neilestrick

The schedule I posted is for if you're not using a specific slow-cooling cycle. The goal is not necessarily to match the big kilns cooling cycle, because that is not linear. Instead, put them both on a cooling cycle that allows them to cool at the same rate that's not too far off from the big kiln, without necessarily being a 'slow-cool' cycle that will affect the glazes. 175/hr seems to do that. We drop down 100 degrees first so that the controlled cooling doesn't add heatwork to the glazes. If you cool from the peak, you'll get additional melt in the glazes. If you want to do a 'slow-cool' cycle that affects the glazes, those usually start at 1900F after natural cooling, and slow cool to 1500F. You may be able to let both kilns naturally cool to 1900F and then slow cool, but you'd have to test your glazes and see if they come out the same or not. If they don't come out the same, do the 100F drop, then cool at 175/hr to 1900F, then slow cool at whatever rate you want down to 1500.

Dry them out and they'll be fine.

While ailing elements may still do the job, albeit more slowly, keep in mind that those firings are costing you more than with fresh elements. I once ran my e18T-3 until the elements would no longer reach cone 6, and the last firing cost me twice as much as the new elements. Also, elements that are used to the point of failure are generally more difficult to remove because they are deformed, and because they coils tend to expand in diameter as they wear out. In non-L&L kilns that means they'll do more damage to the element grooves during removal, and in L&L kilns it means they tend to break into small pieces as you remove them, therefore taking a lot longer to do the job. Although changing elements may be a miserable job, it's a lot easier to do it before the elements get really bad. Replace them once the resistance is 10% off from new, or the coils start to lay over on each other.

A new lid fro Skutt is $325. Add another $175-$250 for freight delivery. That's a pretty big cost for a really old kiln. However if the rest of the kiln is in good condition then it might be worth it. Another option is to find a cheap used kiln of the same size that has a decent lid or floor slab that you could use.

Definitely try C&C. I prefer it over OM4 in terms of feel and workability.

In what condition is the rest of the kiln? Post pics.

You can do it either way, but people seem to be more willing to buy if shipping is included in the price, even when that price is higher. Plus it simplifies things because they know how much the item will actually cost them before they go through the checkout process.

Gillespie is known to be a bit stronger than Gerstley. I've always reduced Gillespie by 3%.

First check that you're getting continuity through the fuse. If you're not, then either the fuse is bad or the fuse holder is bad or the fuse isn't tight in the holder. If the fuse is good then measure the voltage coming out of the transformer- when measuring the voltage between the two wires going from the transformer to the controller you should get about 24 volts AC. Set the meter to VAC and put a probe on each terminal. You can either measure from the terminals on the transformer or the AC1 and AC2 terminals on the controller. Be careful since there will be live wires.

First check the fuse. Make sure it hasn't blown for some reason, and make sure everything is tight. Check the wiring on the transformer. Terminals 1 and 4 each get a hot. 2 and 3 have a jumper connecting them. 5 and 8 go to AC1 and AC2 on the controller, 7 is ground. Do you have a multi meter that you can use to check that the transformer is sending out the correct voltage? Wiring diagram HERE.

There's no reason to apply a clear glaze over a colored glaze unless you like how it alters the look of the colored glaze, and it will alter the look of the colored glaze, sometimes just a bit, but often quite a lot. The clear will not just sit on top of the colored glaze. Whenever you layer glazes, they mix and mingle, and often become runnier. To what degree all that happens depends entirely on the formula of the glazes, the thickness of the application of each glaze, and the order in which they are applied. Test, test, test.

Use the same firing schedule going up, then add a cooling cycle that goes full speed cool (rate 9999) down to 100 degrees below the peak temp, then a rate of 175/hr down to 1500. You'll get the same results from both kilns. I've been using this schedule for years for 3 kilns of different sizes (test, 4 cu/ft, 10 cu/ft).

The pre-programmed firing schedules work great. The programs you listed should also work. For testing purposes, I'd just run a medium cone 6 and see if it fires off in approximately the amount of time the schedule says it should. No need to fire it up to cone 9.

What firing schedule are you using? Have you been using the schedule without problems? What model kiln? Are you sure the elements are installed properly? Have you tested the elements and relays to confirm that they're all working?

Testing with the panel open can be dangerous, depending on the kiln model. If it's a digital kiln with a hinged control box, you can generally do a live test with a meter fairly safely. For manual kilns it can be a lot more difficult (dangerous). The safest ways to test are: 1. Turn it on high, let it run a few minutes, then carefully crack the lid and see if all the elements glow. 2. Put a small piece of paper on each element, run it for a couple of minutes, turn off the kiln and check if all the pieces of paper have burned.

Could be solubles coming out since it has sat for so long.

The pedal you have may or may not be made specifically for the wheel, so you may be able to find a replacement online. Also call Speedball, as they now make those wheels, and the current pedal may work as a replacement.

The OP hasn't posted in about a year, but if you PM them they'll get an email letting them know. Hover over their avatar and click on Message.

The only issue with humidity is that it can cause the electrical connections to corrode more quickly. That said, my kiln are in an unconditioned space in the midwest and it hasn't been a problem. It has to be pretty swampy for it to be an issue, and even then it's just a matter of replacing the connectors more often. The bigger issue is the moisture from the firings, so definitely install a downdraft vent. As for the cold, if you're looking at a digital kiln, the controller cannot operate below 0 degrees, so if it's super cold out you will need to heat up the space a bit in order to fire. A small space heater next to the kiln will usually do the job. The other issue to be aware of is the safety of having a hot kiln in a barn. 'Barn' can mean a lot of different things, but at it's basic definition it's a space with a lot of flammable materials, so you want to make sure you have sufficient clearances around the kiln from anything flammable.

This is an old post, so if you want to contact the original poster, it's best to send a PM. Hover over their avatar and then click Message.

Unfortunately, no. Even if you were able to get it hot enough, you would likely do damage to the grill, and it would be incredibly difficult to control the rate at which the temperature increases.

Pleas list your item in the Community Marketplace section.

Are these canisters you make? Are you hoping to cast the lids so they fit a base? More info, please.

30 minutes to get glowing Top and bottom elements are about 20% off, so that's definitely enough to be a problem since they have to work harder than the middle elements. Was the kiln on high for this test? If so, 30+ minutes is a really long time for the coils to glow, at least the top and bottom coils. The middle coils can take a lot longer.

It could be that it blew both fuses. I would start with using a meter to check the fuses.