Bill Kielb

This is interesting as shivering has a bit of energy in it usually and folks say it pops off their pots. Your description is as if it flakes off so I wondered is this clay fully fired? Looking at continentals site, this clay likely fires to cone 4. It is listed as 04-4. Firing it only to cone 04 may leave it very soft and the glaze easily falls off because of the mismatch. I would call continental and ask, does this need to be fired to cone 4 to be reasonably sturdy? Judging from the shrinkage chart, I would expect the red to be worse than the white. Neither are great though.

Really good points I think! The video only seeks to point out that those who research cannot correlate what many perceive to be. How did we ever get to accepting this - worldwide? I never sold memory short though, to me it can be a tool. Often I would start a class with a segment that made me memorize some ridiculous list of 30 random things in a couple of minutes. Then throughout the semester someone could test me randomly by number or object at any point in any class. My point was it’s just a tool, if I could learn it, anyone could. Learn it and use it as you may, there are simple methods to improve memorizing lists etc…… maybe short term but to this day can recite most of those lists, 20 years later. I would then show them a simple peg word method etc……. And mention it can help you learn things more easily. There are several successful memory techniques, Just another tool to use if you choose to …. Use all your tools don’t get locked into one perception. Anything that expands our understanding is a plus for me so I am interested in the research. Anything that limits approaches as “the” method or “the” approach I respect but am skeptical. I never want folks to perceive they are not capable …… as in I am a bad reader, I can’t visualize, etc..…….. too much I can’t. Most folks can, not all can motivate themselves to do so though. Adding I can’t, often provides a convenience for therefore I won’t try.

Narrowed to four “learning types” (4MAT) somewhat intuitively, I think. This was published in 1990 btw. Interesting read!

I like the paper, but yet another “system” to beat all systems based on some great foundational stuff and some terrible foundational stuff. I am for expanding the potential toolbox as long as other tools do not become eliminated. If the perception of 4MAT limits scope, direction, effort or reduces trial and error for teachers the system becomes a limit IMO.

I agree and folks learn all ways and those who research perceived preferences cannot correlate the perception with reality. There is a lot of education theory research out there …….. and then again maybe a good demonstration is just that or a well written piece is just that and of course the broader your vocabulary the more you are able to internalize and think about things for which if not, your brain simply has no way to begin sensibly comprehending it, therefore little to no productive thought. Anyway, having taught for 20 years adjunct at the junior college level, I am convinced folks learn all ways at different times and at all times. VARK always seemed too simple to me as well as 4MAT and the challenge as a teacher was to: try everything to help an individual learn, try different things, make good drawings, good lectures, good demonstrations, repeat, and try something different as well. Anyway what do I know, my vocabulary / native language has too many prepositions, is too descriptive ……then again it does spark some vivid thought. Thinking in secondary languages doesn’t seem productive but it does allow me to convey things on occasion. As a teacher the trick for me is can I relate that to my students in a productive way? in a way that they can learn it best on any given day? More about solving how to be effective at teaching ………. and of course my feeling since I was born: I try and use all ways to learn. Different and of course the same at different times in my life.

since you mentioned it,………..And often might be baseless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhgwIhB58PA

Post a picture here if you can. I believe you need the old high limit temperature station. Have you called Alpine or your local kiln tech? It’s not necessarily a job for those who are unfamiliar with gas safety.

Change the timers / contactor arrangement out for a second infinite switch was the best one I think we advocated here and someone reasonably skilled executed it. Makes the kiln truly old school, fairly economical and definitely controllable. At least one of the timers are extinct and ridiculously expensive to replace. Someone here did it once successfully as I recall.

I think she has the single knob infinite switch which controls just the top elements. The auto / manual switch controls the bottom elements and cycles for two hours then goes to constant on in auto mode. Anyway, that’s the premise of her stuff which seems correct at this point. I really despise the creation of this kiln though, it confuses so many.

So empty I am guessing with the top switch off and only the bottom elements on you can get to some cone in five hours, but just turning the top switch to 10:00 reduces firing time a bunch. That would indicate the top switch is not ideal for sure so the calibration technique is below. Neil is correct as manual kilns are fine, and actually a five hour glaze firing is not really the end of the world quick. And actually if this has all been in an empty kiln thus far it will go up considerably as the kiln is filled. Beyond that to extend bisque firings you could always prop the lid an inch or two for the first couple hours as was customary back in the day. Calibrating is not for everyone and if the switch is very far out, replacement is the only recourse as calibration has its limits. For now, propping the lid for the first couple hours then minimal top element may be more than adequate for regular firings.

So the slowest this thing will go is the switch set on auto and the top element switch in the off position. The bottom elements will cycle on the timer(s) until after two hours they will go to full on and stay on till the end of firing. Meanwhile starting with the top switch off (knob arrow pointing up to 12:00) and turning counterclockwise at the end of the two hours will be as slow as it can reasonably go. If that all works, then there is a procedure to calibrate the top switch which may reveal if it is just out of calibration or needs to be replaced.

Do you have an automatic / manual switch? If yes, in the manual mode the bottom elements will be on. In the auto mode the bottom elements will cycle on the built in interval timers. If the interval timers have failed closed then the bottom elements will stay on all the time. Question, in auto mode do the bottom elements cycle on and off?

It’s been several months since this project was complete. You might want to Direct message the ras pi guys above or search the board with the oven control program.

I use the automatic for most normal firing as I believe the default speeds are fine and special programmability for custom firings when there is a real reason to go a different speed. I must say I never use the fast schedules as they are a bit on the edge for even firings and the mix of wares that might exist in many kilns. Cone 5 with a fifteen minute hold is not really all that custom but I will use the combination when temperature sensitive glazes are present. I also never really use the fast schedules, too fast for me and tend to be uneven unless in the test kiln for which many of my glazes are just fine fast fired but it’s such a small kiln it fires even at high speed. I never really fast bisque as well, with the variety of clays, it’s just not worth being unsure everything is burned out. I will say a -40 degree offset seems very high to me though. It makes me wonder how much is due to the fast speed.

Yes it is ought to be just fine. Wax burns off at around 800 degree f so in the range of let’s say 450 degrees to maybe 850 degrees folks often smell the wax. Use a lot of wax, lots of smell. You should not see any signs of carbon as it will burn away in the rest of the firing. Any kiln vent will help this but downdraft vents are often not capable of removing the smell completely …… and they are not really designed to get all the wax smell. So a downdraft will help but not likely to capture all of the wax smell. The smell will however disappear above 800 degrees. As far as refiring, a simple general way to think of this would be: for a glaze firing, if you have not fired within 300-400 degrees of you finish temperature then you have not done much real heatwork. Silica and alumina don’t melt less than 3000 degrees so they need flux and enough kiln energy to help them melt earlier. Until your kiln reaches this melting temperature (often called a eutectic) not much is done in the way of useful work on the glaze. So refiring is generally just fine for most. Technically (Per the Orton cone chart) most of the relevant heatwork to maturity is done in the last 200 - 250 degrees of the firing. For bisque firing, generally it’s not a concern, just rebisque to your proper cone. Generally It’s ok to bisque more than once and often done when multiple layers of decoration are desired.

If I could give you multiple likes I would! Thanks for sharing. This has affected many folks over the years.

Might help finding off : You really ought to feel the off detent where the low point of the cam is. Even if the on/off contacts are stuck together so it stays on 100%. The low spot on the cam should be the only place it’s intended to turn off and you ought to be able to feel this flat spot. Common infinite switch shaft shape is an H shaft I believe to try and avoid this very issue.

Might line up some way, either perpendicular or parallel. Definitely not arbitrary. Neil makes a good point, if the pilot light is not connected to the switch, it will only indicate what is powering it. The inside of this switch typically looks like below which provides a spot to turn off the power. Most devices that use these have a need to be able to go full off. Might be just so worn though that it won’t anymore.

May be just be a bit too worn, most infinite switches have an off location and detent where the switch wants to stop, your pilot light ought to extinguish as it passes through the off location if set up to indicate from the pilot output of the switch.

Makes sense. When your new line drawn on the switch is at 12:00 is the kiln off? If so, then it appears you indexed it correctly with your line.

I am starting to think Dal-tile as part of a business move to eliminate outside sales also did this to increase their near term demand

All else fails, McMaster likely carries them. Gotta spend some time measuring though.

@Dikka Rian The electrical information tag should be stamped with a maximum firing temperature. For longevity reasons folks firing to cone 6 generally make sure their kiln goes to cone 10 ( 2345f) if your kiln is marked cone 8 (2280 f) then it will fire to cone 6 but the wear on the elements will shorten their life. Take a look at the equipment tag and tell us the info on it or post a clear picture of it.

As far as operation, It’s really not necessarily supposed to have stopping points. It is supposed to be an infinite switch which usually have two stopping points, off and fully on. My suggestion - It really is supposed to operate like a volume control, so maybe that is the confusion. At this point find the off position if it still exists and is not totally worn out and index this spot on top as off. From there use it as if the knob was numbered zero to ten, turning it anti clockwise. Picture the numbering on the stove knob above. Forget about trying to land on some specific spots, it’s just a volume control that goes from low to high while turning it anti clockwise. Check out Duncan’s own instructions below

If you stuck this knob on there would it make more sense with respect to turning from low to high over time? This control should work exactly like an electric stove switch so maybe two hours at setting 2 - 2 hours at setting 4 - two hours at setting six and finally full power to the end of firing. When these are on a stove the knob is marked and the index is on the stove. On this kiln they labeled the kiln instead of the knob which makes this less than intuitive for most. Fully clockwise should be off, fully counterclockwise should be full on or high. zThe index will be the top dot on the kiln, disregard all the other labels.