neilestrick

The cobalt blues ramp schedule!!
Could lead to some interesting results.
Bookwork here thus the random.

It's always time to get the banjo out. 

Following. Great thread! 
But I keep lamenting my inability to buy an L&L here in Europe.
They now have a distributor in UK, but UK is not in EU anymore! >hits forehead with open palm<
Well, like I said, really good discussion!

It's not that fast at the final ramp. I explained that poorly, and have corrected it. It can keep up with 350F/hr to about 2050F, but then it starts to lag a little bit. It can keep up 300F/hr up to 2100F, though. That I've tested. When I fire I ramp at 300F/hr to 2030F, then I ramp at 108F/hr to 2230F. At the peak of my last firing, which was a pretty full load, it was running 93% top, 47% middle, 90% bottom. So there's definitely room for more speed but not 350F/hr. I bet it could run 150-200F/hr at the peak.
BTW, it's an L&L eQ2827-3, 14950 watts, 41.5 amps on 208V 3P service, solid state relays.
One of the cool things about the SSR's is if you get really close to the kiln you can hear the elements buzz in a pulsing rhythm as the relays cycle twice per second. It's like a faint drum beat.

350f per hour is killer speed for last segment firing rate. Not that you would ever do it, but I find most kilns are lucky to maintain 120 per hour at the very end. Nice kiln!

The factory thermocouple offset of 18F was used with the closed-end protection tubes because the tubes insulate the TC a bit. With the open-ended tubes they started using this year, they do not need an offset because of the tubes since they're open. An offset may be needed for typical calibration reasons, though.

Actually @Bill Kielb, after posting the fast, and thinking of the newness, I changed to the medium setting as the preheat was not over. I still used the ^5 target, as I believe the kiln is overfiring by about one cone. or close to 20F.
 
best,
Pres

I have my TC's about 3/8" from the end of the tubes, and I haven't seen any flaking into the kiln yet after about 20 firings. Definitely some flakes visible inside the tubes, though. So far so good.

I have my TC's about 3/8" from the end of the tubes, and I haven't seen any flaking into the kiln yet after about 20 firings. Definitely some flakes visible inside the tubes, though. So far so good.

The KMT upgrade kits do not require any drilling. It comes with a mounting plate that is the same size as the older KM controller. Here is a video on how to do it. 
 
 

Why? They work great. I've never had accuracy problems with them. I have several customers who have added them to their Skutt kilns to keep the TCs from shedding all over.

They're fun to make, but my arms are killing me! 95% of what I make is under 5 pounds so this is rare. When I do these I center the 12 pound pieces in two parts- center half, add the other half, center all that. It's easier that way, and almost as fast. Saves my wrists a lot of strain. I could just muscle it all when I was younger, but now I try to work smarter when I can.

Nah, I just don't clean my splash pan very often. That mess is from a lot of pots.
I work with cylinders rather than sausages/coils. For these I throw a 7# base slab with a 1" tall wall, then stack two 12.5# cylinders (all while wet) and pull and shape. After it stiffens up a little bit, I add another 12.5# cylinder to finish it off. So 45 pounds total.


 

They're fun to make, but my arms are killing me! 95% of what I make is under 5 pounds so this is rare. When I do these I center the 12 pound pieces in two parts- center half, add the other half, center all that. It's easier that way, and almost as fast. Saves my wrists a lot of strain. I could just muscle it all when I was younger, but now I try to work smarter when I can.

Controllers die. When a controller starts having problems it's best to just replace it, especially when it's that old. Often one programming system will die, either the Ramp/Hold or the Cone Fire. Or buttons stop working, etc. One thing to check before you give up on it- is it in a very humid environment? Humidity can cause the circuit board to malfunction. If so, try drying the back of the board with a hair dryer and see if it starts working. Don't overheat it, be gentle. I

Exactly! It's about due for a cleaning...

Nah, I just don't clean my splash pan very often. That mess is from a lot of pots.
I work with cylinders rather than sausages/coils. For these I throw a 7# base slab with a 1" tall wall, then stack two 12.5# cylinders (all while wet) and pull and shape. After it stiffens up a little bit, I add another 12.5# cylinder to finish it off. So 45 pounds total.


 

Making a couple of big planters for our deck.

 

Nah, I just don't clean my splash pan very often. That mess is from a lot of pots.
I work with cylinders rather than sausages/coils. For these I throw a 7# base slab with a 1" tall wall, then stack two 12.5# cylinders (all while wet) and pull and shape. After it stiffens up a little bit, I add another 12.5# cylinder to finish it off. So 45 pounds total.


 

Making a couple of big planters for our deck.

 

Nah, I just don't clean my splash pan very often. That mess is from a lot of pots.
I work with cylinders rather than sausages/coils. For these I throw a 7# base slab with a 1" tall wall, then stack two 12.5# cylinders (all while wet) and pull and shape. After it stiffens up a little bit, I add another 12.5# cylinder to finish it off. So 45 pounds total.


 

Controllers die. When a controller starts having problems it's best to just replace it, especially when it's that old. Often one programming system will die, either the Ramp/Hold or the Cone Fire. Or buttons stop working, etc. One thing to check before you give up on it- is it in a very humid environment? Humidity can cause the circuit board to malfunction. If so, try drying the back of the board with a hair dryer and see if it starts working. Don't overheat it, be gentle. I

They're fun to make, but my arms are killing me! 95% of what I make is under 5 pounds so this is rare. When I do these I center the 12 pound pieces in two parts- center half, add the other half, center all that. It's easier that way, and almost as fast. Saves my wrists a lot of strain. I could just muscle it all when I was younger, but now I try to work smarter when I can.

They're fun to make, but my arms are killing me! 95% of what I make is under 5 pounds so this is rare. When I do these I center the 12 pound pieces in two parts- center half, add the other half, center all that. It's easier that way, and almost as fast. Saves my wrists a lot of strain. I could just muscle it all when I was younger, but now I try to work smarter when I can.

Nah, I just don't clean my splash pan very often. That mess is from a lot of pots.
I work with cylinders rather than sausages/coils. For these I throw a 7# base slab with a 1" tall wall, then stack two 12.5# cylinders (all while wet) and pull and shape. After it stiffens up a little bit, I add another 12.5# cylinder to finish it off. So 45 pounds total.