neilestrick

Change out the old power cord for the 6-50. Any power cord that old probably needs replacing anyway. Install a 6-50 receptacle, and make sure it's wired correctly- 2 hots and a ground. There is no neutral used.

I rarely look at elements when determining the condition of the kiln because they need to be replaced regularly anyway. If they need to be replaced immediately then that can be used to negotiate down the price, but an element can sag on its first firing if it's not seated properly, so you can't use that to determine age. Brick condition is really the key to determining the age and condition of a kiln. The more a kiln is fired, the more yellow and brittle the bricks become. And if they're all chipped up and you need to replace a bunch of them, that gets expensive pretty quickly, and can be very difficult to do in a lot of the older kilns. Lid and floor slabs are very expensive to replace, so those have to be in good condition.

Those are silicone covered, better than the old ones. Good to go.

Also remember that it's going to be 15" from the wall, so the front edge of the kiln will be 44" from the wall.

My opinion is that the kiln should be in a space that makes it as enjoyable to use as possible. For me that means right there in the studio so I don't have to carry pots through the house. Wheeled carts are sketchy, it only takes a very small bump to knock everything over. As for space in the studio, make a rolling table that fits over the kiln so you can use that space when not in use. I want to be able to fire whenever I need to, but on the balcony you'll need a 48 hour window of good weather for firing and cooling. So that could be an issue if you're ever on a time crunch getting ready for a show. It's a really nice space, why clutter it up with a kiln and a pile of shelves and posts if you don't have to? A downdraft vent will greatly reduce corrosion of the kiln, so even if you put it on the balcony you should use the vent. There are shops online that make custom grill covers to any dimensions, so that's an option for a cover.

Most of the fast-fire kilns do not produce much ash, so if you're looking to use glazes then those are a good option. There are cross-draft designs that will produce a lot of ash in a 12-14 hour firing with about 3 pickup loads of wood. Any tube-type kiln will need a very long firing, like 2+ days, up to a week or more if it's large. It all depends on what you're trying to achieve with your work. Wood burning kiln designs tend to be quite specific in what surface effects they will produce. You can't get Anagama looking pots from a fast fire, and vice versa.

First, I would start working at cone 6. Your elements aren't going to last vey long, and the total lifespan of the kiln will be greatly shortened, by firing to cone 10. Also, you'll have a much easier time holding/soaking/slow cooling if you're working at cone 6, because at cone 10 you won't be able to hold well with manual switches. At cone 10, as soon as you turn a switch to medium it's going to drop in temperature a lot, and then you'll have to turn it back on, and then off, and then on, over and over and you still won't maintain temperature very well. At cone 6, going to medium won't have as big an impact and you'll have a lot more control. That said, holding temp is a lot more difficult than just slowing down the cooling. Soaking shouldn't be necessary in most cases. It's usually only needed if there's a specific glaze problem that can be fixed with a soak.

You'll need to wash the mold to get rid of the soap.

Be totally honest with them about everything. You don't want to go to all the cost and trouble of building a kiln only to have them shut you down. Chances are they won't have a clue what you're talking about, so you give them as much information as possible so they are able to make an honest assessment of the kiln. Otherwise they'll just say no.

Some places consider it to be open burning, others just call it a big barbecue, others classify them as industrial equipment. Also be aware that there will be a certain amount of smoke created, even in an efficient kiln, so you could easily annoy the neighbors.

Have you confirmed with the local authorities that you can have a wood burning kiln in your back yard? If you're looking to get the effects of wood firing that you typically see, then you'll need to fire to at least cone 9, because wood ash doesn't melt at cone 6. However, if you're not looking for the wood ash effects, and plan to fire with glazes, then a low-ash fast-fire type wood kiln might work for you. What are your goals with this kiln? We can help point you in the right direction if you tell us what you're hoping to achieve with your work.

My guess is it's some sort of mold. Not at all uncommon in French butter dishes.

I've made and sold several dozen lamps over the years. I use UL listed components, which some folks say is adequate from a liability standpoint, and others say is not sufficient- that the whole lamp has to be listed. I've got a couple of lamps here in my house (store bought) that are UL labeled on the socket itself, but not on the lamp base, which makes me think that the lamp itself is not listed, just the parts. As a small maker, you are unlikely to be able to afford to get your product listed, so I say either don't make lamps, or make them using listed components, and make sure you're building them to listing specs (UL153) so that there aren't any issues. One of the main things to do is to make sure that the cord cannot pull out of the lamp, either a clamp or you can just tie a knot in the cord inside the lamp. I really like the sockets and parts sold by Grand Brass Lamp Parts. High quality, well made, good prices, UL listed. FYI, UL (Underwriter's Laboratories) is just one of several Nationally Recognized Testing Labs. All test to the same standards and carry the same value. From a legal standpoint, none are preferred over the others. UL just happens to be the best known. I'm changing the name of the post to better reflect the topic.

Unless you I think that unless you have a history of breathing issues (asthma, etc) then the small amount of dust you've inhaled in your home studio is unlikely to be the cause of the problem here. It's allergy season, so that would be my first guess (although I am not a doctor). Even if you don't have a history of seasonal allergies, it's not at all uncommon for them to pop up nowadays. Regardless, you definitely should not be sanding indoors or working with powders or dry clay in general. Clean up trimming and such while they're still leather hard, sponge down surfaces, and wet mop the floors. These basic cleaning methods will reduce the dust to a level that should not be an issue.

@John Flores happy to help! The new one is the the style they've been using for several years now. It's a type K jsut like the old one, and will work in any model. You'll have to drill out the hole to fit it. For a tight fit, make the hole just a hair too small using either a drill bit or a round file, then use the thermocouple itself to make it the perfect size. Just twist it into the hole. Work from both sides of the hole so you don't flake out the brick on the inside.

Hi @John Flores, welcome to the forum! This happens when the wires get old, and those wires are old. They are white when they're new. Old wires can burn out a brand new relay very quickly. 1. Get a new terminal strip. 2. Assuming the feeder wires are connected to the elements with the standard Skutt crimp connectors: Cut off all the slip-on terminal connectors on the ends of the feeder wires that connect to the terminal strip, and put new connectors on them. No sense using corroded connectors on a new terminal strip. Replace the feeder wires next time you replace the elements. If the feeder wires are connected to the elements with removable connectors, then replace the feeder wires now. In the future, replace the slip-on terminals any time they show signs of overheating. 3. Replace the relay. 4. Get a new wiring harness (for inside the control box). It has all the wires going into and out of the relays and all the red control wires. I don't usually replace the control wires unless they really need it, but yours are looking fairly corroded so I'd replace them. Be really careful removing the wires from the transformer. Those connections are really delicate.

One of the best things you can do is to go visit someone with the type of kiln you want to build. There are many types of wood burning kilns out there, and a lot of variation within each type, so being able to discuss those details with someone who actually fires the kiln be more beneficial than a book. Each type has its pros and cons and creates a certain look to the work. Anagama pots look different than crossdraft pots, and they have radically different firing schedules. It's a major investment of time and materials to build one, so you want to be sure to do it right. What type of kiln are you thinking of building?

I had to clear out some of my files and it looks like that's one that got wiped out. You can find all Duncan manuals HERE.

Yep, Cress 328J. They don't have any info on their website, though. No wiring diagrams. I found a couple of old online listings for it and they said it pulls 25amps. If that's true, it will need to be on a 35 or 40 amp breaker, and you'll need to install a new power cord and plug that can handle at least that much amperage. Call Cress and see if they can give you more info. If you plan to glaze fire at cone 5/6, this is not a good kiln for you. Since it maxes out at cone 6 (according to the label), it will only get to that temp if the elements are in perfect condition, which is only about 30 firings.

What do the tags on the front say- the one above the dial and the one in the corner? It's the same shape as the old Amaco kilns, but the rest of it doesn't look right for Amaco. The dial on the front looks like a Cress dial. Send the pics to Cress and see what they say. Without info from the manufacturer, there's no definitive way to know if it's set up to run on 208 or 240 volts. The good news is that a lot of these old square kilns were made to run on either voltage. To determine the amperage draw of the kiln, you'll first have to determine if all the elements are free of breaks. The best way to do that wold be to open the control box and test them with a meter. From there you can test the resistance of the elements and math out the amperage draw. We can then compare that number to other kilns of that style to see if the elements will have enough power to do the job. We'll also need to figure out if it's set up to run on a 3 wire or 4 wire circuit. There's a very good chance that the power cord is not appropriate for the kiln.

Clay King is great! I've ordered tons of stuff from them over the years.

I'm having these moments almost daily since I'm trying out a bunch of new hand building and decorating techniques. I'm amazed and proud of myself every time something works out the way I hoped it would, or I discover a way to make the process faster or more successful. I haven't had this much growth in such a short time since I first started making pots. I'm having a great time!

The 4 elements in each section are wired in parallel, so if one goes out they all do. Assuming that's the problem, first unplug the kiln, open the control box, and check for any fried out wiring connections, especially where the elements are wired together, and where the feeder wires for that section connect to the elements and the other end where they connect to the control box. If you don't see any obvious issues there, then you can check the elements for continuity if you have a multi-meter, or you'll need to inspect the elements for a break. It could just be a little spot that fried out somewhere on an element. A meter would make the whole process faster, as you can quickly check if there's a break somewhere in an element by putting the probes at the ends of the series and seeing if there's a connection. And if you can't find the break then you can unhook all the elements and use the meter to determine which one has failed. But you can try all the visual inspections first and if you don't find anything then get a cheap digital meter at the hardware store.

You can definitely do a hold manually, but if you need the hold temp to be accurate then it's not going to be as simple as just turning it down to a lower setting. You'd have to watch the pyrometer and make adjustments to the dial as needed. Doable for sure, but a hassle and it'll take up your time. Plus from a setup standpoint, just plugging into a wall mount system is much less intimidating than adding a switch for most people.

Light Dome makes light poles that span the top of the canopy. Go to their page HERE and look at the menu on the left. And thank you for the kind words!