neilestrick

This has to be a wiring problem unless something happened that managed to blow out all 3 switches, which I've never seen. How are the switches wired? Hot wires should go into L1 and L2, then two hots going out to the elements. It's generally a pretty simple wiring setup. Post some pictures and let us know what the tabs are labeled on the switches.

@Olivia Try disconnecting two switches at a time and see if it only trips with one of them. A meter won't find the short. You have to isolate it to figure out where it is. However having a meter is good for future repairs.

If it trips immediately, there's a short in the kiln somewhere. If it's happening with all of the switches, then the problem is probably not one of the switches being bad, but rather in the wiring somewhere. It could be the switches are wired wrong in some way. How many elements does the kiln have?

A glossy white glaze is just a clear that's been opacified, so a regular clear is just fine as a liner. Plus a clear is less likely to show cutlery marks than a white. A liner simply needs to be durable and safe, which doesn't necessarily mean it can't have colorants in it.

The kiln is going to heat up a space that small, especially if it's a larger size kiln. You may be able to get away with a downdraft vent if it's a smaller kiln, in which case you could run it out the chimney. Downdraft vents can be overloaded if you've got a lot of wax resist in the kiln, though, so it may not be ideal in a space that small where people are living. If it's a larger kiln, I would go with an overhead hood like the Vent-Sure system since it will also pull out heat. I don't know if they're available where you live, or if there's something similar in your area. You may be able to run out the chimney since it's a powered system, but I would double check with the manufacturer. The other option would be to pop out a pane of glass in the window and replace it with a board that you can run the vent through, or use that as a source of fresh air. Any vent requires fresh air coming in for it to work, so you'll need to do that or crack a door and possibly a window in the neighboring room in order for it to work well.

@ByrdIf the cone bent, then it reached that cone. The potential problem is that it didn't spend enough time at high heat to adequately burn out all the organic matter, which could cause issues with your glazes. If you're using a white clay body, then it'll probably be fine. If you're using a brown body then it's more likely to be an issue. HERE is a thread with a lot of good information about firing Duncan kilns and how to slow them down. If you use the search bar you'll find several other Duncan threads that may be of use to you.

Yes to all

@petrichor How big is the 'kiln room'?

I'd put that at 130-150 firings.

Yes, an empty firing will build build up a layer of oxidation on the surface of the elements, which will help protect the metal from fumes in future firings. The hotter the better, but generally a bisque firing will do the job. It's also a good idea to put some cones in the kiln to make sure everything's working properly with the new elements.

Graded elements means that the middle elements have a different resistance than the top/bottom, so the mids don't run as hot as the t/b. Some kilns even have 3 different elements in them. The controller doesn't alter the power to them in any way unless the kiln has zone control, where each section of the kiln has its own thermocouple and is controlled independently of the others.

Pinholes with smooth edges on a vitrified body are not an issue as long as they're cleaned well. However from an aesthetic standpoint they may not be desirable.

Is that red box the backside of the dial?

It would be faster and better to just roll a new slab. Paperclay joints on bone dry pieces are not always 100% successful, especially on a thin slab. If you're bisque firing, pieces will not stick together unless you've properly joined them with slip/score.

Since this is an older thread, you may want to send the OP a DM. Just hover over their avatar and click on 'message'.

@Jea Post a pic of the pedal.

Did you install new feeder wires when you replaced the elements? I've only ever seen feeder wires cause trouble with the relays if they fry really hard at the terminal strip, and that manages to work its way back to the relay. It's very rare, though. Mostly they will be an issue at the element connection. 99% of the time, the problem is with the wires connected directly to the relays. Just buy the Skutt wiring harness and install it with new relays and carry on. Make sure your slip-on terminals are snug. They should take a bit of force to slide on. If they're loose, slightly crimp them with pliers.

@Mark C. The L&L stand has a full metal top:

Those cracks are probably nothing to worry about. Hairline cracks are perfectly normal in the floor slab, especially in 28" kilns. Since the L&L kiln stand has a solid top that supports the floor very well, even if the cracks open up a bit it's not going to matter. Just be sure to keep the metal band around the slab tight, and also tighten up all the other bands while you're at it.

Do you know for sure that the burners were the problem? More often than not what we see here on the forum is that there's a design problem with the kiln itself, or just user error in firing it.

You can't replace the relays with anything different. There are other types that will fit, but the ones you have are made for high heat locations. They're the best you can do. And for the most part they will work fine. The only other option is to get a new control box and move everything over to it and use the black relays. I don't think that's necessary, though. I've seen relays fail prematurely on Skutt kilns dozens of times, and the solution, per Skutt, is to change the wiring harness.

I have never seen the direction of the wedging to have any effect on my throwing or any of my students' throwing. Once you cone the clay a couple of times during centering, any wedging spiral is gone. IMO she is overthinking the process, or finding something to blame for poor centering technique. I have wedged 'backwards' of the way she's showing for 30 years, and I've never had any issues. Same with my students. Wedge it, make it into a ball, smack it onto the wheelhead, and center it. With good coning technique it doesn't matter which way it was wedged.

Yes, it's pretty easy. You'll need a 30 amp circuit for the kiln.

The beginning of THIS THREAD should help.

The clear relays run hot because the box that they're in is shallow. You'll notice on the top that there are 5 louvers. They switched to the black relays at some point, presumably because they were cheaper, and found that they burned out really fast, so they made the box deeper (6 louvers) to provide more air flow, and it made more room for the wire terminals so they didn't have to use right angle terminals with those relays. They recommend still using the clear relays in the 5 louver boxes. The clear ones are rated for high heat areas, and in general they do pretty well. @Hyn Patty You need a new wiring harness. You've still got the original 20 year old wires connected to the relays, and they are most likely what is causing them to overheat. I see this all the time in Skutt kilns, and new wires solve the problem. Transformers rarely fail, and I don't see how it could cause the relay to fail, but as long as you have one coming, go ahead and replace it and all the wiring in the box at the same time.