[Skutt kiln skipped a hold - no error code displayed]

9 minutes ago, neilestrick said:

In the first instance, it should be able to handle the 108F/hr ramp just fine. I ramp my kilns at 200F/hr to 200F for preheating and it works. It could be that it overshot just a little bit but was still happy since it was still within the acceptable parameters, or more likely that you put in a hold time of minutes instead of hours. It happens. I've done it myself. It's hours to the left of the decimal, minutes to the right. In the second instance, it skipped the hold because you were already hotter than the hold temp. It will not cool to get to a temperature unless you program it to cool.

Thank you, that’s helpful! 

[Skutt kiln skipped a hold - no error code displayed]

5 hours ago, High Bridge Pottery said:

Does it have a review button so you can make sure the program is correct and rule out that being wrong?

I pressed the review button while the program was running but nothing happened…

[Skutt kiln skipped a hold - no error code displayed]

9 hours ago, Babs said:

What controller do you have?

Whenyou stopped it and restarted it, what ramp did u notice it was displaying?

I am thinkinh like Bill, miutes instead of hours entered. Can you flick thro the ramps to see what u entered?

I have a KM controller. I wasn’t able to see what segment it was on - maybe there’s a way to do that while the program is running but I don’t know how.

[Skutt kiln skipped a hold - no error code displayed]

1 hour ago, JRW said:

Hi All, 

 

I have a new Skutt KM 1227 and am doing my first glaze firing (I’ve done one break-in firing and one bisque firing before).

 

I programmed the kiln to rise by 108f/hr to 195 degrees and hold for a few hours for a pre-heat (I was using shelves that were slightly damp from kiln wash). 
 

For some reason the kiln just blew past that temperature and was at 216 before I caught it. I stopped the firing to let it cool a bit, then started it again, this time ramping to 200 degrees for the hold. Again, the kiln went up to 267 before I noticed it wasn’t holding.

 

the user manual says there will be an error code if the kiln stays more that 50 degrees hotter than the hold temperature for a given segment for at least 18 seconds. This situation met those criteria but there was no error displayed.

 

I’m just curious if anyone knows what might be causing this? I’m having trouble reaching Skutt and am on a deadline. I let the firing proceed but am worried the kiln won’t recognize the other holds I programmed. I didn’t program any holds in the bisque firing i did. Thanks!

Thanks, those are good ideas. I’m almost certain that I programmed the hold time correctly but it did occur to me that could be the issue. But twice?
 

The only other thing is that when the kiln was past the desired temp and I stopped the firing and restarted it, it was already above 200 degrees. (200 was the desired hold temp). So I assumed it would cool to 200 and then hold, but instead it just kept heating. I don’t know how the kiln algorithm handles a situation where it is supposed to be ramping up to a temperature but starts the firing program already above that temperature.

 

I will do a test on empty at a lower interval as you suggest. Thanks again!

[Skutt kiln skipped a hold - no error code displayed]

Hi All, 

 

I have a new Skutt KM 1227 and am doing my first glaze firing (I’ve done one break-in firing and one bisque firing before).

 

I programmed the kiln to rise by 108f/hr to 195 degrees and hold for a few hours for a pre-heat (I was using shelves that were slightly damp from kiln wash). 
 

For some reason the kiln just blew past that temperature and was at 216 before I caught it. I stopped the firing to let it cool a bit, then started it again, this time ramping to 200 degrees for the hold. Again, the kiln went up to 267 before I noticed it wasn’t holding.

 

the user manual says there will be an error code if the kiln stays more that 50 degrees hotter than the hold temperature for a given segment for at least 18 seconds. This situation met those criteria but there was no error displayed.

 

I’m just curious if anyone knows what might be causing this? I’m having trouble reaching Skutt and am on a deadline. I let the firing proceed but am worried the kiln won’t recognize the other holds I programmed. I didn’t program any holds in the bisque firing i did. Thanks!

[Bailey double vent system vs others?]

Thank you all for your input!

[Bailey double vent system vs others?]

Thanks!

[Bailey double vent system vs others?]

I just moved to a new studio and will be setting up a new Skutt 1227 kiln. I sold my envirovent 2 with my previous kiln, thinking I would get a different vent system. I was going to get the Bailey double vent system because it has a timer, which is a feature requested by some other members at my studio.  (They have tried outlet timers for other vents and they haven’t worked for some reason so the timer is important).

https://www.baileypottery.com/m-405-009.html

This vent system requires leaving the top peephole open during firing and attaching a hose to the bottom two firebricks on the opposite side (holes are drilled). So, it’s kind of like a downdraft system, but not quite. I haven’t seen this design anywhere else and can’t find any reviews or comparisons, so I’m wondering if anyone here has any input. Is this comparable to other venting systems? Any red flags with this one? 

[Dipping glaze turned into sludge…tips on thinning?]

1 hour ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:

From entirely too much experience scraping up hardpanned glazes from freezing them over the winter:

Trying to mix it with a jiffy mixer or a blender, or anything with a motor is only going to impact it harder, and you’ll be there for DAYS.  The fastest way is to either do the loop tool thing like Min said, or to go at it with a plain old wire whisk. Gently agitate the whisk into the solid layer, and shake it into clumps. It’s incredibly counterintuitive, but the clumps that you loosen up this way are far more inclined to re-disperse. 

Thank you!

[Dipping glaze turned into sludge…tips on thinning?]

5 hours ago, Min said:

Glazes can deflocculate over time, sounds like this might be what happened. Soluble materials, such as sodium, can in time leach out of nepheline syenite, spars, frits  etc and cause hardpanning.  Mixing it up more frequently wouldn’t have prevented this. 

I’ld pour the liquid off the top of the glaze, don’t throw it out, and cut out the hardpanned glaze out of the bucket with a loop tool. Remix it  with the liquid you poured off plus some water first and a small amount of epsom salts solution and see if that fixes it. Add enough water to get it back to the specific gravity glaze manufacturer recommends. Might need to add bentonite slurry if Epsom salts solution alone isn’t doing the trick. Given that we don’t know how much clay and/or bentonite is in the recipe it might not need it. 

If you do use bentonite you need to slake it in water until it absorbs the water, it will take a few hours. 

John Britt video of the process here if it helps,

https://youtu.be/0S_gbVkq378

Thank you so much! I’ll try this.

[Dipping glaze turned into sludge…tips on thinning?]

Hello,

 

In my feverish early days of making pottery I bought several 5-gallon buckets of commercial glaze from a potter who was moving away. I then let them sit in my studio for at least three years, never stirring them (I know, that was a mistake). I just opened one and it had become a fairly firm sludge with a couple inches of clear liquid on top. 

I tried mixing it using a jiffy mixer, which didn’t really work because it got gunked up and didn’t seem to break apart the big chunks. I then used an immersion blender, which helped more, but there simply isn’t enough water.

I know I can ask the manufacturer for the ideal specific gravity, but any tips on how to blend this into a workable glaze again? Do I just add distilled water and keep mixing with the jiffy mixer and immersion blender? Those don’t seem to dredge the thicker layers underneath. I’ve heard Epsom salts could help? How much?  
 

I’m hoping there’s a way to do this that won’t take hours.
 

thanks!