KarenO

This is exactly what was happening and I couldn't get it to grip to tighten it. I was able to get the bolt out of the pedal and I've ordered the replacement bolt/nylon parts from Amaco (before I realized there wasn't anything special about them). I am waiting for the bolt to arrive and I'll try it out. I'm a bit worried that the space on the side of the pedal is stripped and won't hold a bolt securely (it seems almost more of a cup than an angular space, but I'll see.) I'm attaching a photo of the old bolt (which I've now removed). Thank you everyone for your help! Karen

Hi. I’m struggling with my foot pedal to my Brent B wheel. I bought it used and the pedal has always been loose- it falls to the top speed position as a default. So when I use it I keep my foot on it at all times. If I need to remove my foot from the pedal I turn the power off so that the wheel doesn’t zoom up to top speed. I assumed the bolt was loose or perhaps had dried clay in it, so I tried to remove it with a wrench. Now I’m in a situation where it’s basically stripped. I can’t tighten or loosen it. I have the base to the pedal off and it appears like it’s in good shape. The plastic arm looks fine and engages with the speed control. The issue is the bolt no longer moves with the foot pedal. Is there any way to get the bolt out? I bought a new one and it’s getting shipped but I’m at a loss. Thanks in advance! Karen

This has been super helpful. Thank you everyone! Karen

I've had two electricians out to assess the circuitry. Either way I'm looking at $1000 of electrical work to set up for my "real" kiln. Pricey indeed!

Thank you Neil, That is super helpful. Since I want to do cone 5/6 work, I assumed that kiln would be fine for starting out, and I never thought it would be that harmful to max it out every time I use it. I assumed it was designed for that! I don't know it's history and since I haven't plugged it in to look at the elements I'm not even sure if they are in top shape. That's definitely something to think about.

I'm moving from a community studio to a studio in my garage and I'm planning on purchasing a large kiln, however I bought a small used Skutt 614 (it's tiny) off craigslist so that I could gain some experience with kilns before making the leap to an expensive larger kiln. My problem - once I got this used little Skutt home I see that the previous owner had twisted one of the electric prongs on the plugs to make it a 110v. Tt looks like the plug is compatible with 115v.) It appears that they twisted one of the prongs 90 degrees. I've been speaking to electricians about rewiring this little kiln, but I'm wondering if I could just twist the prong back to the original 115v position and then use a proper adapter from the hardware store rather than replacing the full plug/cord. Another option is to not bother and cut my loses. The kiln cost me $100, and ultimately will be too small for what I need. But it appears to be in good shape visually otherwise. I have not plugged it in. thanks in advance! Karen

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