neilestrick

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.

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.