I want to build a glass furnace, how do I proceed?

July 2, 2009 by admin · 4 Comments
Filed under: Do It Yourself (DIY) 
construction tools
Russell asked:

I want to build a SMALL glass furnace. I’m not working with glass as a business or even as an artist (yet!!!) I want to teach myself to blow glass as a weekend hobby. I’ve researched the subject extensively and the more I do, the more I want to learn. Yes, I’ve looked into getting lessons from a professional in my area, it just isn’t feasible for me.

I can weld (several types), I’m good with electronics (both use and construction thereof) and I have access to all of the tools I could ever need and I can get parts as easy as that.

Thank you so much.
I’m a high school student, I want a kiln that is small enough that I can move it when I get my own house. So an electric kiln would probably suit my needs better.

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Comments

4 Responses to “I want to build a glass furnace, how do I proceed?”
  1. goldwing says:
    July 5, 2009 at 6:47 pm

    You will need Kiln brick and kiln brick mortar, you will need a gas burner with jets, a gas hook up, the bricks will have to have a suitable size hole in them to insert blown glass (whatever size you work with), a plug of some size, and a pot large enough for the glass mix, with high enough melt temp that glass will melt at a considerably lower temp…glass can be fluxed to melt at , say cone 04 or so, therefore the oven must withstand cone 10 for safety. This is an intensive project to undertake! You may want to take some courses in glass and glass blowing at a college before deciding to jump into this…for it will be very expensive for the tools (tungsten) the kiln parts (even the kiln brick is very expensive, and is very delicate…then the cost of running a gas line, etc! You do NOT want to set this up in a house without a serious hood that vents to the outside. CO emissions from open flame gas burners can be very dangerous. Happy holidays and good luck

  2. sparrows_ink says:
    July 8, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    Lindsay Publications has hard to find technical books, many about making kilns.
    Get a catalog here:

    You’ll probably find more than you’re looking for. It’s an awesome resource.

  3. Dan the brick man says:
    July 9, 2009 at 8:29 pm

    i work on glass tanks that are as big as your house but i wouldnt know how to begin to build one that is that portable…you need to find someone who blows glass and check out their setup…the big tanks heat up to 2800 degrees and i dont know where to find an electric kiln that will get you those temps…but they must make them…

  4. Irv S says:
    July 10, 2009 at 4:13 pm

    Safely isolating the temperatures you will need to melt glass
    and maintain a molten ‘puddle’, is not a high-school level
    DIY project. You will be working above the temperature range
    of most commonly available heating elements and controls,
    and would need to design refractory elements to limit case
    temperatures to a safe level.
    This is not something to try to ‘eyeball engineer’.

    FYI: Even small pieces made from molten glass can contain
    dangerous levels of hidden stress.

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