Skydve76
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Posts posted by Skydve76
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How long should cone 6 take to get to?
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Im fine buying the correct wiring.
I have a lot to learn still, If cone is all I can get to Ill check to see if that will meet our needs. Simply want to make pots/crafts and glaze them. Just a fun toy for the kids. This kiln is way too big.
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40 minutes ago, Dick White said:
Get the black one. Green should used only for ground.
Well that have different strands etc. assume they are both black.
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3 minutes ago, Dick White said:
Others may have different opinions, but I would not get clay from Amazon. Not that Amazon sells bad clay, but if possible you will be better served to find a clay store near you and develop a customer relationship with them. They will be able to guide you to appropriate clay bodies and glazes that will work together.
Which one of these do you think I should get for wire? This place sells by the foot no min order, the other place wants 125ft min!
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thanks! I need to order some wire, I will just go with what was recommended above and not daisy chain them. Ill order some high temp eyelet connectors too. I want it to run efficient.
You are correct, it is 2.5" brick and the lid is 2" brick. You guys are smart.
Not sure if this is the correct place to ask, but can you recommend some clay and glaze that will work well with my setup? I see amazon sells quite a bit but lots of options.
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1 hour ago, Dick White said:
Ok, that gives us some useful technical data. Applying the math of Ohm's Law in reverse to the rating plate - 4 equal elements pulling a total of 30 amps or 7200 watts at 240V, each of the 4 elements in perfect shape should be 32 ohms. That's pretty close to what you are showing on your meters. Now, taking that to the next step in guesstimating kiln performance, your Gare 2318 is approximately the same size as a Skutt 1018 or an L&L e23S. Those each produce around 9500 watts, or about 30% more heat than your kiln. Add to that, your older kiln probably is made with 2 1/2" brick vs. the current standard of 3" brick, so your kiln will lose more heat to ambient radiant losses. Consequently, my rough guess is that cone 6 will be its maximum capability, and even that will be hard work for the kiln.
So after all this, I still dont know how to use the klln
Is this kiln useful? Just want to make pots and then glaze them.
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All of my elements are measuring between 30 and 31 ohms. I just got a new ohmeter with a clamp on ammeter from amazon, it has good reviews. I am going to go get another cheap analog one for a 2nd measurement. My first measurements were showing between 31 and 32 ohms. The meter seems to hunt around.
Not I took the wiring off and the kiln sitter is detached, so its just the bare elements. I cleaned them with some light sandpaper and electronics cleaner on the tips that stick out to plug into the sitter.
Now to get some wire. I have some 12awg silicone wire rated to 200c. I use it for rc airplanes that pull 3600watts, should I just get the mica stuff? I assume the element pig tails that stick out into the sitter are probably red hot.
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36 minutes ago, neilestrick said:
SRML wire is also commonly used in kilns, and is less expensive.
It looks 8awg any standard?
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11 minutes ago, Mark C. said:
That looks like an old dryer plug to me. . That wiring interior (really fuzzy photo ) looks to be in bad shape as well. The label does not have a max temp that I can see. Cone 6 maybe if the wiring is in good shape and the elements are in good shape. Rusty means more resistance not what cone 6 needs
It does on the first pics I posted says dont operate over cone 8.
Ill fix up the plug and fix the wiring, where can I get that hi temp wire from? The stuff that connects to the elements.
An hour of work will have it shiney!
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This is a 10-50p which is no ground just nuetral. So maybe the cord is not the original and it's hooked up incorrectly.
The wiring is a bit rusty too.
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Sorry for delay just got back onto this project. As you can see from the pics, the 3rd wire (center) which is neutral on the plug, is being used as ground.
Im not sure why, but the kiln has a 6-15p on it the outside of the sitter, what is that for?
I didnt ohm out the elements yet, is there any advantage to cleaning all the connections, everything is a bit dirty.
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1 hour ago, Dick White said:
Back in the day, dryers (with a 10-30 plug) and stoves (with a 10-50 plug) used 240V from the two hots for the heating circuits while the controls and interior lights used 120V from one of the hots plus the neutral. Apparently, independent grounding wasn't a high priority back then for those household appliances as chassis grounding was permitted through the neutral, though the really old120/240V kilns that we sometimes get involved with here all use proper 4-wire grounded circuits. In '96, the code changed to mandate separate grounding everywhere, hence the change to 14-30 and 14-50 for all new dryer and stove circuits. There is still a neutral for any 120V components in the dryers or stoves, but now there is a separate safety ground. However, you can still get a 10-30 cord for a new dryer if you are installing it in a grandfathered pre-'96 house.
I too suspect it is unlikely that this kiln has anything in it running on 120V (that would need the neutral), and therefore should be fine with a fresh 6-50 power cord, with the circuit in/on the wall running a straight double 240V 40A breaker and 8 /2-with ground cable to a 6-50R outlet.
Thank Dick, this is what I had read about 10-30 as well. I went ahead and installed a 14-50 with 8-3 wire. The reason I thought is its more versatile in my garage. Perhaps a heater with a timer will be in my future for my garage.
Ill get pics of the kiln, with the 10-30 on it, it implies it is using the neutral as a ground. if I put a 14-50P on it, I assume I attach the ground to the ground lug and leave the neutral capped off
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Here is the plug, a 10-50p that is 2 hots and a neutral, no ground.
When I put my 14-50p on it, I will attach the 2 hots where they are now, and the neutral where it is now (if its just capped off inside Ill do the same). In terms of the ground that will be present, I will attach it to the shell of the sitter. Does that make sense?
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FYI my kiln currently has a 10-50p on it. I havent opened it up yet but does it just ignore the neutral? There is on the side of the sitter what looks like a 120v plug but the tanks are rotated 90 degrees (horizontal).
If it doesnt need the neutral, does that mean my current kiln just uses two hots only?
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BTW this is the RV cord I got:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HGLV1L3?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
You have me doing more research now. Its interesting with the EV charging market there are all kinds of adapters and extension sords being used all over with 240. That doesnt mean its safe but it is becoming common practice.Since I went 14-50 what cord should I use on the kiln, is one for an oven ok and what is the max length?
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42 minutes ago, neilestrick said:
That's an odd ruling, because that would mean a kiln would not be hooked up according to manufacturer's recommendations, and in the case of a UL listed kiln it would require changing the plug and possibly negating the UL Listing. @Bill Kielb have you ever heard of that rule?
Ground wire should be attached to the appropriate ground terminal all the way through from the breaker box to the kiln box. The neutral should not be used at all. Adapters and extension cords are not safe for use on kilns.
I wouldn't fire any pots until you test it, but I wouldn't run a test until you measure the element resistance.
Hey I read your post too late. I thought you said to use a 10-50 sorry.
A 6-50 is fine.
Why are rv extension cords not recommended? It's stronger than the wiring in my house.
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36 minutes ago, neilestrick said:
Code requires that kilns be on a breaker that is 25% greater than the draw but no more than 50% greater, so your 30 amp kiln needs to be on a 40 amp breaker. The Sitter can handle up to 45 amps.
The 14-50 plug is a 4 wire plug- 2 hots, neutral, ground. Your kiln is a 3 wire setup- 2 hots, ground- so you'll have an extra terminal in there that you do not need. I would change out your outlet to a 6-50, which is a 3 wire, and get a new 50 amp power cord with a 6-50 plug. It's always nice to have an oversized power cord. There's no good reason to use that old cord with a new plug.
What size wiring is going from the breaker to the outlet? It needs to be sized to handle at least the amperage rating of the breaker, so if it's a 40 amp breaker you need at least 8 gauge wire. Anything smaller than that will need to be changed. Anything larger than that is just fine. Are there 3 or 4 wires going to the outlet? If there are 4, cap off the neutral because you don't need it, or if you need to run new wire then just run 2 hots and a ground. I'm not a big fan of having unused terminals in outlets and plugs because it just makes things more complicated than it needs to be when doing repairs.
I would only change the elements if they need it. Unplug the kiln, turn on the Sitter and all the switches, and measure the resistance (ohms on the meter, little horseshoe symbol) at the two hot prongs on the power cord. It should be around 8 ohms- 240 (volts) divided by 30 (amps). You can also check each element by turning on each switch one at a time. Each element should measure around 32 ohms.
Hello, I have a 40A circuit, with 8/3 NM wire. I was confused if my kiln pulls 30 or 45 amps. So thats all cleared up and my circuit is fine.
Ill check the elements as you said.
Do you think it is worth firing it to cone 6 for testing (empty) or should I just get some pots going and fire them up?
EDIT: BTW in my area its illegal to install anything but a 14-50 or 14-30 after any house built after 1996. So I went with 14-50r, I have an adapter for now but plan to put the 14-50p on it with ground wire attached to the casing (hot, hot and neutral going to the spots they are on now)
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Ok cool. The 60a is for the 45 kiln. My 40a is fine then for my 30a kiln.
How long should it take to get to cone 6?
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I did a little reading here and there and thought I would just ask some questions.
Background and where I am at:
This is a Gare Kiln model 2318. On the silver panel it says 30 amps. On the sitter it says 45 amps. The plug on the kiln is an old 10-50p the gray one.
I installed a 240V 14-50r outlet today for the kiln to test it. I used 8/3 wire and a 40A breaker. I let the kiln heat up for 10 minutes. All burners worked. I have some cone 6 coming tomorrow so I can see if it will hit cone 6. I assumed the kiln is 30a and the sitter is rated for 45A and is seems to be a generic unit as the Kiln is form Mass. and the sitter from Cali.
I plan to replace the plug with a 14-50p I picked up at lowes and attach the ground to the metal box. I read on this forum a 60A circuit may be needed which is INSANE. I HIGHLY doubt that gray 10-50 plug is rated for 50A if that. I have a clamp on ammeter coming I will see what it is pulling.
Questions:
What circuit am I supposed to use for this?
Should I replace the coils right off?
What should I do to test this out?
Do I need to seal up hairline cracks?
Thanks!.jpg.e764320c0468d3f62100af9cbc06713b.jpg)
Is this kiln useful? Just want to make pots and then glaze them.
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Another "bought an old kiln help me thread" :)
in Equipment Use and Repair
Posted
Im doing more research, it seems maybe cone 06 and cone 04 may be what I can do. Honestly, what cones do highschool art classes usually fire to? So much to learn.
If I can find a local place Id like to support it, but it seems in my area (omaha, ne) there just are studios where they want you to come rent a table. Looks like kansas is the closest place.
Nebraska sucks for everything.