Dick White
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Posts posted by Dick White
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3 hours ago, Pres said:
For those of you looking at my question about adjustments, I would think this cone is pretty spot on, maybe a little hot. I had two included with the kiln, so one was at the bottom of the top sections, and one on the floor shelves. They both look almost exactly alike.
Well, actually, according to Orton, a self supporting cone is correctly fired when the tip is even with the top of the pyramid supporting base, not touching the cone pack/shelf as with regular cones. But the reality is there probably is only a few degrees/minutes difference between even with the top of the base and the shelf, so no harm. And as Bill pointed out, consistency with your glazes is what matters.
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3 hours ago, Pres said:
"If your kiln is supplied with cones, the programmed cone number should match the cones provided, or you may use a cone of your own choice for the first firing. The example below is for a cone 04 firing, but if you use a cone other than 04, substitute that cone number in the programming." Immediately after this is the fast glaze fire menu in novice mode.
I guess I missed something somewhere in my reading about running a long glaze firing. I do not believe anything is damaged, but time will tell. As far as making adjustments I was just wondering, and I believe asking for opinions is better than trudging on without more knowledgeable help. This is a new world for me, but I am not without some skills. I would think the manual would show a long firing for first firing instead of referring to a fast glaze immediately on the page for first firing????!!
best,
Pres
I don't have a paper book copy of the manual here, but the download pdf version has a section titled "First Firing Instructions for L&L Kilns With A Dynatrol 700" immediately before the Bartlett Genesis chapter. That's where the slow bisque business is listed. Which, of course, yours isn't "with a Dynatrol," yours is with a Genesis. So that's poor editorial decision by L&L. And it's probably not the end of the world, but that's how we got where we are. Namely, all in it together.
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The Genesis section of the L&L manual is a reprint of the Bartlett document. It gives a first firing example of a fast glaze fire to cone 04 or whatever cone the manufacturer included for that initial firing, but notes one should follow the kiln manufacturer's instruction if different. L&L provides self supporting cone 5 cones for the initial firing, but also calls for slow bisque, not fast glaze. I doubt the kiln is irretrievably ruined because of fast glaze vs. slow bisque, but my understanding is that the L&L special coating on the bricks needs more that the 04 firing that Skutt (and others) specify. (And yes, you can get out the popcorn when the Skutt crowd starts arguing with the L&L new owners about this in the Facebook groups...) The only thing I would add, mostly for the general edification of anybody reading along here, is don't rely on exactly what happened in the first test firing of an empty kiln. A full kiln will respond differently. Use cones even with a controller to ensure that the controller and thermocouple are working together properly to produce a consistent outcome. After several firings to develop an average of different loadings, tweak the offset as needed to perfect the controller. Keep using cones forever as things will drift with age. Y'all get back to work now.
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3 hours ago, Mark C. said:
Dick whats the amps on that 90v ?
Mark, my bad halfway... looking at the label on mine now, it is 115V DC, not 90, 1/2HP, 5 amps.
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Not so much about the initial question (replacing the pedal pot) but regarding the later comments about motors and voltage - dunno about what Brent was doing back when the earth was still flat, but I believe Brent motors now are 90v DC. The controller rectifies whatever design input of local AC voltage and the pedal pot instructs the controller to increase/decrease the DC voltage to the motor to make it go faster or slower.
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7 minutes ago, neilestrick said:
Any inexpensive digital pyrometer will work.
To add to that, buy one from your favorite ceramic supplier (or one of the usual suspects of online ceramic stores). In addition to the pyrometer itself, you will need a ceramic grade thermocouple. The included thermocouple with many inexpensive pyrometers is a little plastic coated nub that might be good for checking the temperature of a bowl of mashed potatoes, but useless in a kiln. Some of the ones from a ceramic supplier will include a proper thermocouple, while the ceramic grade thermocouple is an accessory purchase with others, but at least a ceramic supplier will have them. The big river in south america dot com has lots of cheap pyrometers, of course, but you're on your own as to what else you need.
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8 minutes ago, Theresa Buckner said:
Does anyone know if you can fire a piece of ceramics that I primed with GESSO?
I have not tried that specifically, but my general knowledge of ceramic glazes is that would not work. The raw glaze needs to adhere to the surface of the ceramic body, and if there is anything in between, such as dirt, dust, oily residue from fingers, stray wax from the bottom, etc., the glaze will shrink back from that dirty spot as it melts. I would think the gesso will do the same.
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The probable reason it is rated to only cone 6 is the blank ring in the middle. That adds volume but no additional heat. The blank ring can be removed to improve the watts to volume ratio, but that would limit the size of things you could fire.
- Mark C. and Bill Kielb
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An issue with the GG and a Shimpo wheel is that the mechanism of the GG is that counterclockwise torque (assuming a typical US counterclockwise wheel) on the base of the GG causes the inertia of the sliding top to press clockwise with respect to the base, which causes the arms to move inward on their spiral tracks. This is exactly the same as the initial tightening on the ware while putting it in the center. This keeps it gripped during the trimming. However, the Shimpo wheel stops very quickly when you back off the pedal, much faster than other brands. As a consequence, the top of the GG tends to keep some of its counterclockwise momentum with respect to the now stopped base, which has the effect of very slightly loosening the arms. It is at that point where the ware moves off center, but you probably didn't notice it happening.
- Katie Piro and Luciamaya
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On 10/17/2019 at 10:08 AM, Fallonator said:
Im the Plumber from Fallonator.com I interested in talking Reduction in electric kilns.
send me a email
As I noted in this thread back in Dec, Terry is The Man Behind The Fallonator. Plumbing of the highest order meets pottery of the highest order!
dw
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Terry Fallon is a wonderful fellow crystallier who was a gas plumber in his day job. He had some serious health issues, and so is not active anymore. His Fallonator was a ConeArt kiln with a standard Bartlett controller that used controller #4 to trigger solenoids to start a flow from a small propane bottle together with a compressor to inject air, all kept in proper balance by an automotive O2 sensor. The objective was to fire to peak in oxidation so the zinc in the crystalline glaze would not volatize, and then start reduction during the the crystal growing phase at lower temperatures. He did not make many of them before his health failed.
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Please be aware that the "kiln model LT-3K" is not the model number or brand of the kiln. The kiln sitter is a manual control device commonly used by numerous kiln manufacturers. There were a couple of different ways of putting the kiln sitter together, and each manufacturer used the particular model/style that fit their kiln design. LT-3K is one of them. The actual kiln manufacturer, model number, and electrical specifications should be printed on a metal plate attached somewhere on the side of the red switch case. That is the important information that a buyer will need to know.
Geeks only - Raspberry PI controlled kiln
in Equipment Use and Repair
Posted
As one wag said, anything is possible, but some things are not likely. My one attempt at that was not satisfactory. I connected a separate pyrometer to the same thermocouple as was being used by the kiln's Bartlett controller. The temperature readings went jittery and I couldn't tell what was going on. Haven't tried it since.