For years we flintknappers have been converting ceramic kilns for use in heat treating our chert and flint. While they will work, ceramic kilns were not designed for this kind of work. A standard ceramic kiln is made of insulated bricks that are only 1.5 - 2 inches thick, and they lose a lot of energy to the outside air. The bricks our kilns are built of are a full 4 inches thick, and as a result they are MUCH more energy efficient than a ceramic kiln. They are also quite a bit easier to control. The heating units are much more substantial than ceramic kiln coils, and should last for many years under normal use. Each kiln holds one five gallon bucket worth of spalled material. They are controlled with the same type of infinite switch that we use on ceramic kilns but because of the energy efficiently they cycle less frequently.
On special order I can build a slightly larger kiln that will hold two buckets worth of flint. We now have operating kilns in eight different states.
Base price of a kiln is $250 for the one bucket size, or $325 for the two bucket model. We also offer a digital pyrometer (high temp. thermometer) for $75. Custom sized kilns can be built if you have special needs, call for more info.
