neilestrick
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Posts posted by neilestrick
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Definitely a mesh size problem. The larger mesh size won't burn out properly, hence the crater effect. Copper reds are typically pretty fluid, so you may need to adjust the thickness of the glaze application or your firing schedule.
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@glazenerd can you post a picture of what you're talking about here? With the ceramic TC blocks typically used in these kilns, I don't see how the exposed ends of the wire could possibly be touching each other since they're attached to the block a good 1.5" away from each other, and the rest of the wire has insulation on it. Were the wires stripped back really far?
@AMO only the very ends of the TC wires should be stripped back, just enough to fit into the holes in the block. Also, fold over the ends of the wires so they're double thick under the screws. I highly doubt your thermocouples are actually worn out, but clearly there's a problem in the system. Was the original TC you replaced clearly worn out, or did it still look okay? Since you were in there changing the elements, it's possible that there's a kink or break or loose connection in the thermocouple wires. The test you ran only checks that the controller is reading correctly, which is rarely the problem. Check to make sure there's not a break in the TC wire under one of the screws on the block. I see that happen a lot, and it will give you spotty readings or random fails. If everything looks good there, take the two ends of the TC wire out of the block and hold them together. It should read room temp, or the temp of your fingers. Then wiggle around the wires while they're together and see if the reading changes. If it does, then there's something wrong in the wires themselves.
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6 hours ago, High Bridge Pottery said:
Are they doing a hard angle with the coils still intact or more like a front loader with what we call hairpins where the element is unwound in the middle? I had a job winding kiln elements for a while, mostly for skutt kilns and they had a similar diagonal across the brick.
Still intact, but a much harder angle that requires a couple pins to keep it from coming out of the channel at the bottom turn.
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3 hours ago, Wayne2 said:
Thanks Neil, I agree with your comments and expect all the relays need replacing and the thermocouple connections need to be checked/cleaned.
The hotspot is a great idea to try before working on a more permanent solution and using a laptop to connect to that hotspot rather than the router (which it normally does) is something I wouldn't have tried.
As the controller is not reporting a MAC address I have assumed this is a hardware issue. Your earilier comment on the WiFi module supports that assumption. Next time I am in the studio, I will also check if the controller is actually broadcasting a signal and the strength of the router's signal in the kiln room.
If you can get it to do a firmware update that would be a good start.
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Thanks for the update! Are you going to do some more tests at different temps to see how hot you can go with the bisque? I feel like the hotter the better to ensure good burnout? What's the melting point of your frit?
I love how they did the transition element groove on your kiln. It makes so much more sense than the hard angle the US kiln manufacturers like to do.
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Welcome to the forum!
What do you mean by it won't turn on? If the power button on the sitter won't engage, it's likely that the timer on the Sitter ran down to zero. The timer does not control how long the firing takes- it shuts off the kiln when it reaches zero, regardless of how hot the kiln is. You have to figure out how long a firing will take and set it to about 1/2 hour longer than the expected time, to prevent serious over-firing in the event that the cone mechanism fails.
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18 minutes ago, Wayne2 said:
Thanks that is a good thing to check and a good fix. I will check the signal strength.
Yes, the wifi on the controllers is pretty weak, so you need a good signal. Just because your phone is finding it doesn't mean the kiln will. I have a very strong signal on my phone by my kilns, but a very weak signal on the controllers. One way to check if the controller's wifi module is working is to set up your phone as a hotspot and see if the controller can find it. You could also do a firmware update, and download the firing logs by hooking up your laptop to the same hotspot. I realized mine wasn't working when it wouldn't find any of my neighbor's signals either, when it usually find 3 or 4.
18 minutes ago, Wayne2 said:Actually that second run was underfired (didn't reach a good cone 5 when the first firing overfired to Cone 7+) which makes this so perplexing.
This is why I think you have a thermocouple or relay issue.
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7 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:
It’s good for simple images
With the sticky vinyl you should be able to do somewhat complex images since the entire image can be applied to the screen as single sheet. I think it probably depends on the quality of the adhesive on the vinyl, but it's available in varying degrees of stickiness, including some that are supposed to be 'permanent'.
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4 minutes ago, Wayne2 said:
Other than that data from the WiFi/downloaded logs, I am not really sure what log/data item that would tell me that a section was lagging?
Yes, it would have to be connected to the wifi to get the firing logs. Sorry about that, I didn't think that through.
When controllers have problems it doesn't typically manifest as a firing problem like this. It's always something a lot more obvious like buttons stop working, or one section of the programming won't respond to inputs (cone fire mode won't work, for example), or you get some random error code that's specific to a mother board problem. Slow firings and such are almost always caused by the stuff connected to the controller (thermocouples system or relays), or even some sort of electrical interference. Since your controller was working fine before this, I expect it's not a controller issue. That said, I would definitely get the wifi module repaired and update to the most recent software just to be safe.
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Hi Wayne, welcome to the forum.
Everyone, here is the C6IRED schedule he's referring to.
Step °C °F Hold Time 1 138°C/hr to 121C 250°F/hr to 250F 60min 1:42 Evaporate all mechanical water 2 194°C/hr to 1148C 350°F/hr to 2100F 0 6:59 3 60°C/hr to 1204C 108°F/hr to 2200F 10min 8:04 Slow down to even out kiln chamber 4 555°C/hr to 1148C 999°F/hr to 2100F 30min 8:40 Heal blisters, pinholes here 5 555°C/hr to 960C 999°F/hr to 1760F 50min 9:51 Grow iron crystals here The Genesis controllers have been known to have a problem with the Wi-Fi module. You'll need to send it in to have the module replaced. The new modules appear to work fine. You'll need to contact them to get a repair authorization number.
That module may or may not be the cause of your firing problems, but it's probably not. The only time I've seen the wifi module create problems is when it totally freaks out and gives a 'soft watchdog error' code.
As for not following the schedule exactly, I'm not surprised. Most kilns can't keep up with a 350F/hr rate of climb, especially up to 2100F, and especially when you're running a kiln with zone control. It can't go that fast and keep the sections even. Plus your 9999 cooling times are going to be different depending on the size of the kiln and the amount of mass inside it.
It's possible that you do have a thermocouple problem. Have you checked the logs to make sure they're running evenly? If one is consistently out of whack with the others you should see that. Also check the thermocouple wire connections, especially on the ceramic block where they connect to the thermocouples. The wires can break under the set screws and cause jumpy readings. The second, 14 hour firing leads me to believe you're either getting a jumpy thermocouple reading or you have a relay that's sticking periodically. Again, if you look at the logs you should be able to see if a section is lagging.
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I don't know if this was already mentioned, but I just saw a video of someone who made their own screens using a store bought screen, but instead of using emulsion she used her Cricut machine to cut peel-and-stick vinyl. She then adhered it to the screen and it functioned like emulsion would. She was screening on fabric, but I don't see whey it wouldn't work to screen onto tissue paper to make your own stencils. She could then peel the vinyl and re-use the screen for another design. I'm sure there are limitations to this method, but if you have a Cricut it seems like a good option. I'm going to give it a try if I can find the time.
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In my experience, these black bodies do well with glazes that are opaque and relatively fluid. Amaco potter's choice series, layered, tend to work pretty well.
For the apply-and-wipe method you want to do it on bisque ware, otherwise you'll mess up the texture when you wipe. Since you need to apply slips at the wet or leather hard stage, it's not a good choice. Commercial underglazes are a good way to accent texture with the apply-and-wipe method, and generally easier to use than making your own colored slips.
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Welcome to the forum!
Moving this to the Equipment section.
Rust is normal. The degree to which the metal parts of the kiln will rust and corrode depends on the environment it lives in, but using a downdraft vent will greatly reduce the degree of corrosion. My kilns live in a non-air-conditioned studio in the midwest, so they are exposed to a fair amount of humidity, but they don't corrode too badly since I've always used a downdraft vent. Being in Louisiana, it's going to be worse if the kiln room isn't air conditioned. Surface rust won't hurt the performance of the kiln, though. The only thing to watch for is corrosion on the wiring connections, as that can cause problems if it gets bad.
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Thanks, everyone!
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I 630 has changed, too, but I don't know the specifics yet. I just got a batch this week and will be testing it soon.
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3 hours ago, Kelly in AK said:
I’m borax curious too, about a couple things. One is anhydrous borax, it’s borax fired to glass then reground. The other is using borax in a soda/salt firing. US Borax has a fact sheet on it but I’ve never seen anyone do it.
Interesting. It makes sense. It would be interesting to try. Maybe I can convince some folks I know to try it.
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@Jeff Longtin Thanks for the heads up! Are there any issues with the finished molds that come with these differences in thickness and setting times?
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I don't now anything about heating metal, but with clay you need to be able to increase the temperature slowly or you'll crack or blow up the pieces depending on what type of firing you're doing. Looking at that picture, it seems like the torch will be blasting directly onto the pot, which would not be good.
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If the elements look okay then they should be fine. If they appear to have rusted/corroded/oxidized then you should probably replace them. I've got a kiln in my showroom right now that is 40 years old and never been fired, and the elements are still shiny! The bricks will only degrade if they've gotten wet for a long time, and even then they'll probably be fine once they dry out. Inspect all the electrical connections in the control box and replace any corroded connectors, cutting back the wires to fresh metal.
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Patching cracks in plaster is difficult if not impossible. I vote for covering it with a piece of Hardiebacker.
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If you're buying a 10 pound bag, the seller is re-bagging it from a 50 pound bag. Hard to know how that bigger bag was stored, or if it was left open for a long time, or if it was really old. I recommend buying your plaster from wherever you buy your clay. I think they're more likely to take good care of it.
Power mixing will definitely help.
Failing Thermocouples
in Equipment Use and Repair
Posted
Ah, you mean the thermocouple itself, not the wires that connect it to the controller. Yes, if that hole is too small then the TC could touch the metal.