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neilestrick

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  1. Like
    neilestrick reacted to PotteryEnabler in Paragon A-88B wiring challenges   
    Well, I put it all back together carefully this afternoon. After attempting some of PeterH's solid multimeter testing advice but becoming more confused the more things beeped at me, I gave up and just fired it up.
    It VERKS! It fired up and the correct elements turned on and got orange.  I actually have no idea what the magic sauce was in rewiring or grinding down that switch hub. We'll see if it lasts through a glaze firing tomorrow. I will admit the brand new element gets a little hotter faster, but they all got there. Resistance is close to the same on all of them, so I don't think I'll replace them all. 
    Thank you all for your help and I'll wager that this is not my last time with a pottery related problem. My wife and son have taken up pottery as a hobby, and I have apparently taken up electrical engineering, induction motor repair, refractory masonry and material science along with various other brain growth activities to keep them at it.
    As payment for your assistance, I colorized the wiring diagram for us all. 

  2. Like
    neilestrick reacted to oldlady in Custar shortage and Kemper tool update   
    could it be impending bankruptcy?
  3. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in Underglaze   
    I describe underglazes as being somewhere between a slip and a glaze. They melt/fuse more than a slip, but don't don't totally melt into glass like a glaze. Also, commercial underglazes can be applied at any stage of the process- wet, leather hard, bone dry, or bisque. When to apply them depends on how you're using them and the brand you're using.
  4. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Hulk in Underglaze   
    I describe underglazes as being somewhere between a slip and a glaze. They melt/fuse more than a slip, but don't don't totally melt into glass like a glaze. Also, commercial underglazes can be applied at any stage of the process- wet, leather hard, bone dry, or bisque. When to apply them depends on how you're using them and the brand you're using.
  5. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in Bigger Crack After Using Amaco Bisque Fix   
    That type of crack is likely to continue to get worse, especially in the glaze firing. Sometimes it's best to just move on and make another one.
  6. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Callie Beller Diesel in HELP! Green oribe glaze was underfired and came out black - Can I refire to correct temp??   
    Knowing this, firing hotter should allow the glaze to take the copper into the melt and go green.  I don't know how the cooling will affect it, but I expect if it went glossy green it should stay that way with a fast cooling. The question will be whether or not it will respond the same in a refire as it does in a first firing. Nothing to do but test it!
  7. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from PeterH in HELP! Green oribe glaze was underfired and came out black - Can I refire to correct temp??   
    Lots of possibilities here, but it all comes down to you can't expect a glaze to do the same thing in a totally different kiln. First, wood kilns don't just fire in oxidation. They cycle between oxidation and reduction every time the kiln is stoked. Second, you've got a different atmosphere in the wood kiln due to ash and vapor from the wood. Third, the temperature was different, but maybe not depending on where it was placed in the kiln. Fourth, the cooling cycle was different. Different clay body? At this point I would hold off on refiring your pitchers and instead run a couple of test firings with other pieces at a higher temp and with a slower cooling cycle and see if you get the desired results. Once you've figured out what's needed, then refire the pitchers and hope they do okay with refiring. In meantime I would also start making a new batch of pitchers and offer your client a different color that you know will come out as intended. FYI, many of us, including me, have been in a similar situation at some point.
  8. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from PeterH in HELP! Green oribe glaze was underfired and came out black - Can I refire to correct temp??   
    Knowing this, firing hotter should allow the glaze to take the copper into the melt and go green.  I don't know how the cooling will affect it, but I expect if it went glossy green it should stay that way with a fast cooling. The question will be whether or not it will respond the same in a refire as it does in a first firing. Nothing to do but test it!
  9. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in HELP! Green oribe glaze was underfired and came out black - Can I refire to correct temp??   
    Lots of possibilities here, but it all comes down to you can't expect a glaze to do the same thing in a totally different kiln. First, wood kilns don't just fire in oxidation. They cycle between oxidation and reduction every time the kiln is stoked. Second, you've got a different atmosphere in the wood kiln due to ash and vapor from the wood. Third, the temperature was different, but maybe not depending on where it was placed in the kiln. Fourth, the cooling cycle was different. Different clay body? At this point I would hold off on refiring your pitchers and instead run a couple of test firings with other pieces at a higher temp and with a slower cooling cycle and see if you get the desired results. Once you've figured out what's needed, then refire the pitchers and hope they do okay with refiring. In meantime I would also start making a new batch of pitchers and offer your client a different color that you know will come out as intended. FYI, many of us, including me, have been in a similar situation at some point.
  10. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in HELP! Green oribe glaze was underfired and came out black - Can I refire to correct temp??   
    Knowing this, firing hotter should allow the glaze to take the copper into the melt and go green.  I don't know how the cooling will affect it, but I expect if it went glossy green it should stay that way with a fast cooling. The question will be whether or not it will respond the same in a refire as it does in a first firing. Nothing to do but test it!
  11. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in Liner glaze options and Hulk's Bowl   
    A glossy white glaze is just a clear that's been opacified, so a regular clear is just fine as a liner. Plus a clear is less likely to show cutlery marks than a white. A liner simply needs to be durable and safe, which doesn't necessarily mean it can't have colorants in it.
  12. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Elke in HELP! Green oribe glaze was underfired and came out black - Can I refire to correct temp??   
    Lots of possibilities here, but it all comes down to you can't expect a glaze to do the same thing in a totally different kiln. First, wood kilns don't just fire in oxidation. They cycle between oxidation and reduction every time the kiln is stoked. Second, you've got a different atmosphere in the wood kiln due to ash and vapor from the wood. Third, the temperature was different, but maybe not depending on where it was placed in the kiln. Fourth, the cooling cycle was different. Different clay body? At this point I would hold off on refiring your pitchers and instead run a couple of test firings with other pieces at a higher temp and with a slower cooling cycle and see if you get the desired results. Once you've figured out what's needed, then refire the pitchers and hope they do okay with refiring. In meantime I would also start making a new batch of pitchers and offer your client a different color that you know will come out as intended. FYI, many of us, including me, have been in a similar situation at some point.
  13. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Min in HELP! Green oribe glaze was underfired and came out black - Can I refire to correct temp??   
    Lots of possibilities here, but it all comes down to you can't expect a glaze to do the same thing in a totally different kiln. First, wood kilns don't just fire in oxidation. They cycle between oxidation and reduction every time the kiln is stoked. Second, you've got a different atmosphere in the wood kiln due to ash and vapor from the wood. Third, the temperature was different, but maybe not depending on where it was placed in the kiln. Fourth, the cooling cycle was different. Different clay body? At this point I would hold off on refiring your pitchers and instead run a couple of test firings with other pieces at a higher temp and with a slower cooling cycle and see if you get the desired results. Once you've figured out what's needed, then refire the pitchers and hope they do okay with refiring. In meantime I would also start making a new batch of pitchers and offer your client a different color that you know will come out as intended. FYI, many of us, including me, have been in a similar situation at some point.
  14. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Piedmont Pottery in New L & L kiln -- first glaze load very overfired   
    It looks like your cone 6 firing got to about cone 7. Your 05 bisque firing was just slightly over fired, probably not enough to worry about. It's not uncommon for them to fire a little hot at the cone 6 range for some reason. I have to program my kiln to 2190F for cone 6 instead of 2232F. You have several options to dial it in:
    1. Set a thermocouple offset. I wouldn't do this, though, because the bisque firing was pretty close to where it needs to be.
    2. Set a cone offset for cone 6.
    3. Do a custom program, setting the peak temp to whatever it needs to  be at to be accurate. I would start with it about 20-30 degrees below cone 6 (2232F). You can copy the firing schedule in your manual for most of the firing. Just be sure to set the last 200F degrees to a rate of 108F/hr.
  15. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Pres in New L & L kiln -- first glaze load very overfired   
    A bisque to cone 04 will be fine. You don't need to do the long 'first firing' program you did when you first got the kiln.
  16. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Pyewackette in Can I bisque fire twice?   
    @ByrdIf the cone bent, then it reached that cone. The potential problem is that it didn't spend enough time at high heat to adequately burn out all the organic matter, which could cause issues with your glazes. If you're using a white clay body, then it'll probably be fine. If you're using a brown body then it's more likely to be an issue.
    HERE is a thread with a lot of good information about firing Duncan kilns and how to slow them down. If you use the search bar you'll find several other Duncan threads that may be of use to you.
  17. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Pyewackette in Infinite switches breaker tripping   
    @Olivia Try disconnecting two switches at a time and see if it only trips with one of them. A meter won't find the short. You have to isolate it to figure out where it is. However having a meter is good for future repairs.
  18. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Babs in Can I bisque fire twice?   
    @ByrdIf the cone bent, then it reached that cone. The potential problem is that it didn't spend enough time at high heat to adequately burn out all the organic matter, which could cause issues with your glazes. If you're using a white clay body, then it'll probably be fine. If you're using a brown body then it's more likely to be an issue.
    HERE is a thread with a lot of good information about firing Duncan kilns and how to slow them down. If you use the search bar you'll find several other Duncan threads that may be of use to you.
  19. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in Can I bisque fire twice?   
    @ByrdIf the cone bent, then it reached that cone. The potential problem is that it didn't spend enough time at high heat to adequately burn out all the organic matter, which could cause issues with your glazes. If you're using a white clay body, then it'll probably be fine. If you're using a brown body then it's more likely to be an issue.
    HERE is a thread with a lot of good information about firing Duncan kilns and how to slow them down. If you use the search bar you'll find several other Duncan threads that may be of use to you.
  20. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in Setting up my studio: some questions regarding ventilation of electric kilns + installing a gas kiln inside   
    The kiln is going to heat up a space that small, especially if it's a larger size kiln. You may be able to get away with a downdraft vent if it's a smaller kiln, in which case you could run it out the chimney. Downdraft vents can be overloaded if you've got a lot of wax resist in the kiln, though, so it may not be ideal in a space that small where people are living. If it's a larger kiln, I would go with an overhead hood like the Vent-Sure system since it will also pull out heat. I don't know if they're available where you live, or if there's something similar in your area. You may be able to run out the chimney since it's a powered system, but I would double check with the manufacturer. The other option would be to pop out a pane of glass in the window and replace it with a board that you can run the vent through, or use that as a source of fresh air. Any vent requires fresh air coming in for it to work, so you'll need to do that or crack a door and possibly a window in the neighboring room in order for it to work well.
  21. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Hulk in Setting up my studio: some questions regarding ventilation of electric kilns + installing a gas kiln inside   
    The kiln is going to heat up a space that small, especially if it's a larger size kiln. You may be able to get away with a downdraft vent if it's a smaller kiln, in which case you could run it out the chimney. Downdraft vents can be overloaded if you've got a lot of wax resist in the kiln, though, so it may not be ideal in a space that small where people are living. If it's a larger kiln, I would go with an overhead hood like the Vent-Sure system since it will also pull out heat. I don't know if they're available where you live, or if there's something similar in your area. You may be able to run out the chimney since it's a powered system, but I would double check with the manufacturer. The other option would be to pop out a pane of glass in the window and replace it with a board that you can run the vent through, or use that as a source of fresh air. Any vent requires fresh air coming in for it to work, so you'll need to do that or crack a door and possibly a window in the neighboring room in order for it to work well.
  22. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Hulk in Can I bisque fire twice?   
    @ByrdIf the cone bent, then it reached that cone. The potential problem is that it didn't spend enough time at high heat to adequately burn out all the organic matter, which could cause issues with your glazes. If you're using a white clay body, then it'll probably be fine. If you're using a brown body then it's more likely to be an issue.
    HERE is a thread with a lot of good information about firing Duncan kilns and how to slow them down. If you use the search bar you'll find several other Duncan threads that may be of use to you.
  23. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Hulk in Liner glaze options and Hulk's Bowl   
    A glossy white glaze is just a clear that's been opacified, so a regular clear is just fine as a liner. Plus a clear is less likely to show cutlery marks than a white. A liner simply needs to be durable and safe, which doesn't necessarily mean it can't have colorants in it.
  24. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in Breaking-in new kiln elements   
    Yes to all 
  25. Like
    neilestrick got a reaction from Rae Reich in Breaking-in new kiln elements   
    Yes, an empty firing will build build up a layer of oxidation on the surface of the elements, which will help protect the metal from fumes in future firings. The hotter the better, but generally a bisque firing will do the job. It's also a good idea to put some cones in the kiln to make sure everything's working properly with the new elements.
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