Mark C.
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Posts posted by Mark C.
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Yes you can use heavier ones on top of the light one . Buy the three now and more later. Many folks add more over time.
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I think this kiln has a Manual from manufacture . Hopefully you have digital pyrometer. I sent you a PM
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Many kilns draw 48 amps and you need a 60 amp braeker on those. I think cars need way less than 50 amps but 50 is the norm. You need to know what your kiln amps are and what wire size the car charger has as well as the breaker size. I have not looked up the plug question answer just talking about what you jhave and what your kiln will need. More info is needed 1st.
welcome to the forum
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I cannot speak about the hobbist world as it not my area of experince. But in the cone 10-11 world of firing like gas kilns they pay off quickly . My car kiln holds average of 33 shelves per fire (12x24)the Geil is now averaging about 19 shelves per fire (14x28)
I have been thru silicone carbide in the 70s 3/4 shelve was the norm-I have a huge pile of warped ones (anyone want them?) then switched to some 1 inch mullites all warped fast then went whole hog into 50 one inch dry pressed english high alumina. They held up really well ,but weigh 33# a pice and and loading was a bear at 35 car kiln loads a year,I bought a set of 40 -5/8th mullites shelves for bisque loads to save spave and my back.
The thing that is not in this equation and as a potter for over 50 years is your body-hands and back .especially the money side (ecomonomics pale in this equation).I switched out to all advancers and thermolites and never looked back -yes I did gain almost 2 feet in each load but my back-my god my back really deserved it. So in my view as a potter at 70 its a lesson for you younger ones -take care of your feet (good shoes) your back (lighter stuff) your hands/wrists.
Now I do use those high alumina in my salt kiln as they are the best I have seen in that environment by far. CoreLites in my view are honey combed mullits shelves and yes they work well at lower temps but they are heavier than advancers /theromlites
My school of hard knocks lessons are work smarter when you are younger as it pays off body wise in your later life. Lighter shelves if you can swing them are worth it. A few firings a year -not worth it.I bought mine in the 90s and wish I had done it sooner. I did just buy 7k worth of the thermolites for my new to me Geil (the shelves cost more than the kiln.).
In a world like Dick is in its makes the most sense . If you break one (no big deal) I have broken many in my 30 years with them and always fine a use for the pieces-they make wonderfill thin nerd to add to post to gain just a bit (wash all sides)
No one who I know has bought them and wished anything other than my god why did I not do this sooner -but that in the professional world not Hobbist.
I have bought many of them lightly used and that price is always higher than any other type of shelve as they never wear out or warp
If and when I sell mine in my future I know they will have great value as they in a class by themselves.
Pottery is hard on the body and lighter shelves pay off in spades in my view. I like Fred Flinstone just as much as anyone else but really in cermaics I'm more of a Jetson guy
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You should talk to Orton about shorting out that connection
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I am a all porcelain shopcone 10 firing gas.
I would make my own wash and remove with a wet sponge before firing any commercial wash as it usually poor quality.
Speaking of quailty wash I noticed on the Advander shelves (kiln shelve.com ) site they use the same formula as I posted years ago
1/2 alumina hydrate
1/4 epk
1/4 calcined EPK or (glowmax)
I apply a VERY thin coat with a paint roller after shelves get warm in sun and when dry scrap the edges of wash
- HenryBurlingame and Hulk
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I have a seperate trimming station its a small Brent Model A wheel with a few Griffen Grips. One is set up for regular sliders the other is set up for arms. Back when I was really producing tons of wares I could just snap one off and use the right one without time switching parts. Now I'm doing less and its not critical . I also have the griffen huge platter trimmer hanging on the wall but I have not used it in a few years so it may have to go up for sale. Not making mondo huge platters anymore. These are all time savers if you are in the business of pottery production
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Morgan
Post placement still needs to be about the same. Its not about warping but the thermo load.When loading the bottom the stilts need to be lined up as the thermo load is great with all that weight at bottom, as you get to the top of the kiln it is not as critical. Its always best to line them up when you can. Even advancers cannot take huge offsets due to weight at high temps. They can break from that stress of uneven thermo loading.You have been lucky so far would be my guess.I have had corners crack odd from uneven sharp posts even thougfh they are lined up underneath. Of course my cone 11 load is often 5+ feet tall so the weight is great .
In terms of more wares from this shelves you now know they pay for themselves pretty fast with extra space. And your back is better from less weight loading. Its amazing really as they are all upside other than the cost which is recouped the more you fire.
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I was a horder of materials in my mid career so I have all the tin I need back when I used a lot and it was cheap and buying 1 ton of Gerstley was dumb luck long ago and thats what is in my white liner which we use a lot of these days . Now days I never worry about price of materials if I need it I order it.
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2 hours ago, oldlady said:
bailey named his shelves thermal lite. i am looking into them right now.
They are great shelves same as advancers in every way only cheaper
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Photo did not show up-ok you added it now.
looks like a pottery kiln.I'm still guessing cone 06 low fire
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This looks more like a salt pot to me than soda. if its soda its a lot of soda
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I like a full shelve on bottom in an electric supported at all stilt point off floor . With advancers you have two options one is kilnshelve.com the other is Bailey ceramics which are the same as advancers but usually alot cheaper. I have over 50 advancers in my gas kilns (selling 24 extra of these now on potters web) these are all 12x 24. I started testing Bailey Germany made advancers (not called that) years ago ands they are the exact same shelve only the corners are more rounded. I bought last fall 20 14x 28 from Bailey (about 7k) and have fired them in 13 glaze fires to cone 11 and as the others are super flat -thin and pay for themselves in space right away. Consider them the same as any advancer. The deal with any of these shelves is the shipping pack up charges as that can add 30% to cost. Bailey came out way cheaper on that as well.
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Photos of the inside would help but my guess is this a glass annealing kiln by the looks of shape and handle on lid.That means its not for ceramics. This brand I think is pretty old-call Alpha Fired Arts in Sac and ask abouit when they went out of business as well as what type og kilns they made.
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I do not like the shimps I have demonstrated on.That being the wisper.Or the oldser lever conested to foof pedal cone drive. You could look for a used Brent.
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I only use Brent wheels -I have a model A (1/3hp) for trimming and Model B (1/3 hp) and a model C 1/2hp to thrpw and a CXC for throwing .They use IR and I like it. I cannot imangine not having it. I have demonstrated on a whisper shimpo and it was super quiet but I could stall it with medium size clay and a load on it. I would never as a pro have one. Its a great beginner or lite use demo wheel. I'm a brent fan and yes they make noise but its never been an issue as I like music and hear it fine and can talk just fine while throwing. I have zero red skutt experience.
- Pres, HenryBurlingame and Rae Reich
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HP rating are not all the same -that said 1/2hp is usually enough for all size pots one could ever what to make. The 1/3 hp is a bit weak for larger work
- HenryBurlingame, Rae Reich and Pres
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Laguna will be carring these potassium feldspars .Mahavir and Vardham from India and G-200 depending on availability
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Gillespie borate is still around at some places as well as Custar-just need to look harder and stock up. IMCO in Sacramento Ca has the gellespie for cheap cost
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If you are firing in the cone 10 range and these clay items are just sculpture then Laguna's WSO is the most forgiving clay I have ever found.I feel Bmix with grog is not your best sculpture clay no matter what temp range-get a more loose body
It's more like a cement feel than clay and very tough to crack. I made a 3 foot wall fish from it and it came out fine spanning 3 -12x24 kilns shelves on a waster slab
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Full Shelves or Half Shelves in Electric Kilns
in Equipment Use and Repair
Posted
I agree on the 1/2 shelves-much easier to use unless you have to have fulls for large platters