Hulk
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Posts posted by Hulk
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Hi Morgan,
Welcome to the Forum!
I'm not seeing the attachment either.
This link might get you started; there's es/dk 820* wiring and parts diagrams, Appendix B, starting on page 15.6
Note the revision history, last updated April 1985
Duncan_Kiln_Service_Manual.pdf (aakilns.com.au)See also
Links To Kiln Manuals, Wiring Diagrams, Repair Parts, Elements, Etc. - Equipment Use and Repair - Ceramic Arts Daily Communit
...scroll down to the Duncan entry; on the Paragon site, select the "Duncan Kiln Instructions" filter
...where you may then get the .pdf that Dick White references, below -
Found a small, but heavy roll around stand in storage when we were packing to move, hmmm; its single vertical pole ends in a screw down collet for something 17 mm round.
My ancient articulated desk lamp thingy could fit in there? Just need a piece of tubing with outside diameter 17 mm and thin enough to fit the lamp.
Starting in plumbing, calipers in hand (the cheap plastic one, not the expensive one...), I measured everything round at local A** Hardware.
Down the aisle from the wooden dowels and small/tiny lumber bits, a rack of various metal bits, there's some lengths of 21/32" tubing, aha!
Some thirty-three years ago, this lamp was headed for giveaway pile, unless I wanted it for the garage; the base was missing.
I drilled a hole in the workbench, voilà! ...but it got much to hot, hence the aftermarket cooling holes.
These last several years it is running with an LED floodlamp, much nicer light, very efficient, and cool as well.
Recent eye exam reveals onset of dreaded cataracts, which explains, in part, why I put so much lights on...I can roll this just where it's needed, then roll it outta the way as well!
- Pyewackette and Babs
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This page has a decent table for density variation by temperature:
Water Density | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov)Other variables to consider might include dissolved material, thermal expansion/contraction of measuring device?
I'm thinking there's another major variable, but can't put my finger on it just now... -
There's discussion on operating the FireRight in this thread (frequent Forum contributor Mark C.)
https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/25431-help-with-aim-automatic-kiln-switch/and a link to another FireRight doc (which Bill posted)
http://www.fireright.com/docs/frx/Frx2SystemsBooklet.pdf -
Hi V,
Congratulations on big life event!
My guess, for jewelry, a strong, fine, and dense clay that fires to near zero porosity, hence, mid fire (or high)?
Even 04 is nearly 2000°F, which might be too hot to be in a microwave.
I don't know, never gone much beyond cooking in the microwave, where the moisture in food flashing to steam helps keep temperatures down.There are several clay components that burn away in the firing process, which become superheated gasses.
Here's a thread where clay/porcelain jewelry is discussed:Porcelain jewelry?? - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community
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Hi Adam,
Welcome to the Forum, and thanks for sharing that!
Would you mind editing the title to "Kiln Sitter button will not lock in place" or somewhat like it? -
"... silica and alumina kind of act the opposite to boron?"
This is a good question!
It's been almost five years since I first started reading about glazes ...I'll circle back with recommendations for reading in a day or three.
Silica is a main glass former, and the main glaze ingredient, but it doesn't melt at typical pottery kiln temperatures, hence "fluxes" are required to lower the melting point.
Boron is both a flux and a glass former. Most of us working in mid fire (cone 5/6) depend on Boron; those working at lower temperatures depend on Boron more!
Alumina is important for glasses/glazes (glaze is, essentially, glass) for toughness/strength and, as you point out, to stiffen the melt.Here's an article on fluxes
Flux (digitalfire.com)Edited to add ("a day or three" slipped to two weeks):
I like Susan Petersen's book The Craft and Art of Clay, particularly the glaze section, which includes an entry on each important ingredient (including colorants) and clear discussion of unity.
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Aye, and the more it slips, the slicker it gets!
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Hi Llama,
Welcome to the Forum!
I'm curious if the Artista has a brushed motor, and if so, are the commutator and brushes clean and in good condition?
...I like Neil's idea better tho'.
- Bill Kielb and neilestrick
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Favorite needle tool is a small screwdriver that my Dad had ground down to a point.
I like the handle - it's shorter than the typical pointer/needle tool - and larger in diameter. The entire tool is also rather short, which I prefer (except when a long one is needed).
It's also easy to find and doesn't roll far when dropped.Taking inspiration from some of Hsinchuen Lin's early video clips (afore he began marketing his own line of stainless tools), I've an assortment of trimming and chattering tools made from hack saw blades. I've ground off the teeth, heated and bent the blade, then ground the profile. From there, I touch them up with a file. Some of the tools have been repurposed, as the original profile is long gone via sharpening. I don't mind the few moments it takes to resharpen them*.
My favorite (and only) cut-off wire was just the right length (it had been shortened several times!), then it was too short after the last break.
I'd tried several replacement wires, bah!
Now I'm using the core of a bike derailleur cable, which is holding out great. It's very slim, yet resilient.
Derailleur cables (the type I've been using for some time, by Jagwire) have filaments of metal wound around a core cable; I'm unwinding the outer filaments to reveal the core, boom!
Repurposed! Another use for replaced bike cabling! They're also handy for picture frame hanging wires - be sure to completely remove any grease first tho'.A frosting spatula is so handy! At first I just used it to lever off batts, however, the small arc at the end is just right for mug lip recurve smoothing.
I'm trimming strips off the (automobile) chamois for lip smoothing.
Less often used, I've: several twist drill bits I use for making holes and dressing the holes' edges; a few small kitchen knives for cutting clay; a razor knife that's especially handy for trimming spouts; a few wooden knives/turning tools; a few wooden spoons for extending the inside hand when the hand won't fit; trimmed brushes for slip, glaze, and other stuff too.
At glazing time, there's a few soup ladles (one is a favorite), turkey baster, ear syringe, inexpensive electronic scale, masking tape**, kitchen whisks (one is fitted with a rod, which chucks up to the drill), blade tools for mixing in that bottom bucket edge ...and more, I'll have to take a look, it's been a long slog with no Studio time since October last!
*It's easier to keep them sharp then to re-sharpen when totally blunted.
Side note, dressing off the sharpened edges of frequently used metal ribs also doesn't take long; a square-ish edge can also cut, however, the honed razor thin/sharp by clay edge is so much more dangerous!**plain half or three quarter inch tape makes a sharp clean straight line.
For curvy, I cut the tape into strips.
The pinstriping tape is nice, however, heh, masking tape is inexpensive, and works just fine, given it is cut with a sharp tool.- Pres, Min, Callie Beller Diesel and 4 others
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I've just over sixty pounds of Gerstley Borate to work with whilst figuring out replacement(s)...
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Where there's more than one part, I still almost always make extra parts*.
Handles, I'll typically pull an extra one or two, then recycle the extras.
There isn't always a "worst" one, nor always an oops, but when there is, the extras come in handy.Lids, I'll make several extra, then check for fit, profile, feel, etc. after bisque and match them up - a matching mark in underglaze helps me keep them together.
The extras pile up, but so handy for oops, broken; yes, we might have a lid that fits that; I don't like any of these, maybe there's a fit in the boneyaaaard; etc.
When the lid and piece are formed similarly - same thicknesses, similar arc/profile, similar amount of "working" - they have a good chance of fitting together.
A good chance, heh.Put togethers - like teapots, also towers, extended vases and pitchers, fountains - I'll make more add on bits than bodies, then pick at assemble time, and recycle the extras.
Early on, I'd seen Bill van Gilder's video clip on lids, where he advocates standard sizes.
I started out on the half inch, then switched to millimeters; I do 80mm for cups, jars, teapots; 100mm for larger mugs and jars; 120mm for jars; 140 and 180mm for jars and bowls.
Standard sizing helps!*Here's some extra lids
I'm throwing the knobs, then torch them to leather hard just afore needling them off to attach.
Having tried a few (not all) lid styles, I'm doing almost all lids this way now - no gallery required, fully glazed container, lid and piece fired separately (not touching).
The lid is thrown upside down, trimmed upright. The cylinder knob provides width and height with uniform thickness - without bulk.
The underside of the lids gets liner glaze. -
For firing and glazing, driven by what fits in the kiln, which, happy accident, I had just enough counterspace for a kiln load with leaving room for a glaze bucket, some tools, a cleanup water bucket and sponge, and splash room*.
In making, from one up to forty or so. When in a flow, there's just thrown, ready or almost ready to trim, and another batch in between.
The weather makes a difference in how fast things move along.
Controlling and/or suspending drying is key, as Shawnhar points out.*The new Studio space will have to have the same or more counterspace!
...while seven cubic feet of kiln space seemed much too big, starting out, I'm used to it now, so looking forward to getting back to it.- LeeU, Kelly in AK and shawnhar
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Hi JLay,
I'm seeing an earlier request for the same info got no replies, however, in this thread a Forum member posted a diagram they had authored, same/similar kiln, about halfway down the first page
Kiln taking longer and longer to fire - Equipment Use and Repair - Ceramic Arts Daily Community
Perhaps that will help?
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There are a few threads here on that/similar topic - shopping for a wheel, that's how I found this Forum!
Pottery Wheel Advice/suggestion - Equipment Use and Repair - Ceramic Arts Daily Community
Best Pottery Wheel for Beginners? - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community
https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/26802-any-tips-on-purchasing-a-wheel
...there's more; try some different search strings, particularly the brand/model you may be considering.If you can, take some wheels for test drives.
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Antiprex, a dispersant, rheology modifier, per worldofchemicals.com
Antiprex 461 is an aqueous solution of low molecular weight polyacrylic acid. It is an effective dispersant and rheology modifier for kaolin, gold processing slurries and other mineral suspensions. It functions as an efficient antiscalant for the prevention of scale deposits including calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate, strontium sulphate and barium sulphate in industrial systems.
Alcospere, a dispersant, per manufacturer's website
Alcosperse® 149 is a pale amber liquid acrylate-based dispersant designed for general use in kaolin, calcium carbonate, paints, paper coatings and a variety of pigment slurry applications.
Just curious.
Hi Alistair,Welcome to the Forum.
What are the units for those two ingredients? -
"...should be simple enough to trim the shelves using a wet saw (tile saw)."
Just saying, on account of I've trimmed concrete pavers, 1'x1'x2" and the 1'x2'x2", did a tile countertop in 3'x3' porcelain, and three showers, all used some 1'x1' and 1'x2'; all cases I'd prefer the wet saw, although I'll admit the three foot tiles were a bear on account of the weight.
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I had an old KM1027 (1988), 2.5" brick; we didn't bring it with us on our move North, however, the shelf set is only about five years old, so kept that.
Haven't decided on a new kiln just yet.
Most all are 3" brick now.
To use my shelves (without cutting*) in a ~seven cubic foot kiln, looks like the choices are Skutt (there are 2.5" brick 1027 models out there), Bailey/ConeArt - looks like all the other choices are a bit smaller inside diameter.*should be simple enough to trim the shelves using a wet saw (tile saw).
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Some info here:
Sandstone Manufacturing? - Equipment Use and Repair - Ceramic Arts Daily CommunityPottery Supply House still has this page up (Firecraft Kilns were made by Sandstone Manufacturing, it seems).
Firecraft Kilns – The Pottery Supply House (psh.ca)You might try calling Skutt; they are typically very responsive.
The condition of the kiln - bricks, elements, wiring, etc. - that's important.
The temperature rating - what max temp can the kiln reliably and repeatedly achieve - that's important too.PHS and/or Skutt may be able to help with the second point.
Another resource, try Euclid's Elements.
They are in Canada and sell elements for all manner of electric kilns; they may be able to help. -
I'd noted Spodumene, Petalite and Lithium Carbonate pricing 1-DEC-22
At that time, northern California supplier (that I frequent) had a better price than other vendors I've used.
Same NorCal vendor, since then, Petalite has gone up 25%, Spodumene (substitute) is up a bit over one third!
The spod is well over twice the cost per pound, but it doesn't have 2x the lithium.
Their spodumene sub is 6.8% lithium.I'd already (somewhat arbitrarily) chosen petalite for a lithium source; the recipe in question has just a trace of lithium, so I believe petalite is appropriate...
The lithium unity, percent by weight, and mole percent are 0.133, .88%, and 1.86%, respectively.Any road, if the percent lithium changed, for sure I'd revisit the formula/recipe, for lithium is powerful stuff!
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Hi Estrata,
Welcome to the forum!
Likely the kiln tech experts will want to know specifics; does the kiln have a plate attached indicating the amps, phase, voltage, model number?
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There's a clay company in Lincoln (California) ...aha!
One goes right by the piles of clay, large building, stacks of clay pipe, etc. when passing through town.
I'm not seeing where Gladding, McBean are in transition/difficulty, also not finding any reports about the clay changing.
Another local (Northern CA) clay producer has a history of noting changes as the mine(s) deepen(s); I buy clay from them, IMCO.There are somewhat recent shows about Lincoln clay, PBS "Rob on the Road" (season 7, episode 2; Rob Stewart), "California's Gold with Huell Howser" (episode title "Terra Cotta"), John "Bartell's Backroads" (ABC 10 KXTV)...
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No amount of lead is safe, so says the WHO, CDC, State agencies, etc.
- Bill Kielb and Roberta12
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Many of the images I'm finding indicate the fan is designed to blow (hence turn) in one direction.
The fan label has a flow direction arrow.Lauren captured the three phase reversing instructions in the third image (the single phase instructions, however, are truncated).
I'm not finding a matching doc; the one I did find addresses rotation direction thus:
Can I use a low temp glaze instead of porcelain enamel to coat stainless steel?
in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
Posted · Edited by Hulk
correction
Proved recipes for the particular metal likely required.
Enjoyed reading a bit about enameling here:
Industrial porcelain enamel - Wikipedia
which introduces some of the particular details involved in mild steel enameling.
Here's an article on stainless steel enameling:
Enamel Coating on Stainless Steel (nolifrit.com)