Tube Furnace Fabrication: Any Tips or Recommendations?

[KYPOWERLIFTER]

Hi All:

I plan on producing a laboratory tube furnace capable of = to or > 1300 C. Does anyone have any experience working with materials designed for these temps?

I have been pricing Mullite tubes: 500 mm L; ~34 ID; ~40mm OD, 18 G Kanthal A-1 wire (to be wrapped around the tube), Kaowool insulation blanket, and a piece of 'stove pipe' to be the outer tube.

Right now I have two questions:

1) Any suggestions as to the above components? By that I mean suggestions, as to better (in terms of quality and ability to take temperature), grades/types?

2) I need to purchase a thermocouple and thermometer. Recommendations? I also need to design a circuit to adjust power to the wire. What would you guys do and how would you arrange it? I was thinking some sort of dimmer switch (have to handle 2000W power @ 230V) parallel with a bulb as indicator?

Bear with me... When I get it going I'll make a how-to thread with pictures.

Thanks in advance

 

[KYPOWERLIFTER]

Update:

I have located two Mullite tubes; one @ 83.00 and one @ 86.00

Kanthal A-1 Wire @ 15.00-20.00

ITC 100 HT ceramic paste @ 38.00

Kaowool 1" 2600F 2 ft2 @ 13.50

Variac (for temp control) ebay searching ~100.00

Stove pipe... 10.00-15.00

Thermocouple and thermometer with the TP 04 thermocouple 89.99 http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260359668034&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:CA:1123

Quartz glass test tube (with ground glass joint) for use inside furnace... ~100.00

I need to find a glassblower, I assume.

Suggestions/Thoughts? This is looking like a 500.00 project...