neilestrick

That's a good sign. Might want to replace the wiring harness. They can cause the relays to fail, and it's a cheap repair.

Ah, they're using the clear relays they used on the older kilns. You can get those HERE. Not as cheap as the black relays, but cheaper than from Skutt. I'd buy two in case something goes wrong again. If you blow another one, check all the wiring connections and make sure nothing has come loose. All the slip-on connectors should be snug, so if necessary crimp them down a little with some needle nose pliers before slipping them on. Make sure no connectors have come loose from their wires. How long did the kiln go before this problem started happening- how many firings did she get from the first relay? Is the control box on that kiln that same size as on the non-SSR model? If so, that's a tiny little control box without much ventilation. The SSR has a heat sink, correct? But the mechanical relay is not getting much cooling because the box is short and doesn't create much chimney action. So you may want to consider adding a small fan to the system if the relay is dying prematurely. You can get a small computer case fan and mount it to the bottom of the control box on the outside, and wire it through the safety relay so it's on whenever the relay is on. If there are louvers on the bottom of the box it can just blow through those, or cut a hole for it if necessary.

With the firing off, you shouldn't be getting any voltage from the output of the SSR, so I think you must be getting something coming through the mechanical relay. The relay can still click even if it's having problems, so that's not unusual. I agree that the problem is probably the mechanical relay. What model is the relay- the typical one they use in all their kilns? It could be you got a bad one, or it could be that there was a bad connection the caused it to overheat. FYI, don't have to buy those relays from Skutt or any kiln manufacturer/dealer. You can find them for half the price or less online. Just search the part number, or I use THESE. They hold up better than some of the others I've used.

If the glaze dries relatively quickly and covers well. If the bisque is fired too hot and the clay loses its porosity, then it can't absorb the water in the glaze and you can't get a good application.

Some underglazes don't take dipping glazes very well unless you bisque fire them before glazing. Speedball underglazes are like that. If it looked like your glaze covered well when you applied it, then things will be fine unless you fired too fast for your clay and glazes liking. The problem is that if you go too fast, the glaze starts to melt before there has been sufficient time for the organics to burn out of the clay, and those gasses can get trapped in the clay and cause bubbling.

I've thought about using the belt sander. Good to know it works. I might wait until I've got one that's getting near the end of its life, though, as I can't imagine it will live much longer after sanding kiln wash.

In grad school we used zircon flour and EPK to make wadding for the salt kiln. Worked great. Our tech made a wash for the walls of a little test salt kiln he made, zircon flour, kaolin, colloidal silica, and other stuff. If I remember correctly it worked very well and didn't flake. I use the Alumina/EPK mix on my shelves, and some have quite a thick layer on them, like 1/16" or more. I keep telling myself I'm going to grind them down and start fresh, but I haven't found a good reason to do all that work since they function just fine as is.

From what I've read, the water from a dehumidifier is not potable, however it can be used for cleaning and what not. It likely contains mold, mildew, bacteria, etc from the bucket the water collects in, and it could also have trace amounts of metals from the coils in the machine, but that should be minor. Use it in reclaim? Probably, since clay is already full of all the stuff that might already be growing in it.

The good news is that if you make or buy a good quality kiln wash, it will last for quite a long time.

The Hansen recipe would suspend better if half the EPK, or even 5%, was not calcined. At that small amount it shouldn't change the shrinkage enough to cause cracking/flaking.

With worn elements that were still heating it would get past 1600F. Stalling that early means there are elements not getting power, or not getting full power. Have you confirmed that all elements glow on high? If they all glow then it's possibly a switch that sticking randomly. Euclids probably has elements at a much better price.

The wiring diagram on the Bartlett website is the standard wiring setup used on pretty much every modern digital studio-size kiln used in the USA. The only real difference you'll find in most models the number of thermocouples and number of relays/outputs used.

Chances are it's a standard belt, not specific to the wheel. Figure out the length and width needed and do an internet search.

I epoxy in my frogs. I leave the spot where they will be glued unglazed and roughed up so the epoxy holds well, and I use a marine grade epoxy.

I use low fire clay so that it's porous, but any bisque-fired clay would work. I make them somewhat thick, like 1/2" so they can soak up a lot of water, and put little rubber or cork bumpers on the bottom to protect the table from scratches. A full cork pad would also work. I've never had one soak through. The problem with non-porous coasters is that in a humid environment like the midwest where I live, the cup will sweat and leave a big puddle on the coaster, which will then either drip all over when you pick up the cup, or cause the coaster to stick the cup and then fall off at some point when you lift the cup.

Thank you!

Maybe. I guess it depends on if trimming tools count as equipment?

We don't make any tweaks to glazes when using synthetic, so I don't see why it wouldn't work unless there's a difference in the solubility that affects the plasticity or something like that.

@ATauer Some good info HERE.

Talc is not going to react the same in low fire bodies as it does in high fire bodies. Those are two separate conversations. Talc is used in low fire bodies to improve glaze fit/ reduce crazing.

Thank you @Min!

Sorry, I don't have any recipes. I don't do Raku, I've just known people over the years who do, and some of their glazes held up and others didn't. Sealing the work after firing may have an effect, too. Someone will probably chime in here about that.

If your L&L has the regular elements, not the Quad elements, don't worry too much about the spacing in regards to where the shelves line up with the elements. It's good practice to not line up a shelf directly with an element, but it's not going to be a problem to have a short shelf between elements. I do it all the time in my e18T-3 and I've never had a problem. As long as you're not firing super fast at the end of the firing, things will even out.

Go ahead and load and fire. No need to pre-fire the kiln wash.

Depends on the glaze. I've seen some that last years and years, others that fade quickly. Same goes for the glossy copper glazes.