Mark C.
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Posts posted by Mark C.
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2 hours ago, Babs said:
Wondering if a pipe chimney would draw more air through, and damper needed for sure.
Yes small metal pipe may help with the draft draw-great idea Babs
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You need a damper-I suggets thin broken kiln shelve say 1/2 inch thick so that the weight is minimal -or just a soft brick which is light still
Also I would run as the larger pipe (I thought you said it was 3/4) all the way to kiln. It looks like you necked it down somewhere in last 10 feet with smaller flex? Its usually not a pressure issue with natural gas its a volume issue, so keep the pipe as big as you can to the kiln.
I have those same type of burners on an updraft . You cannot change your altitude so you need to have all the other functions perfect
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When it comes to kilns (and I assume this is an electric only thread) I do it all myself. I have a manual electric skutt (no computer) I added a fire rite control that turns it up as fast or slow as I need. I do not fire this much anymore as most pots are bisqued in my gas kilns. I have rebuilt a few of these type of kilns. pretty easy stuff. Same with shelves I do all the maintenance . I never fire over bisque temps in my 10 cubic skutt.I have upgraded to better connectors (not crimps) and leave all switches on high (the fire rite turns the kiln on and off) I did replace some of the jacket a few years ago and have more jackets in a box but have yet to finish the job..I think I fired this once last year.Its cone sitter kiln for turn off with a safety timer.I did repaint all the contol boxes a non skutt color when the red color flaked off with rust. I have upgraded to real stainless screws as well so they do not rust. Any time I work on it I make it better with better materials when I can. Thees manuel kilns are pretty bullet proof and go for a long time without trouble.I have had 3 skits over time (all used) and if I bought new one it would be an L&L.
I would hope L&L used better stainless screws and parts. My beef with electric kiln companies is they skimp on quaility on small parts to save a few bucks. The stands are to small and the controls get to hot from lack of space and insulation. The stainless can be of poor quaility as well and rust.Not sure if any manufacture has it all figurted out. I do like the hard element holders of top brands as well this feature alone is worth it in my view as the bricks break out every element change if there is not hard holder.
- Hulk, Pres and Kelly in AK
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You can always add some alumina to it.Just remember to keep it this on the fiber so it does not spall off from its own weight
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11 hours ago, Morgan said:
He claims to not contact him on Facebook but he was non responsive on email after payment (over a year ago) so I sent him just a couple of DMs on Facebook and oddly he replied. He sounds fine and is obviously working. Maybe something happened before but I do not want to speculate. What I can say is a few big social following potters dropped his name almost daily which certainly probably overwhelmed him with orders. Time will tell and I am going to be optimistic I get my replacement tools but when is anyone’s guess.
I googled this issue and you are not alone. Seems many are in your boat. I would try the phone and his direct email. That amount of time is Not ok to wait
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I thought he never did facebook (as his site says) but worked on e-mails only?His email is on his facebook site
or you can call him here if it still works
702.338.2085
he is in Las Vegas time zone wise
I HOPE IS ok but it sounds like he has dropped into a black hole. I always liked talking to him
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So I would say yes I have experience but in salt not soda which is less corrosive.
When you spary fiber and I have done it a lot you want to use a thin coating other wise the weight of it will make it tear off (spall later)
zirconium is a fine coating. I use a spray gun made for spraying thicker materials
I have used lots of ITC over the decades until it price went to the moon and now use my own private formula
here is a post of mine from a few years back.
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High temp wire is spendy so are the high temp crimps and clamps. You can get your own from other outlets but they need to be the real stuff. I like to keep some handy in stock. I also hate crimps and switched to Euclids connectors on my skutt-stainless and brass
https://euclids.com/collections/connectors-lead-outs/products/element-connector-large-2-screw
Since you are in a hurry order these for next time-same with the wire -most of that china wire is junk (the insulation). With kilns get the good stuff.
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Good question I post my yearly firings for many years here and did so a few weeks ago
here
- Kelly in AK and Hulk
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8 hours ago, Morgan said:
Also mark I’m living in HI and paying over 40 cents/kwh, it’s crazy.
Yes in the islands you burn imported oil for all power plants to make power-hence the $$$ for power-solar is your only way to change that.
Our rate via a cooperative cities/county agreement with PGE (our supplier) on last bill was .42cents a KW . We have a large solar system with 22.5 k battery backup so we only use off Peak hour power which is cheaper power.
As I said its one of the highest rates in USA excpet for Maine. even higher than yours.
You may wonder how power on a island in the middle of the pacific has chaeper power than on the mainland west coast and for good reason-its NUTS. The majority of folks on this site have really cheap power (midwest is almost free)-east coasters are way less as well.
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My 1st wheel I ever bought wasa model C blue motor from Robert Brent Himself in 1970 . That motor is a 1/2 hp. The orginal models had a steel shallow standard electrical box that was way to small-If I recall is was what is called a duplex or square box. Anyway the blue motors cannot be serviced by you but can be by a motor shop. Motor shops are placed that work on Industrial electric motors near mill towns or lumber towns or anyplace that has lots of industrial motors. They can replace the bearings and brushes on that motor as well as give you info on that motor from inside plate info thats not available to you. You do not want to take this motor apart as I have and its a motor shop job to get it back together-trust me on this knowledge.I have sent a few to local motor shop and they fixed them all for reasoable fees. If you ever want a new one Brent sells a comparable 1/2 hp motor and its very spendy $$..
That wheel came with a galvanized steel splash pan and mine risted apart by the mid 80s. Now the wheels come with what I call new plasic Brent splash pans, and they are held in place with flanged bearing on top of the deck which yours does not have. That splace pand will still work but will float around as the flange is not there. When you buy a new wheel head it has this flange. Also of note that motor shaft you have and your smaller pulley is a diameter that Brent no longer uses (yours is 5/8 if I recall) so if you ever upgrade to a new motor you will need the new 3/4 top smaller pulley as well. That orginal wheel uses two single belts as well-they will last your lifetime. but if you get a new wheelhead you will have to go to the newer 4-6 slot single belt as well
As far as a fuze the 20 amp is for the 120V going in using a slow blow fuze. 20 amp is for #12 wire which was in most home back then for outlets. Today many wheels use less amps but that 20amp is what that motor called out for and is fine to keep using it. Now in terms of the fuze holder and steel box I replaced mine with a new brent plastic box and cover decades ago . No sure if they sell that today but you can use a plasic electrical box and a steel or plastic cover that you modify. The fuse holder can be bought at a electronic supply online or locally or Amazon.
You need to be handy to assemble all the components into the new box and mounting it to the deck rail . I would place the fuze holder on the back to keep it dry as thats where all the new ones are underneath not on the front plate but the back of the box
If you have your motor serviced get new brushes and bearings as they are not a greasable type.
Hope some of this clears up the mystery for you
let us know how this turns out please as feed back is always good
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1 hour ago, Denice said:
Marc commented on using liner glaze, I have had this happen to me in the past. I like the looks of liner glaze it gives the piece a higher quality look and the liner gives it a visual break that separates your inner space from the outward spacial design. Denice
Absolutely a different liner looks better in most instances. Its been so long since I even considered that as my stuff always has a different liner glaze
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I tend to want to finish work than dry slowly. I use plastic sheets from laundry bags (for delicate work) to thicker plastic from my banana boxes which has some holes in it.
So say handles throw dry on plaster and handle same day cover that night and then dry fast
If its slab built fish than its cover with plastic sheets and keep in cooler place either down a few levels in shop or is shade outside in summer-depending on the season .
I have not had a wet box since collage-(thats 48 years ago) I'm way more into drying faster than slowing the work down.Its a production potter thing .Now some work like teapost need to slow and again it wrap in plastic and keep on lower level in shop. I may be done making teapots come to think about it.
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Its just one of many things to rule out.
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I use a shop blender for all zinc =think zinc margarita and blend away then add that measure beaten zinc to bucket and sieve normally.
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The easy fix is use a liner glaze on inside and ash glaze on outside-issue is done.
If that sound to hard (an inner and outer glaze job) try- below
Since you are using a iron clay a hotter bisque any help by making sure all organics are burnt out
yes it looks like the glaze is peeled back clean to me as well. burnouts or ash peeling it back is my guess. Even in oxidation as Kelly said the inners are a slight more reduction or lets say not as oxidized. One nice liner glaze inside will fix this in a heartbeat
- Kelly in AK, Hulk, Pres and 1 other
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That kiln has had a short hard life
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6 minutes ago, Burnt Earth said:
Thanks. Do you guys just leave a gap in the chimney that you slide them in?
I meant mullite and the slot is usually 1 inch with a 3/4 inch thick kiln shelve. My Girl kiln is less and used a 5/8 shelve in a 7/8 slot.
Not sure on your steel stack how you are are going to do this. The damper rides on 3 sides the two sides and back to close . In the front slot it sticks out enough to run cool Never used one that was less than 18 inches long . You need expansion space and if the shelve warps that also need space so not to tight
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Mullet kiln shelf in my 4 gas kilns for a damper
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You could empty the mixer and let the bottom dry out and get it out that way and rehydrate it again in small pieces.
welcome to tne forum
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wow Neil said it best ( it'll likely be glowing orange outside the kiln) I will add in no time fast. You need a damper in the chimney they work best about waist height. As he said natural draft burners need the stack (chimney) to be tall and even with your 4 feet more of steel its still way short. I have a stainless steel stack after 8 feet of brick on two kilns. look for that stuff at a salvage yards near beer or pulp mills or any large plant that uses stainless piping. 3/8 is good but still not good enough-Yes you can get some life from it but you still need a damper and way more height. You can get a fast fire in maybe 8 hours -remember the furniture need to take the heat and cooling as well. I'm not talking lawn chairs I mean the kiln shelves and posts
now to answer the other questions-I would put a digital thermcouple in the door so its swings out of the way and is not in the burner direct path.
If you want to be fancy (i use oxy probes) a oxygen sensor will last longer in the chimney except in your case it may not as the flue flow is so tightly contained. The new to be geil I palces my probe in the flue as it will last many hundreds of fires before burning out. My other two gas kilns have the sensors in the middle of the load in the doors. They get all of cone 11 so they do burn out in a few hundred fires. I fire a lot every year over the past 50 years and have a few platinum elements replaced
If you are a beginner really just a good eye is all you need for reductiuon firing-a potter who knows thier stuff would be an asset on the 1st firing or two.
Most newbies put to much gas in thinking more is better-this is where the cheap digital pyrometer come in as it show the exact temps going up or stalling. You need one that goes at a bit more than the cone you are firing to..
You need to keep that kiln dry-no rain or snow on it-ever as soft brick and fiber are like sponges and once you dry them out (slow start the 1st fire to dry it out) you want it to stay dry.
What is the flue dimension 8x8?
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In the 70s silica and talc where what they where-no body knew that silica was 200 mesh or 325-the bags did no say much on them. When I asked most supoppliers only stocked 200 mesh (cheaper) All my silica was 200 mesh.. In the 80s I traded it all to a glass blower for his 325 mesh silica. Later in years the 325 became a thing in many other materials . When you bought talc in 1975 you asked for talc and you got a bag. (Neph syn was always in 200 or 325 mesh and was the odd one in this choice)There where zero choices. Life was simpler then no shortages, basic commodities, Like coffee now you can have it with 1/2 low fat 1/2 or 2% or all fat or almond milk or austrialian nut juice-well you get the point wayyyy to many choices
In those days the talc was desert talc from Death valley (long ago closed up) or c talc. That has all changes now as well. Texas talc was a major shift for decades-talc which is grey in color. I now use 3-4 talcs . I only use the 325 in most materils if there is a choice for better melts and yes in the 70s cone 6 was not a thing but 06 was a thing. Back then we had what we called old lady slip shops that sold cone 06 stuff and did mold work (this area had 3 of them) and I got a wholesale accout at one for some materials and tools(all long gone for 35-40 years now) I knew of NO cone 6 users in the 70s and 80s-none only in the 90s did I become aware of that temp range. Now I should add I'm in a very high electric rate area maybe the highest in the counrty (Maine I think is higher).
Its made ordering materials overcomplicated as well on my side as well.
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The answer is #3
#5. The kiln will stink more than usual as well
# 6 try it and learn .
School of hard knocks has the best lessons
Connecting gas kiln to house natural gas supply
in Equipment Use and Repair
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I ha ve burners like yours and you cannot adjust them much.
I have seen to much gas usually can be a problem and not using the damper to gain temp can also be a factor. More gas is usally not goin g to help but it can hinder and slow down the temp.
Finding the right mix .as Neil says maybe a small amout of stack (chimney) can also help.