Independent FATCAT Electric
$6,785 USD
The Independent FAT CAT-60 Electric is a new take on our Continuous Annealing Tube, AKA the CAT-60 (the 60 stands for the approximate number of minutes it takes to cool the glass), and is the perfect addition for ANY studio.
The idea is based on industrial annealing cycles for bottles, jars and cups, which are cooled at a much faster rate than artists traditionally cool their work. It is essentially a miniature manually controlled lehr. It operates on the heat provided by a BBQ sized propane tank.
This model operates on its own without the need to own a Dragon furnace! So for those of you who want to use this awesome technology, but already have a studio, this is the unit for you! We also offer the standard FATCAT-60 which attaches to a Dragon's accessory port.
We have been using variations of this design for five years now, and with it we have successfully annealed thousands of pieces. The CAT-60 is designed for making ornaments*, thin cups, and small bowls & vases, while never running out of annealing space. Ever. Pieces can be cooled, signed, tagged, and packed about an hour after they are blown!
...Think Micro-Factory...!
But it's not just for production studios; for those of you in a teaching environment, imagine giving a demonstration and being able to handle it during the same class session! Practice your twisty cups and drink out of them an hour later!
- Manually controlled; essentially a miniature lehr
- Operates on the heat provided by an electric element panel
- Designed for annealing ornaments and thin cups
- Based on industrial annealing cycles for bottles, jars and cups
- A Heat Baffle Block is used to control the amount of air flowing through the tube.
- Adjustments to the baffle, burner settings and venturi will affect the flow.
- An Arrow Springs ASC-15/5 controller and high-temp blower help to maintain a temperature range between 1050 F and 1150 F (565-621 C).
- A series of interlocking trays that are placed in the tube prior to start-up. The work to be annealed is placed on one of the trays and pulled along the tube one tray length every 5 minutes or so. As a tray is pulled from the end of the tube, it is replaced at the hot end for loading the next piece.
*A note about ornaments: we recommend leaving a tiny hole between the hook and the body of the ornament, so a vacuum is not created by sealing it off completely. This allows for more even annealing and a more stable object (though they will collect water if hung outdoors).
Ready to place an order?
Please see our How To Order page for all the details, and be sure to read our Limited Warranty.
Please see our How To Order page for all the details, and be sure to read our Limited Warranty.