looks like it was brushed on over the firebrick. It is starting to crack and flake, which I’m told is normal.
Hindsight!
i just purchased the skutt firebox 14. guess i was too quick with the purchase because i thought i’d be able to fire it in a back room in my apt (i live in a 2-family house).
the floor in that room is carpeted, which i now know is a big hazard. and it needs proper ventilation.
i am sort of at a loss for where i can put it. just curious if you have any recommendations and/or if you know if i can place it outdoors and fire it there?
thanks
stacey
Stacey – I’m pretty sure you can keep it out side as long as it is covered. Is there a covered driveway or patio? Or somewhere in the garage? According to the Paragon website, they say you can keep a kiln outside as long as it’s covered. I’d check with Skutt though and make sure it won’t affect the warranty. So what’s under the carpet? Here in Houston it’s concrete.
hi margot, i am debating whether to buy an evenheat or paragon kiln. do you have any preferences between the brands?
thanks
Vanessa – What size are you buying? My Evenheat is a small 8″ kiln. It is a good little kiln. I like the dual access and have had no problems with it. My Paragon Pearl is a 22″ and I love, love, love it. My 14″ is a Skutt. It’s fine and customer support is great, but I would like to replace it with the Paragon clam shell model. I’ve been spoiled. I’m just waiting to find a buyer for my Skutt. They would probably both be fine, but take a look at the controllers and how you set them. My Paragon has a temperature alarm which I really like so I can check on things when they hit process temp. Built in firing schedules are nice, but I hardly use them. More important is the ability to store as many of your own firing schedules as possible. Let me know if you have any other questions and what you end up with.