neilestrick
-
Posts
12,440 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Posts posted by neilestrick
-
-
The thing is, it was already painted and it rusted. Painting over corrosion, no matter how well you clean it, isn't going to last as long as the original. It's a losing battle.
-
Here's a revised Spearmint recipe that I use in my studio, and I've never had problems with it:
- Gerstley Borate 11.5
- Frit 3134 5.53
- Neph Sye 4.27
- Whiting 17.58
- Calcined Kaolin 8.22
- EPK 22.38
- Flint 30.53
- Hulk, SunsetBay and Bill Kielb
-
3
-
The primary issue with having a kiln outdoors is that you need a solid 24-36 hours where you know there won't be any bad weather. If a surprise storm rolls in your'e in trouble. In some climates like Arizona or San Diego that's not a problem. In the rest of the country it's a gamble. The other issue is moisture building up underneath whatever you're using to cover it, especially in humid environments. With a manual kiln that's not such a big deal, but in a digital kiln it can ruin the controller. And in both situations you'll get a lot more corrosion on the kiln. My feeling is that if you wouldn't leave your desktop computer there then you shouldn't have your kiln there. I don't see the sense in spending a few thousand dollars on a kiln just to risk ruining it.
-
Definitely cannot leave a kiln outdoors unprotected. In a climate like yours I don't really recommend having it uncovered ever, but you gotta do what you gotta do. A cover over it when it's not in use can work, but you've really got to be conscious of the weather. Depending on the size of the kiln you get, you'll need anywhere from 24-36 hours of good weather to get it from room temp to peak temp and back to room temp. Expect a lot more corrosion on the kiln since it's not indoors.
The basement can work fine, you just need to vent it properly. I'd use a Vent-A-Kiln hood mounted on a swing arm.
-
That kiln is going to rust no matter what you do or where you live. If not from the moisture in the environment, then from the moisture coming out of the clay. I've never seen an HF105 that wasn't rusted. They didn't use stainless steel, so it's gonna rust. The best you can do is periodically brush it down with a wire brush and vacuum it off really good.
-
13 hours ago, moonzie said:
Checked all around for any loose wires and found none.
Replacing the relays solved the issue. I completed a fast fire last night in just over 5 hours.
I'm still curious about this tho. I've always assumed mechanical relays will usually fail on or off - not in between. But if they half-fail like mine did, then aging mechanical relays it would seem can impact fire times. As they wear, would carbon buildup on the relay pads substantially increase resistance to the circuit?
Relays can fail on, off, or even one leg can fail. It's not uncommon for them to stick a few times before failing, and it often happens at high temps when they're running hot.
-
Get a kiln that can go to cone 10 if your'e planning to fire to cone 5/6. Also get a digital kiln, because you need to be able to control the cooling rate in order to get the same results as your bigger kilns. There are many test kilns that will use a 120V circuit, but they need a 20 amp circuit, not a typical 15 amp household circuit. There are also 240 volt test kilns. Pretty much all kiln brands make test kilns, but the Olympic Doll-E is probably the best deal out there. It goes to cone 10 and is big enough to hold a couple of mugs, not just some little test tiles.
-
7 hours ago, Laura B said:
Hi there - I see you have an American Beauty A818. I bought a used one three yrs ago --- just plugged into wall but misplaced my instructions. Would you by any chance have an instruction book for it, and know where I can find the manual for it? I literally have searched MANY places on internet. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you, Laura Blalock
Pretty much all manual kilns are fired the same way if they're the typical setup with a Sitter and switches, so any kiln manual for that setup will work for you.
-
What's the volume of your kiln, wattage, voltage and phase?
-
I assume this is a Gare or Evenheat with the light switches? If so, then what you're doing is right.
-
The absorption rate on the MB6 is way too high. For functional work it should be under 2.0, preferably 1.5. So it's not an ideal place to start. Not sure how they made the cone 6 version have higher absorption at cone 9 than the cone 10 version...
Without knowing the formula of the glaze(s) in question, we can't really offer a definitive solution unless someone here is actually using those clay bodies.
-
You either have a thermocouple wire that's loose, or a sticky relay. Check, all the thermocouple connections, especially the wire where it connects to the ceramic block holding the TC. The wire can break under the screw and be loose. If it's the relay, it'll probably die in the next couple of firings.
-
You cannot put the controller directly onto the Duncan. The control box isn't appropriate for a digital controller and the supporting parts. You can, however, use the controller to build a wall-mount system that the Duncan can plug into. You could actually use it for both kilns that way, just unplug and Duncan and plug in the Euclids.
-
The vertical cracks in the bricks don't matter at all. They won't affect the structural integrity of the kiln, because they can't move sideways and fall apart. If that's the bottom row where you've put the wafers, just pin the element to the floor and forget the wafers because they'll probably just crack. They're not thick enough to pin through.
-
@world of 3d I've moved this to the Martketplace section for you.
-
12 hours ago, JohnnyK said:
I contacted Speedball and they gave instructions to remove the head and said they could modify the head from a different wheel to fit...It just depends on the cost whether I'll go that route.
That's good news. I'm surprised they were willing to help. In the past I've always heard that they won't do anything with the old CI wheels.
-
You can set the thermocouples back in a little bit deeper. I usually go about 3/8" in. The worst thing that can happen is you'll have to do a slight thermocouple offset to compensate for them being further back, but I think they'd have to be quite deep for it to matter.
-
I probably have an extra I can send you. Message me your address.
-
It looks great!
-
Grinding is really the only way to get it off, however it looks like some of these kilns were made a really long time ago, and without knowing what's in the platform I wouldn't go grinding on it. Could be asbestos, especially with the elements imbedded in it, and if the enamel is very old it may have lead in it.
-
Ok, I found some pics of this kiln. It's a unique design, so I wasn't sure what I was looking at. What is that surface made of- is it hard or is it fiber? Also, what is all over it- enamel?
-
Congrats on the new kiln!
-
How far back in the tubes are the TC set? Where did you get the thermocouples?
-
Is this photo the lid?
Bisque and Glaze Firings in different kilns or alternate Bisque and Glaze in the same kiln?
in Equipment Use and Repair
Posted
If you only use one for glaze, assuming you're glazing hotter than you bisque, you're going to wear out that kiln a lot faster than the bisque kiln. The glaze kiln will need a lot more maintenance than the bisque kiln, and need replacing a lot sooner. The bisque kiln will corrode faster due to moisture from the clay, but it'll still outlive the glaze kiln. A downdraft vent will help to reduce corrosion a lot. If you use both kilns for glaze and bisque, they'll age at the same rate. It's nice on the budget to only have to replace one kiln at a time, but it's also nice to have them on the same maintenance schedule, so really it's up to you.