Iwanna Iwata

Actually, there are many airbrushes that will work with ceramics. I like the Iwata Eclipse bottom feed because the needle and nozzle will work for all mediums. The Paasche standard brush and the Badgers (such as the "professional") also work fine, but sometimes require a different needle and nozzle combo for different mediums, and darn it, somehow you never have the right pair! But the Paasche and the Badger are just fine. (All horses pre-Worth The Wait were done with either of these, or a "Vega".) If you can grab one cheap, as long as it is a dual action ("down for air, back for paint") and it says it will work for ceramics or heavy duty, it will be fine to start. But don't even bother until you have a good compressor with a decent regulator valve. If I catch you trying to use those idiotic compressed air cans, I will come and slap you! And the little "airbrush compressors" have no regulators, and don't give quite as much pressure as you will want, so don't use those. Go for a good one, you will find other uses for it. I use a commercial one with two tanks, but it is noisy. However, I never get water in the line and it is a workhorse! There are quiet ones, too... what does everyone else use???

And as for buying kilns used... well, weighing the fact that you may have two horses in there and the combined value of the horses is more than a new kiln, and you are depending upon it to fire well and not break... There are only three parts to a kiln, really. The bricks, which are what make the "body" of the kiln and keep the heat in; the elements, which are the twisted wires that make the heat; and the controller, which is how you turn it on and off and adjust it. The bricks need to be in decent shape, because if not you could lose too much heat. Cracks can be repaired, but to replace a brick it can be tricky. And if you need to remove an element to do so, you may break the element. Each time the elements are fired, they lose a layer of molecules and that makes them weaker. They can become brittle and snap if disturbed or knocked around. And the controls, if they have not been properly taken care of or have been damaged, will do you no favors.

That's why I suggest buying a new kiln with a warranty, especially if you are a newbie. Buy the best you can afford and can wire for, because you will soon make up the cost in the horses you produce. And losing even one firing is not worth it! Or share a kiln perhaps, with someone else, you could advertise in the local paper or in the ceramic store bulletin board.

Joanie