[Olympic Model 1818 mystery used kiln]

3 hours ago, oldlady said:

depending on where you are, $600 seems a high price for a small, used kiln.   can you get the owner to photograph the inside so you can see the elements inside their grooves?    if they are upright they may have only been used lightly, perhaps for only cone 06 earthenware.   if you can find out who used it, that might help, too.    perhaps someones' mother or aunt who made china dolls.  earthenware china.

what else comes with the kiln, shelves, posts, anything?

Pics of the kiln should show above in the thread. The inside looks really good and I can't see the elements sticking out anywhere. There is furniture as well-waiting on a response about how much gear comes with and how much it's been used-if/when elements were last changed. I'm near Phoenix, AZ which is a major metropolitan area. Not sure if that should make it more or less expensive. I'm doing extra diligence before buying this time as I bought a 1975 Skutt 181 (for $200) but couldn't get it running after repairs...

[Olympic Model 1818 mystery used kiln]

1 hour ago, Bill Kielb said:

Here is an interesting find, as of 2008, with 2-1/2” brick, 18X18 - same wattage it’s rated cone 8. With a 4” blank making it 18X23 they increased the wattage to 6300 to achieve cone 8. Seems like the cone 6 designation on the equipment tag is likely pretty honest. I am guessing it was built this way new. Pretty amazing that an extra half inch of brick gets this rated to cone 10.in stock form.

So, in all likelihood the 'honest' label means instead of being rated a cone 8 but firing to 6 it's just labeled a 6? I guess I should ask what thickness the brick is. Visually I can't discern between 2.5 and 3.... Thoughts on removing the blank ring?

[Olympic Model 1818 mystery used kiln]

Hi All!

Having given up on the Skutt 181 that just doesn't want to work I'm considering a new (used) kiln. Also not wanting to make the same uninformed mistakes as before I thought I'd run it by you awesome peeps here. So it's an Olympic Model #1818, 240 volt, Temp 2250, watts 5040 Cone 6. The odd thing is - I can't find ANY info on a 1818 model that is cone 6 ! I sunk a couple hours into looking it up. I found a cone 4 at 120 volt, and cone 8s and 10s. Has anyone come across this type of model? It has a kiln sitter rather than a digital controller. All the versions I can find are not set up this way. 

I don't want to sink money into it and not be able maintain it and find parts if needed. It is listed at $600. Is this a good price? With it being a cone 6 and a kiln sitter (which I don't mind), should it be lower?

[Skutt model 181 kiln?]

On 7/24/2020 at 6:47 AM, neilestrick said:

Best bet is to look at the wiring diagram and do what it says. The 181 is unique because it's a 4 wire system. The two hots will connect to the sitter. The neutral will go out to the elements and the other section. The ground will go to the case and the other section.

Any of the other wires should be replaced if the covers are turning brown instead of white, or if they're crispy and crack when you bend them. You should be able to order a new wiring harness from Skutt. The feeder wires, those that go from the switches to the elements, are typically connected with crimp connectors, so you won't be able to change those until you change the elements.

Neil (or anyone wiring savvy)

Hoping you can help me out on my wiring questions. I got new elements, crimps and some feeder wire because the existing wires were too short to connect to the crimp/element pigtails. I put everything back where it was attached before (when I tested the elements before replacement-so I know it worked) but now it does not work - no hum.

The plug I have has 4 wires (red, black, green, white) If I understand the colors correctly, green is grounding, white neutral -neither attach to anything; black is a hot as is the red. Do both the black and red need to be attached? I've read elsewhere that just the black is needed? Also, with the butt crimps, as long as the wires are firmly in the barrels it should be fine (a couple of the pigtails don't want to go all the way to the center/not touching the feeder wires)? 

What else can I do to troubleshoot the wiring? I can attach pics in anyone has advice on how to shrink the file size so they're shareable here.

[Skutt model 181 kiln?]

Perfect. Yeah I was looking at the wiring diagram and have taken off the sitter cover-can see where the hots go. Where the wires connect to the crimp connectors (and not covered by the white) looks iffy to me-the porcelain plugs that the elements come from are looking kinda brown/old.  Once I get the plug connected I'll check the functionality of the elements to see if they need to be replaced (my guess is they will).  Good to know about being able to get a new wiring harness. 

About venting-suggestions on this?  It is in the garage which also has a side door-was planing to keep both open when firing-will this be good enough?

I'm divided between being excited about all the potential projects and totally intimidated by all that needs to be doe to get the kiln going.... It's sort of like learning how to drive a car... 

[Skutt model 181 kiln?]

IHello fellow newbies!  see that I'm in good company with others who've picked up a 181. The odd thing with mine is it HAS no plug. Found and ordered the cord/plug combo...feeling more than a wee bit anxious about attaching it properly and whether any of the other wirings in the sitter need to/ can be replaced.  

Any advice on getting things going?