ChenowethArts Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Whew! Great news!!'Sounds like a fun event. -Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Woodin Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I don't think the kiln completed its last ramp due to losing an element. That is why the old kiln sitter with timer were so valuable. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 It was the cone 5 program, with a 5 minute hold (the hold time I prefer over 9.5 hours) I did have a shelf fall and crack a brick during loading so it's possible that messed up an element. When I finally get some sleep and am no longer a danger to myself and others, I'm going to check the wiring to the relays and the elements. If nothing looks fried/broken/weird, I'll do a fast test fire, pop the lid and see if all of the elements are the same color red then go from there. If the kiln stalls out for any reason- element, relay, thermocouple, wiring, etc.- it should give an error code. That's why I'm wondering if there was a programming error, like you put in 50 hours instead of 50 minutes or something like that. It happens. Otherwise you've got a controller problem. I suppose in theory a bad thermocouple could mess with the controller in such a way that it would keep going, but I've never seen it happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Wow, the kiln gods really watched out for you! That CAC clay is unbeatable in terms of quality, I tell you what. I buy my terracotta, redart, and whiteware EXCLUSIVELY from them. I love their stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Guinea, you're not in Tacoma are you? if so, you are sworn to secrecy or we both suffer monkey wrath. This is a super seekret squirrel project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 That's what perplexed me, no error code. This is a fairly new kiln (Paragon TNF with a Sentry 2.0 controller) I'll check my programming again as I was pretty sleep deprived at the time so a mistake is not out of the question. (that would be best case scenario actually)Regardless, I'll be checking the wiring in the controller as well as inspecting everything and will check the elements. It was the cone 5 program, with a 5 minute hold (the hold time I prefer over 9.5 hours)I did have a shelf fall and crack a brick during loading so it's possible that messed up an element.When I finally get some sleep and am no longer a danger to myself and others, I'm going to check the wiring to the relays and the elements.If nothing looks fried/broken/weird, I'll do a fast test fire, pop the lid and see if all of the elements are the same color red then go from there. If the kiln stalls out for any reason- element, relay, thermocouple, wiring, etc.- it should give an error code. That's why I'm wondering if there was a programming error, like you put in 50 hours instead of 50 minutes or something like that. It happens. Otherwise you've got a controller problem. I suppose in theory a bad thermocouple could mess with the controller in such a way that it would keep going, but I've never seen it happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Guinea, you're not in Tacoma are you? if so, you are sworn to secrecy or we both suffer monkey wrath. This is a super seekret squirrel project. Nopes! I'm just outside of Spokane in a wee college town called Cheney. I get over on your side of the state once a year or so to stock up on my CAC supply. They have wonderful underglazes, too, which is my primary surface tool. I love their micaceous redart SOOOO MUCH. It's my new favorite clay! I'm planning on moving out west with my fella as soon as he graduates from here. Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusty Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Whew, lucky lucky... glad every thing is ok.. I was in suspense reading threw this post, it was like reading a Stephen King book.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Thanks. It's about to turn into a detective novel to figure out what happened... I'm so grateful for my luck/karma/being smiled on by the kiln gods because of the nature of this project. This was truly a labor of love, all of the time I spent throwing, waxing, decorating and glazing was as a volunteer (my supplied and electricity was covered) 200 pieces is a lot when you work full time and also perform. I'm going to sleep most of next week I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Guinea, next time you're over this way, maybe we can do coffee and talk shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I feel like I know all of you now after having shared this trauma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Guinea likes coffee. Yes, she does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndham Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 The thermocouple may have gone bad.They can have issues at higher temps as they age and keep the kiln from reaching temp.This is one of several possible problem areas as well as a bad element/elements. Have you ever changed the T/C and how old are the elements. As elements age they lose the ability to get as hot as when they were new. Just a few thouights Wyndham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Good news. I was watching for updates. nerve racking to have to wait and see. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 The kiln probably has a couple dozen firings on it, so age shouldn't be an issue. The thermocoupler could have gotten whacked when the shelf fell down,but it was more of a smooth slide if it made contact at all. There is an error message that is supposed to pop up if it is the thermocoupler so I'm not sure what to think right now. I'll know more after I can triple check the programming and look at the wiring/elements/relays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Eberhardt Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Guinea, I'm heading over to Tacoma in a couple of weeks. Yes, a stop at CAC is planned. If you need anything, let me know. I could pick it up for you. Any chance to save on shipping is always welcome, right? WCR, I'm so glad to hear that everything pretty much survived unscathed. My sister found one of Monkeyshines little treasures about 5 years ago while out walking the dogs. She lives in the north end in a 108 year old Victorian/Craftsman home on Oaks street. It's sad to think that this wonderful arts community outreach project may be coming to an end. If you have connections with the powers that be, maybe you could suggest that they tackle the Mayan calendar next? Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 OK I have another theory. I thought you had a manual kiln but if you are using a programmable kiln, is it possible that the program ran twice. We had this happen on one of our first half dozen firing as we were unaccustomed to the controller and it seemed to be tied to when we were double checking the program we inadvertently set it fire twice and that is what it did. This would likely have the results you had as only the glazes that might be a little thick and normally fussy would run onto the shelf a little on the 2nd firing and the glazes might be a little off their normal look from being re-fired. 10 hours at a cone 5 hold just seems like it would have been an overfired mess. The heat work would just be so intense for cone 5 glazes to not burn out and do all kinds of bad things as the hours clicked by :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 That is a very interesting theory. I was so exhausted when I was programming and didn't want to make a mistake and ran through it multiple times, so that is a possibility. I'm hoping to have the time to give it a good going over at some point over the weekend to rule out anything physical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 What did the controller read when you found it still going? Was it showing a countdown like it was in a hold, or was it just showing temp like it was climbing? Any chance you put in a delayed start by accident? Power outage? Since it was 10 hours past its planned shutdown, for it to fire twice it would have had to cool completely then start up again. There's no way to program it to do that, you would have had to start it again by pushing buttons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 It was showing the temp like it was climbing, it would read 2111, then 2112, then 2111, etc.... I was tempted to start the fire again so the cool down would be slower in the critical phases, but a quick call to my mentor confirmed that since everything was likely badly overfired, it would be smarter to just abort the program and leave it to cool which I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I mean who knows.. It's a computer, it might be as simple as... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 well all we really need to do to know for sure is to set up a controlled experiment with 3 kilns. The first one will run a normal cone 5 program, the 2nd one will be set to fire the same cone 5 program twice and the third will be set for a cone 5 with a 10 hour hold. Then we can simply compare the results ';-) I'll take care of the regular firing so I just need 2 volunteers to do the other 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted February 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Mmmm. I think I'll pass on that ten hour hold one. Those make me twitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 whew, perhaps it was just all the readers here holding our breaths and feeling the angst just got your kiln god working and he just b....fixed it! Blessed are you! Get the timer thingie. Let us know the postmortem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCelticRose Posted March 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 I finally got around to testing the kiln today.I needed about two weeks of sleep after that adventure and also had a CD/book release as well as insanity at work.I did a quick fire to 1,000 degrees. As I suspected, the middle elements weren't red. I aborted the program (no sense paying the electric charge for a full firing) and unplugged it.Tomorrow when it's cool I'll inspect the elements. That is the area where the shelf that collapsed hit and broke brick so that is the most likely scenario. (and I'm hoping the most easy to fix) If not, I'll have to look at wiring in the controller box and that relay.Thanks again everyone for all your support and for caring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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