Making a Quartz Furnace

Step by step instructions

 Materials Needed
• 1 x steel container.
• Ideally a 6 ½ popcorn tin
• 1 x 6” tall, 4” ¼ dia.(3mm wall) Quartz tube
• 1 x 50’ length Kanthal A1 17GA resistance
• 10’ of Ceramic blanket 24” wide 1”thick
• 4 x Ceramic Nuts #8
• 2’ of high temperature wire
• 7’ of heat resistant rope ¼” dia.
 Materials needed Cont.
• 1 x length of 14 gage 3 wire cord
• Terminated with a male grounded outlet
• 1 x bolt with 3 nuts and 2 washers
• Size not important as designed to attach ground wire
• 1 x grommet
• Size to match the wire cord
• 1 x steel clamp ½” dia.
• 2 x steel clamps 4” dia
• Nickel heat resistance reinforced
 Procedure 1
• Step 1
– Drill 3 hole in the tin can
1 hole 4” in diameter centered on
the lid
1 hole sized to rubber grommet
insert on lower side
1 hole next to it sized to fit the
bolt connected to the ground
wire
• Step 2
– Insert cord and connect
ground wire to bolt
between 2 washers
– Use steel clamp to secure
wire against the grommet.
 Procedure 2
• Step 3
– Cut 6/7 circles of
ceramic blanket to fit
bottom of can.
• As per photo, an easy
way to do this is to
place can on blanket,
then cut circles a little
bigger each time, as the
can is growing slightly
in diameter from the
bottom.
 Procedure 3
• Step 4
– Cut 3-4 lengths of 6”
wide ceramic fiber.
• 1st length to wrap
around quartz tube
• Second length will wrap
1st length, so account
for some 4” longer
• Repeat length augment
for 3rd and 4th wraps.

See photo on slide 10

 Procedure 3
• Step 5
– Make Resistance
• See calculation spreadsheet attached

– Wind resistance wire around

¼” steel rod.
• Leave 1’ folded and taped around steel rod as per
photo.

• Use gloves for this procedure so as to not leave

fatty acids from your fingers on resistance and
shorten its lifespan.

Once completed resistance should

look like photo here
 Procedure 4
• Step 6
– Attach steel collar on
quartz tube
• 1” from top and bottom
• Insert 1/8” thick, ¾” wide ring made
from blanket material to account for
steel rubbing against quartz and allow
for different expansion coefficients with
heat.

• Step 7
– Roll Resistance around
tube 5 times
– Roll heat resistant rope in
between resistance wire
coils
 Procedure 5
• Step 8
– Set the smallest fiber blanket ring at the bottom of the can
– Connect one lead of the cord to 1’ of high temperature wire with
ceramic nut. Connect the other lead to another 1’ of high temp
wire
– Cover with the remaining rings, while pushing the high temp wire
through the blankets, 1” away from the wall of the can.
– The blanket is easy to pierce through with a screwdriver in order for the
wire to go through it.
 Procedure 6
• Step 9
– Place quartz tube center on
top of ceramic blanket
filling. Connect both sides
of the resistance to the
high temp leads through
ceramic nuts.
• This is a pure resistance, so no preference on the
wire connection (i.e. phase or neutral) is needed

• Step 10
– Wrap ceramic blanket
around tube, starting with
the smallest one.
• Be careful not to
disconnect the wires.
Ensure that the last wrap
will be external to the wire.
 Procedure 7
• Step 11
– Check your connections. A
multi-meter is connected to
the cord and should read
around 14 Ohms.
• Step 12
– Place the lid over the can,
ensure you are centered.
• 3 small screws at 120
degrees can be drilled in the
side of the lid and can to
ensure the lid will be
maintained in place.
 Additional equipment
• Don’t forget to make
– Crucible lid
• Can be a pipe termination found
at local hardware store in which 2
holes were drilled and a threaded
rod is bent and screwed in place.

– Overall Lid
• Steel pot. Use same drilling and
threaded rod technology as
above. Prevents further heat
losses.

– Tongues
• Made from ½” x 1/16” x 4’ steel
flat found at hardware store. Two
pliers will allow you to bend at 90
degrees.