General Furnace Information
Also see our FAQ page for more helpful tips and information.
Our Dragons and Phoenixes are furnace/glory hole combinations created to make it simple and easy to blow glass just about anywhere, any time. One piece of equipment takes the place of the furnace, glory hole and pipe warmer; it is easy to transport and takes only minutes to set up.
The Dragons and Phoenixes are designed to be rugged and reliable for years of use as both stationary & travel studios and are great for production, prototyping, education, and demonstrations. The size and functionality offer excellent flexibility for use in a variety of possible venues.
The Dragons and Phoenixes are designed to be rugged and reliable for years of use as both stationary & travel studios and are great for production, prototyping, education, and demonstrations. The size and functionality offer excellent flexibility for use in a variety of possible venues.
- Furnaces: The Dragons are available in four sizes: Mini (15 lb (7 kg) crucible), Baby (30 lb (13 kg) crucible), the Little (60 lb (27 kg) crucible), and the Big (95 lb (43 kg) crucible). Double Dragon configuration, which denotes two gathering ports, is available for the Baby, Little, or Big Dragon models. The Phoenix is available in one size: Standard which has a variety of crucible options. There is no exposed frax on any of our furnaces. See our furnace comparison chart or the individual product pages for details.
- Footprint: The footprint of any of our furnaces is 31" (78.74 cm) wide by 34” (86.36 cm) long (not including detachable accessories) and is designed to fit through a U.S. standard 32" (81.28 cm) door opening. It has an overall height of 4' 8" (142.24 cm), just short enough to fit in a U-Haul covered trailer (4' 10" (147.32 cm) opening).
Note: we do not recommend transporting a hot furnace in a covered trailer, especially a rented one!
- Gas Use: Our furnaces are configured to run interchangeably on low-pressure (11-14”wc.; +/- 27-35 millibar) natural gas or propane, consuming on average around 1 to 2 gallon/4.5 to 9 liters (about 2.2 to 4.4 kg) of propane per hour (consumption is dependent upon site conditions and individual use).
For day use, fill it up with glass (nuggets, recycled bottles, or any kind of cullet) in the morning & turn it on; it takes about three to five hours to get to working temp (depending on the Dragon model, quality of glass desired, and how much of a hurry you are in!). Drain the tank at the end of the day with our ladle (or just gather out with a blowpipe for the Mini) and turn off the gas. Leave the blower running until the burner tip is cool. This will prolong the life of your burner tip.
For extended use, fill it up with glass and bring the furnace up to temperature slowly. Once hot, you can lower the temperature overnight, and raise it again in the morning. This is a good way to get a glass melt that should have fewer bubbles.
- Burner System: The burner system is removable & very straight-forward, consisting of a blower, a manual valve for air control and a manual valve for gas control. The Dragons come with a top-fired ceramic burner tip, while the Phoenixes come with a side-fired Pine Ridge ribbon burner. Electrical requirements for the burner system are 100W at 120V (60Hz) for North America; 62W at 220V (50Hz) for international locations. Proof of Air safety system comes standard, allowing for safe overnight use. Additional safety systems & auto controls are available and can be configured to your specific needs or local/state requirements; please see our Burner Safety page.
- Crucible: Our crucibles are manufactured by Engineered Ceramics. All of the Dragons come with a semi-invested crucible; these crucibles are reinforced with 2" of high strength castable, which helps to prolong its life even after the natural development of small cracks. The Phoenixes can accommodate multiple freestanding crucibles. The Baby Phoenix comes with a 40lb crucible. The Phoenix can accommodate a variety of configurations; click here to download our Crucible Configuration document to see all the options available.
All of our furnaces are designed with eventual rebuild in mind. With the Dragons, the frame can be unbolted at the top and mid sections, allowing access to the inside for crucible replacement. Our Phoenixes have a bottom front access door that can be opened to change the freestanding pots without having to disassemble your furnace. For more information on furnace rebuild options, please visit our Support page.
- Accessory Port: All furnaces come equipped with a minimum of one Accessory Port (aka "mouse hole"), which allows access to the interior heat of the furnace for the operation of a variety of appliances, such as the Continuous Annealing Tubes, Color Oven and Auxiliary Pipe Warmer, You can also build your own accessories using the Level Damper Block.
The Double Dragons (Double Baby, Double Little, and Double Big) come equipped with two larger working ports – click the Dragon name for specific model details
- Customer Support: We recognize that you may need support in assembling or running your Dragon, and we will do our best to help you get everything dialed in. We offer complimentary support via email, phone, Skype, or Facetime for normal setup and operational assistance. In order to help us serve you better, please schedule an appointment with us by emailing [email protected]. This will allow us to be prepared to help you with the correct information about your equipment specifications.
We also offer on-site support for initial setup, technical issues, and routine servicing such as crucible replacement. Please see our Support page for all the details on these options.
Please note: Our support team will field questions regarding the normal recommended use of our equipment as described on this website and in your Owner’s Manual. Any issues related to modifications to your equipment or its use outside the recommended parameters cannot be addressed by our technicians. Our technicians are not licensed electricians or plumbers and will not provide support that requires a licensed professional.
- Disclaimer: We use top quality parts and materials and strive for the highest quality in our craftsmanship. As this equipment is subject to extreme temperatures and temperature shifts, dependent on use, there will be wear and tear on the refractory, including the development of small cracks over time. This is normal and expected and will not affect the functionality or durability of the equipment. The crucible is backed up with 2" of high strength castable and should function perfectly for years to come even after development of small cracks. Please see our Terms, Conditions, & Limited Warranty page for more detailed information.