weaver360 Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 When I was in high school years ago I took pottery classes and really enjoyed it. I've recently decided I'd like to get back into it. I got a deal on a used wheel and kiln. Both are older, but work fine. Looking for some advice! I ran the kiln over the weekend and it seemed to work fine. It is an electric kiln with a L, M, and H knob. I found a firing schedule online to bisque, but I purchased cones that are suppose to bend when the kiln is ready to be shut off. Unfortunately it never bent. Is there any rule of thumb on firing? Also what could some red flags be for an older kiln as far as repair? The wheel is an Amaco and runs pretty nicely. The issue I'm having is centering my pieces. Again any tips that could help? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 Does the kiln have a sitter? If so, does it have a backup timer? Could be that the timer ran out. The timer does not determine how long a firing will take. It is simply a countdown, and shuts the kiln off when it reaches zero, regardless of what's happening in the kiln. You need to figure out how long a firing will take, and set the timer to about 1/2 hour longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 photos would be helpful but if not, you should find a metal information label with the manufacturer's name, amperage, watts etc for that particular kiln somewhere on the exterior wall. all of that info will tell us a lot about what you have and what it is capable of doing for you. it is NOT on the box that you might find that has the word "sitter" on it but it might be right next to that box. did you buy these from a school inventory sale or a private party? where are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver360 Posted October 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 I attached a photo of the label outside of the kiln. I got the kiln and wheel in a private sale with little detail about the kiln. I am from pennsylvania. I don't believe it has a sitter. I could not find any information on Knight Kilns. I can upload additional pictures of the inside, it looks older but for the most part there aren't any huge problem that I can see on the inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver360 Posted October 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 Attached photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 The kiln is a 20 amp so t mud be pretty small-That Brand I think is long gone.My guess its an all Manual kiln and you turn it on and watch a cone drop and turn it off. I'll let a electric expert coach you on the next move . Post some photos of the whole kiln as that will help.Inside and outside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/14626-help-i-cant-center-anymore/?hl=centering&do=findComment&comment=109344 Here is a start on centering advice. There are a number of threads on centering in the forum. The best way to search a topic is to go to the main forum page and enter your search (upper right corner). A search from the main page searches all of the forums. If you search within a forum, the results are limited to just that forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver360 Posted October 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 I attached a few photos of the inside and out of the kiln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 Knight no longer exists, however Euclids Kilns in Canada can roll elements for you. I use them for all the Knight kilns I work on. No sitter. When you say the cone never bent, how long did you wait before you shut it off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver360 Posted October 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 Thank you! I figured it had to be pretty old since I couldn't find much of anything about them online. I tried to do my research and ran in roughly 2 hours increments. I ended up leaving it on high for 2 hours, but the cone did not bend and I didn't know how long is too long to let it run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 2 hours probably isn't long enough. That model of kiln is not particularly powerful compared to new kilns. I would give it longer. It would be worth the money to invest in an inexpensive pyrometer so you can see how hot it's getting and how fast it's climbing. Also, next time you light it up, carefully take a peek inside and see if all the elements are glowing. Does it have a 4 prong plug? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver360 Posted October 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 I did look inside when I ran it this past weekend and all the elements were glowing. They all look like they are in good shape. It has a 3 prong plug, but the plug was a little warm when I unplugged it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 What cone were you firing to for bisque? What cone do you plan to fire to for glaze? If we know your target cone, folks here who are using the same or similar cones can provide their specific firing schedules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 I everything was glowing, and the elements look to be in good condition- coils standing upright, not laying over- then you just need to give it longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Sweet Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 Am I missing something? When I looked at the name plate in your first photo, it said that the kiln was rated for 115V. Am wondering if you'll ever be able to hit mid-fire temps. Bisque and low-fire probably, but anything higher I wonder..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver360 Posted October 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 When I purchased it I was advised it is a low fire kiln. To start I bought recommends low fire clay and a low fire glaze. I believe the glaze should be fired between a cone 06-04, but I'm fairly uncertain where it should be for bisque. I purchased self standing cones to measure the tempurature, but I'm not sure if they measure the correct temp for my kiln. Should I consider replacing the cord since it did get hotter then normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick White Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 Bisque and low-fire are typically in the same range - 06 to 04. The schedule you mentioned of 2 hours per setting only applies to the low and medium. You leave it on high until it is done, which may take more than 2 more hours. If it drags on for another half a day, then you have a problem. As for the cord getting warm, that is normal for any electric appliance that draws a lot of current. The difference from your previous experience with toasters and hair dryers is that those appliances turn off after a few minutes and cool off. The kiln stays on for a long time and the cord/plug will get warm to the touch. If it gets too hot to touch or creates any smoke or blackening around the outlet, turn it off immediately and let it cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayjay Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 Am I missing something? When I looked at the name plate in your first photo, it said that the kiln was rated for 115V. Am wondering if you'll ever be able to hit mid-fire temps. Bisque and low-fire probably, but anything higher I wonder..... The name plate on the kiln says 2000°, that has to be Fahrenheit, so it's definitely only earthenware temperature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 What size breaker do you have it on? The kiln pulls 20 amps, so it should be on a 25 amp breaker. If it's on a 20, that could account for the plug heating up. It will be maxing out to get to cone 04, so it will be a long firing. Most kilns of that size pull 24 amps on 240 volts, more than double the watts of that kiln. It's quite large for a 120 volt kiln. It was probably intended for china painting or other really low fire processes. The bricks are in great shape, so if you're at all handy with electrical systems you could rewire it to run on 240 volts and have Euclids roll you the appropriate elements. Then it could be a cone 10 kiln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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