Dick White

Hmmm, let's take this all the way back to square #1. The Amaco kilns were built by Skutt under private label contract. They are Skutt all the way through except for the paint. Skutt's own product has a red control column, Amaco kilns have a black control column. Everything else should be the same. The control panel is the same as a native Skutt, and the Skutt control panel is a slightly modified Bartlett controller, for which all the connections on the back are the same as a native Bartlett, but some of the buttons on the front have been moved around and some program features consolidated or altered, supposedly to make it simpler and more intuitive (though the reality out on the street may or may not hold true). I note from your picture of the front of the control panel, it was manufactured before 2004, possibly before 1999. In those years, the display numbers were red (they changed to green in 2006). In 2004, they changed the ℉/℃ button at the top right corner to "Menu," so yours is definitely pre-2004. Until 1999, the display did not flash "Idle" when not firing. Starting in 1999, the display flashes "Idle" when not firing, but still has the ℉/℃ button. So, from the top - the kiln is 2-section single zone kiln, i.e, it has a single thermocouple for both sections of the kiln. In such a configuration, the controller triggers both relays simultaneously and both sections of the kiln turn on and off together. In the native Bartlett controller, output 2 triggers both relays, as they are wired in parallel. If you download the Skutt operating manual for the appropriate period of manufacture as noted above, there are wiring diagrams in the back pages of the manual. Note that the wiring diagrams for all the pre-2006 models have both relays triggered by the same output tab (output 2 on the board). If you look up Skutt wiring diagrams for the post-2006 models, they show output 1 controlling one relay and output 2 controlling the other relay (with a common wire from the AC center tap connector between AC1 and AC2 to the tabs of the other side of the coil of both relays). The Amaco wiring diagram you posted is consistent with the newer Skutt diagrams, but not the Skutt diagrams for your kiln's age. Why? dunno. Stepping forward in the problem - you've replaced the failed thermocouple and the special yellow wire, and presumably gotten the polarity correct. I say that, because you reported that you heated the thermocouple tip with a flame and the temperature reading on the controller went up. So, that seems to be working. You also reported you replaced the relays. The relay used by Skutt in those years is the Deltrol "ice cube" relay (so named because of its compact size and clear plastic housing). Now to the real problem - the relays buzz but the temperature never increases. The only way this can happen, is there is no power getting through the relays to the elements. The controller turns the relays on (i.e., the buzzing), but nothing useful happens. So the controller tries again, and again, and again. Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting something different to happen. The new thermocouple is correctly reporting that there is no change in the heat inside the kiln. You've also checked continuity and resistance of the elements and confirmed that, while not perfect, not that bad either. Resistance is a bit high, so slightly lower inherent heating capability than factory spec, but that should only slow things down at higher temperatures above red heat; you are stalled at ambient 83℉. The thing to do now is a close visual inspection that your power connections to the relays properly passes through to the elements. The few moments in your video where the relays are visible seem to show the connections are correct, but I can't really tell as you aren't focusing on that. Edit - while writing this, you posted a clear picture of the relays. Something is not happening. This is going to be tricky, operating your kiln under power with the control panel open. With a multimeter, check that the voltage across terminals 1 and 2 of the strip that has the wires going to the elements of the top section is 240V when the relays are buzzing, and the same for terminals 3 and 4 to the bottom section. I suspect you are getting no voltage to the elements. That may be because you have the outputs to the elements on the top pair of tabs of the relay (tabs no. 1 and 3). Shift those connectors one set down, to tabs 4 and 6, and it should start working.

Whether you can push things to cone 10 will be a function of how much heating power can be obtained from the new elements based on calculations of Ohm's Law vs. the volume, surface area, and insulation value of the kiln. Note that your electrical supply and associated wiring must also match the power requirements of the new kiln elements. As for the layering of materials, you already know that wrapping a layer of fiber around the metal shell will cause the metal to corrode faster. Wrapping a second metal shell around the fiber will not change that. The corrosion is caused by moisture and corrosive gases from the firing trying to escape but being contained against the metal shell by the fiber layer. Kilns that use a combination of firebrick with additional fiber insulation have both those layers inside the single metal shell.

With manual kilns that have the 4-way switches, when the switch is on medium, only one element in that section will turn on. On low and high, both elements with turn on (at low, they are connected in series for 1/4 of the total heating power; on high, they are connected in parallel for full power). It is possible with a kiln of that age, a switch is burned out. Also, check the resistance and continuity of each element with a digital multimeter. The elements may be too worn to reach full heat or an element is broken somewhere around the kiln.

Glad you found the problem was something with the power supply, nothing wrong with the kiln(s). Do not simply replace the 50 breaker with a 60 unless the wire is appropriate for 60 amps (including whatever uprating is needed for a long run to eliminate voltage drop should that be an issue (My run was 75' from the panel to the kiln, so #4 was needed rather than the usual #6)).

Agree with @neilestrick, the switches are probably wired wrong. As noted by @PeterH, replacement switches have a different arrangement of the connections on the back of the switch. The functioning of the 4-way switches is: on Low, both elements are on, but connected in series for 1/4 the total power of the section. On Medium, only the bottom element turns on, for 1/2 the total power of the section. On High, both elements are on, but connected in parallel for full power. Though you have the switch turned to high, the wiring to the elements is as if it is on medium.

The likelihood of both kilns crapping out at the same time is near zero. You are getting 120V to ground at each slot of the receptacle, are you getting 240V from slot to slot? The elements need 240V end to end to heat.

The likelihood of both kilns crapping out at the same time is near zero. If neither kiln works on the same receptacle, you have narrowed the problem to the receptacle. You say you have reset the breaker. Check again just to be sure, sometimes the breaker handle may appear to be on when it is not. When a breaker trips, you must switch it all the way off until it clicks and then switch it back on until it clicks. If the breaker is on and the kilns still do not work, there is a loose or burned connection in the receptacle. With a voltage meter, you should be getting 240V across both straight slots of the receptacle. If not, you should check for 120V from each straight slot to the round ground hole (there is no neutral in this configuration). If one of the straight slots is not giving you 120V to ground, that is where the problem is. The kiln elements need to be pulling power from both sides of the circuit. Turn the breaker off and take the receptacle out of the box to see what is wrong.

In the newer digitally-controlled kilns, the computer controls the speed at which the kiln heats and thus the length of time a firing will take. Firing to a particular cone will always take the same length of time (until the elements begin to wear out and just can't keep up the speed). In a manual kiln, the elements are just on all the time (though the switching mechanism will change how many are on at a time and the state of their connection, i.e., parallel or series to adjust the amount of total heat being produced) and thus the length of the firing is a function of how much thermal mass (i.e., ware) must be heated by the electrical heating power available from the elements. More stuff in the kiln will take longer to heat, less stuff will heat to the target cone is a shorter time. You fired it empty except for the shelves and posts. Plain air is easy to heat, gonna hit cone 04 fast. Now that you have seasoned the new elements with an empty firing, try again with a full load and the time will be closer to your expectations.

A self supporting cone, obviously, will droop in the direction it is already leaning. The standard large cones are a bit trickier. If you stand it on a plain flat surface, the base is cut at an angle so it will lean towards one face. That is the direction it should be placed in the Orton cone plaque, or stuck into the clay wad if you are making your own cone packs. If you are using an Orton cone plaque, note the little raised dot on one side of each triangular hole. That is the direction the cone should fall. So, first stand it on the table to see which way it leans, and then put it in the hole so it leans toward the dot.

Gare was taken over by Evenheat. You can get parts from them.

I would not recommend adding plain alumina (typically available as alumina hydrate, but also can be obtained as alumina oxide) as it will change the melting behavior of the glaze. A better source of alumina is clay, but now you need to be facile with glaze calculation software. The amount of EPK in the recipe is approaching the max that one would want before it begins to crawl. The solution to crawling from excessive EPK is substituting calcined EPK for a portion of the initial amount of EPK, but that's not a 1:1 direct substitution. Again, glaze calculation software is your friend. However, all that said, you will only know after testing.

Cobalt, which is normally blue, shifts to green when in the presence of a fair amount of titanium and alumina. The rutile is providing the titanium, and the porcelain instead of stoneware may allow alumina a bit more freedom to shift the cobalt towards green.

You have power at the wall, a new transformer, but no go. Have you measured voltage before and after the transformer? You should be getting line voltage at the primary side and 12V on each of the double-wound secondaries. If you are not getting line voltage to the transformer, check the in-line fuse inside the little black cap on the side of the control column, or possibly a bad on-off switch.

Several things to note here: The picture of the porcelain sake jar is from page 94 of the book, showing Glossy Base 1 with colorants, named Variegated Blue. Page 32 in the book shows a tan stoneware mug with the same glaze, and the outcome is similar to your test tile. The clay body can have a significant effect of the color of the glaze. The several recipes in the published book which use a feldspar all use either G200 or Custer, both of which are potash feldspars (and both of which are no longer available in the market). Subsequent to the book's publication, there were some significant changes to the availability and content of G200, Custer, and talc. In response to these materials changes, John and Ron developed modifications and alterations to several of the base recipes that were intended to be similar to originals, and published them on the masteringglazes website. The base recipe revisions were not tested with colorants. You have the altered Glossy Base 1 using Minspar, a soda feldspar, instead of the original G200. When comparing the UMF of the original recipe with the altered recipe, the alumina, silica, and boron levels are very close, but the flip to Minspar and the changed amounts of wollastonite and talc in the new recipe result in a different flux calculation. How much of an effect that has on the color response is unknown without side by side comparison testing with both the original and altered recipes.

Log on to the L&L website and buy a copy ($37) https://hotkilns.com/kiln-parts/easy-fire-kiln-instruction-manual