neilestrick

That type of bat is notorious for not sitting flat, at least the round ones. Back when they were made by CI 30 years ago they did the same thing.

The rule of thumb for burner placement is that is should be set back from the burner port a distance of half the diameter of the burner tip. For example, a 3" burner tip should be set back 1.5". Does it backburn when it's not at the kiln?

I assume the kiln was still on when you touched the coils? Super dangerous! Never touch anything while the power is on unless you're measuring voltage with a meter. 10.1 ohms is good. 120 volts divided by 10.1 gives us 11.88 amps, x2 = 23.76 amps per kiln section. So when you wire them in series, 10.1 x 2 = 20.2 ohms, and 240 volts divided by 20.2 = 11.88 x 2 = 23.76. So good to go. Now you need to get two infinite switches, something like THIS. You may be able to find them cheaper if you search around. Just make sure they're 240 volts, 15 amps, and include the knob. Robert Shaw is my preferred brand, but I'm sure there are others that work just fine too.

Any Kiln Sitter manual will work. For firing this particular kiln, see my instructions above.

I shape simple extruded handles by putting them inside oval cookie cutters. Extrude the strap, let it set up slightly so you can handle it without messing it up, then push it against the inside of the cookie cutter to get the shape. Leave it in there until it's set up enough that it will hold shape when you take it out. Makes a nice curve that's comfortable to hold. You can buy multiples of the same size cutter from folks on Etsy who 3D print them.

Depends on the condition of the bricks, elements, etc. If it has some broken bricks and needs new elements, then maybe $300. If it's in really good condition, maybe $600. More if furniture is included. A new digital kiln of that size is $2100.

Clay-King seems to have a bunch in stock. Maybe they're fulfilling distributor orders and don't have enough to sell directly from their website. FYI, their 220C is the greatest clay knife ever. Of course those are out of stock, because everyone agrees with me!

I'd put thin foam sheets between them with them tight to each other, and transport them standing up, not laying down, on something soft like a sheet of styrofoam. Tie them or block them to the side of the car/truck so they can't fall over.

Check the manufacturer first. If they're super expensive then check Euclids.

Cone 6 porcelain is definitely under 1%. Stoneware bodies can be, but many are closer to 1.5%, which is still pretty tight and within the range we call acceptable for functional work.

@Pyewackette That makes sense. You like the atmospheric stuff, which gas kilns are great for and electric kilns are not great for. I will argue that cone 6 porcelains are just as good as cone 10 porcelains. I've used cone 6 porcelain for years and years and I don't see any advantage to the cone 10 porcelain I used to use. Both are white, glassy, and translucent.

What specifically do you like about reduction- certain glazes, certain clay bodies, the process,...? Not being negative about it here, just getting a feel for what you want from a kiln. I talk to a lot of people who want reduction simply because that's all they know and haven't had much experience with oxidation, or have been working at a studio that had horrible oxidation glazes. If you can be happy with cone 6 oxidation, the whole process of getting kiln set up and firing successfully will be faster, easier, and less expensive. I totally get the allure of reduction- I fired gas, wood, and salt for 12 years before switching to electric, and loved it.

Red earthenware bodies get their color from iron. Adding iron will only make it darker, and it's a bad way to color a clay as it tends to increase brittleness. Generally red bodies get darker the hotter you fire them. So firing lower will give you a more orange and less red color. However firing lower may not be an option with your glazes, and it also will increase the porosity of the body. If you want a truly orange body, then you may want to try adding a stain to your clay, but that may work best with a white body.

It's super old, but that doesn't mean it won't work. It's all about how much it's been used, not how long it sat around. I recently had a kiln in my shop that was 40+ years old but had never been fired. Anyway, because your kiln is only rated for cone 6, it will only get to cone 6 if the elements are in perfect condition. That means you'll only get about 35 firings before the elements need to be replaced. By contrast, a cone 10 kiln will get 130+ firings before they need to be changed. Your kiln is great for low fire work, but not so great for cone 5/6 work. Do the elements all get hot? If you're not sure, put a small piece of paper on each element and start the kiln. Let it run for a couple of minutes and see if the papers all burn/smolder. If not, then there's a problem with that element. Could be the element, could be the wiring, could be the switch. If they all work but the kiln won't get to temp, then the elements probably need replacing. You'll have to contact Cress and see if they still make elements for your kiln. If you decide to use it, you'll need a 20 amp circuit to power it.

Happy to help! @Pyewackette what is it about the gas kiln that you want?

@Edie S. That little chip on the Sitter tube won't affect anything. The rod is still in great shape, so I'd say the kiln hasn't been fired much. Can you post a pic of the control box on the kiln so we can see what sort of switches it has? Most manual kilns work the same way, but Cress has had some unique setups over the years. Also post a pic of the serial plate on the kiln. The plate on the Sitter is just for it, not the kiln.

Am I required to download the file in order to view them? All I see is the Samsung logo, and no offense, but I'm not going to download anything. Better to load the photos directly onto the forum.

@Pyewackette A 28" quad ring weighs 78 pounds, and it's terribly awkward to lift and carry alone. A 23" quad ring weighs 61 pounds, and is still unwieldy enough that I wouldn't try to lift it by myself over a piece in the kiln.

I'm checking on this. I'll get back to you. You don't want a 36" tall version of the eQuad because you won't be able to reach into the bottom without pulling it apart. Only 6'4" tall people can reach the bottom of that kiln. You need the Jupiter if you go that tall. Correct. As I said, the eQuad uses the same elements for both single or 3 phase for each voltage. They'll only need to change elements if they need to run it on 208 volt service. Bottom elements are only needed if you are firing really heavy loads like a kiln full of plates or tiles. The Jupiter is a bit more customizable, so they offer it there. The eQuad is sold as-is, no customization, mostly because the control box can't fit more stuff. A nice simple control box that doesn't have a bunch of external cords, so fewer parts and easier maintenance. Correct. The Quad elements last a lot longer, so they pay for themselves and you don't have to change the elements as often. The difference in hooking up 100 amps vs 80 will depend on a lot of factors, so you'd need to get quotes from your electrician. Firing bisque and cone 6 (40/60), standard elements last about 130-150 firings. With the quads they last about 250 firings or more. I've had customers get 300+. The more you fire to cone 5 and above, the greater the benefit of the Quad elements.

I would contact the manufacturer of the kiln or burner system. It requires changing the burner orifices to a smaller size, as well as the necessary hoses and regulator(s) for the propane tanks.

With a baby kiln, as long as you're not firing lusters or similar materials that make for very toxic fumes, simply running a fan out a window will most likely do the job. A full downdraft system should not be necessary. Put it in the basement near the window, and get a window fan to pull out the small amount of fumes the kiln will produce.

The kiln you got rid of has a 27" tall interior, which is pretty tall. If you need taller than that then the 36" models are the way to go, but I would look at if you really need that much total volume, or if you can get away with a narrower model, which would be cheaper and not require such big electrical loads. You will not be able to lift the rings on and off by yourself with a 28" model. With a 23" model would still get help just to make sure you don't bump the work in the kiln. The Jupiter does not have floor elements unless it is special ordered. The eQuad uses the same elements for single or 3 phase on each voltage. An element change is needed to change voltage, though. No power cord on the single phase models. Single and 3 phase models use different terminal blocks where the power connects, see HERE. You could use the 3 phase block on a single phase kiln, but not the other way around.

Almost 7 on top, 6 on bottom. What model kiln, and how was it packed?

Skutt now owns/makes Kiln Sitter. Post some pics of the controls, as well as pics of the problem areas of the Sitter.

Is this kiln new to you and this is your first time using it, or was it working fine before and now it's suddenly not working properly?