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Showing results for tags 'temperature'.
Found 21 results
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Hi, After only ever doing low-firings, I attempted my first high firing yesterday but my kiln simply refused to go higher than 1165 celsius. It was very frustrating as I had spent quite a lot on stoneware clay and glazes. What are the reasons why my kiln wouldn't reach the temperature that I'd set? I noticed that the temperature rise slowed down significantly after it reached 1140 celsius and for the last half hour it didn't move from 1165. Now, I'm guessing, I'm left with bowls that aren't food safe. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
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Hi all, I'm just wondering what the lowest acceptable bisque firing temperature would be - and why? I usually single-fire my pottery but occasionally I like to brush on and sponge off a watered down underglaze (so it clings to the texture) before glaze firing. So...could I technically bisque fire at a much lower temperature because all I need is a porous surface? Thank you in advance.
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Hi, I'm still fairly inexperienced and used to always fire my pottery at a studio where I went to classes etc, so the adventure of firing in my own kiln is still pretty new to me. I was given an old electric kiln, which is now connected and running, any dangling heating coils were fixed, and the whole thing was given a once-over by a kiln engineer. The kiln has an electric controller and I've set a number of different programmes (biscuit, cone 6, cone 8, etc). I've done a few firings so far, 3 biscuit firings and one glaze firing to cone 8. While none of the firings have gone wrong and everything seems to be working fine, I noticed that despite the temp controller there seem to be fluctuations in the temperature. I was using orton cones to check the kiln was firing up to temp and I find that for a biscuit firing it consistently seems to fire to slightly below temp (so first cone will just start to dip rather than lying flat, the other two are not touched). For the higher glaze firing the opposite seemed to be true - when I checked all the cones had dipped - the first two had completely keeled over, the last one (for the highest temp) was about half-way. I realise that these are fairly minor temp fluctuations, but is this a normal thing? I imagine with glaze firings it could make all the difference? Could outside temp account for it? The kiln is in a shed so in winter it does get pretty cold.
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I was asked about the pros and cons of buying a Cone 10 Skutt, (6.4 cu ft) vs a Cone 8 Skutt (9.9 cu ft) for firing at cone 6. I'd suspect one might run into element wear sooner with the larger kiln, but since I really don't know, I'm hoping someone might have some insights. Thank you.
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Hi everyone, I'm really hoping you can give me some advice on possibly what to expect from this event. Our kiln is electric and was set going yesterday for a bisque firing at 3pm after school finished, I came in this morning to find the kiln still on, hovering at 987*c, the target temperature on the electronic control was 1000*c before ramping down. I can only assume that its been stuck at almost the top temperature for around 8-9 hours. The main problem being that the only option I've had is just to switch the kiln off and let it cool down, and if it was just my work I wouldn't be so worried, however the kiln currently contains final exam pieces from our students so I am very worried, I am new to ceramics and learning every day but this is something I've never encountered. How will being held at so close to top temperature for such a long time affect it? Am I going to open the door to a kiln full of shards? Thanks for any help you can give. -
I am struggling to control the heat rise of my gas downdraft - it gets too hot too quickly! I'm test firing empty (I've put in all the kiln shelves) to learn how to control temperature. I'm trying to emulate a slow bisque as I will be firing large, thick sculptural pieces. I'd like to control heat rise to 20 - 30 deg. C per hour, particularly for the first 100 deg. The slowest I've managed is 200 deg. C in 30 minutes! This is with one burner lit, at it's very lowest setting (the flame is JUST clearing the port inside). The top of the kiln heats really quickly and after 30 mins., the top kiln shelves are too hot to touch, but the bottom shelf / false floor is just comfortably warm. I've tried different damper settings to no avail. I'm thinking that there is insufficient draw to pull heat down throughout the chamber. And maybe that my burners are just too powerful for a slow bisque? My next thought is to heat the stack somehow - maybe put a blowtorch in the damper slot to heat the flue air and create some draw. And/or look for a smaller burner that I can use for early stage heating (something like a domestic gas burner that can run at a lower flame/heat setting). I'd REALLY appreciate any feedback/suggestions anyone can offer. Thanks! P.S. It's a converted electric, approx. 8.5 cubic feet. Flue area is 6x6 inches narrowing to a 6 inch diam. pipe. The kiln is fired by 2 venturi burners, using LPG (propane), and the flue outlet matches the area of the burner inlets (as per Olsen).
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Hello everyone, I am new to this form, and new to kilns. last week i started trying to make an updraft gas kiln, and it seems i hit a wall that i need some help with. Setup : Kiln inside size : 9" x 18" height 15" first shelf @ 6" Bricks used : Firebricks/ refractory bricks 9x2.5x4.5 ** Dry stacked ** Gas : LP Temperature : K type thermocouple sensor (0-1300 c ) positioned at 9" height on the sidewall and sticking out 1.25" (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UWVZAY8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) The problem : I cannot get the kiln to go more than 1200 degrees Trials : 1- With heat source positioned flush with inside wall, two top bricks open. Temperature rises to 500 f within 5 minutes and then within 10 minutes to 600 degrees. From then on temperature will stay between 600-700 degrees even after 45 minutes. adjusting the gas flow at times helps get it to temperature. 2- Continuation of 1 : top bricks closed... temperature drops fast to 400 degrees and with adjusting the gas down to accomodate less oxygin i can bring it back up to 600-650 3- Same as 1 but after 30 minutes i started opening up holes in the bricks by sliding them apart without burning myself to make more air holes... the more holes i open the higher the temperature got.... reached max 1200 f 4- same as 1 with burner positioned 2" outside of the Kiln. same max temp as 1 From what i am seeing and from the amount of carbon in the kiln after so few firings, i think i have too little oxygen in the kiln. It is my first attempt to make a kiln and from all the pictures and videos i saw i didnt see holes in an upward drift gas kiln, other than the peek holes, which i tried to make but it only increased the temperature upto 900 f. Do i have to make holes all over the kiln for oxygen? is the kiln design just wrong? is it too small ? i really cannot figure out what is the next step i should try, or just redo the whole thing with a different design. ANy help is very much appreciated. Here are some pictures of the project. Thanks in advance, Layth -
Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone who works with a small 12 in by 12 in kiln with a kiln sitter (even heat model k-810) had any recommendations for it. Ive never used one and getting to the correct cone 5 is a little hard (bisque is fine), Im also trying to find out a rough estimate of how long it might take it to reach? The cones I don't feel like Im using correctly or I just won't reach temp. anyone having any tools they recommend for measuring the temp as it goes without having to wire something in??
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Hi everyone! Im so glad I found this page, I recently started up my own little studio finally and was given a small little even heat kiln model k-810 with a kiln sitter. Im doing test firing and it seems to heat up and everything seems fine however being so little I assumed it won't take as long to reach temperature, the cones look like they weren't even affected at all. Im so confused and cannot find any info on this older kiln! Please help
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After all the fun stuff is gathered (kiln, wheel, tools, clay, glazes) and you are ready to throw your work into the fiery pit, what temperature should that pit be and how long should you bisque it? I have my favorite clays and glazes (I am using my professors kiln and wheel for now until I get my kiln at home figured out) but I have yet to get a good answer on the correct temperatures and times my bisque firings should be in the kiln. I have mostly been observing and creating the works with glazes while others load and monitor the kiln/firing process (plus they are massive front load kilns over 6' tall and 6' wide). Here is the scenerio: I am using Amaco No. 58 (a red clay). It is a cone 5 clay, but what temperature/cone and how long do I bisque it? I want to put a Cone 5-6 Amaco Shino glaze on it. I load the kiln with the glazed pottery and leave it in there at the setting of cone 5 for how long? I understand it sort of varies depending on the quickness and efficiency of the kiln, but what is the general rule? I am using Amaco No. 11 (a off white clay). It is a cone 5 clay. Same as above, what cone and how long do I bisque it? I want to put on a Cone 5-6 Amaco PC33 Iron Lustre glaze. Once the pots are glazed how long will it take in the kiln? I am just looking for general estimates and I chose simple clays with same-brand glazes to reduce the possibility of bubbling/bloating/other problems. I will be keeping a log and most likely be testing my kiln for quite a while before I delve into putting my better work in it. Any simple formulas would greatly be appreciated! -
Hello! New user here, I am pretty new to ceramics and just inherited my first kiln! My grandmother passed down a Duncan EA-092 kiln to me, and through internet searches and reading the manual I can not find what its maximum cone temperature is! I read somewhere that someone fired it at 019 (1220 degrees F)....which is a bit disappointing as I wanted to be able to fire at at least cone 5 for the typical clays and glazes I am used to using. I have only been using glazes and kilns through classes, so I have not had much hands on application for firing my own ceramics. My questions are, what is the EA-092 max cone firing. And if it does only fire to 019 what are my options for clays and glazes? Thank you!
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Hi everyone, I've just opened my kiln from a bisque fire. To check for temp variations I placed cones on the top shelf and the bottom shelf. It's a small electric kiln and I only had three shelves firing. The bottom shelf was densely packed with mugs, middle more mugs but not so tightly packed and the top had only 3 items on it. I fire my stoneware to cone 07. There are no stock of 06 cones available so I used 07 and 08. Bottom shelf cones did not move at all. Cone 07 on top shelf fired to temperature cone 08 did not move. My question is has the bottom shelf been fired enough and what do I need to check if it hasn't (elements or just packing). Thanks for your help Andrea
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Some advice please...... My thermocouple blew on my last glaze, so we had it replaced. I ran a glaze yesterday and the results are disasterous. My kiln does not have a programmer attached so I watch and set temperature and the other thingy manually. I fired to 1200oC watching the temp gauge and manually stopped at 1200oc with a 30min soak. Shut down the kiln, temp guage 0, the other thingy (heat ramp) to 0, switched the power off at the electrical connection (3 phase) and then went to bed. Went out at 5am to see the temp. Switched on at the plug and the temp indicated 500oC. I could not see the cones and assumed that the kiln had overfired a bit. When the kiln came down to 200oC I opened the peep hole and saw two pots welded and one off kilter. Never quessing that everything had melted. 3 out the 4 shelves have cracked into pieces. The top shelve has slumped down. The thermocouple is about 30cm higher than the ware on the top shelf. I haven't been able to remove anything yet but it seems as if the elements on the side are ok, I don't know about the element on the bottom Can anyone help me with the checking of the temp and how should I conduct the next fire. Andrea
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Hello, I would love to start working with porcelain. I found a used kiln which has highest temperature 2300F. Is it enough for firing porcelain? I do understand that different types of porcelain require different temperature. I hope that this kiln will be suited for all of them?
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So... I've just fired my Nabertherm electric kiln (pre-loved) for the first time, for a bisque firing. I put two cone packs in - one on the bottom shelf, one near the top, with 04, 05, 06 large cones. The program was 100oC per hour to 600oC then 250oC per hour to 1000oC. I don't regularly use cones, but thought it was a good opportunity to see what the new kiln did and how the bisque firing temperature related to the Orton Cones. I've attached a photo of one of the cones packs - there was very little difference in them. Does this look as you'd expect? I'm surprised that there's such a big difference between the 06 - completely down and the 05 which is barely bent. I thought the differences between the three would be more even. Is it telling me that this was a cone 5 1/2 firing or something else? Don't know why the photo has flipped! I edited one and flipped it myself and that one still imported upside down !
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Hi, I am looking for some advise if possible. I fired my kiln last night but the kiln didn't reach full temperature. I looked at the cone I have in my cone stand and it is not melted. The cone in the sitter either melted or fell off and the kiln shut off. Can I re-fire? As I have not unloaded it, can I just turn it on? Thanks Mal
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Just purchased a used Gare Perfect Fire kiln with electronic controller (48" x 24"). I'm REALLY new at clay firing although I've been sculpting with clay for years. I've setup my firing program according to the manual in the hopes of firing at cone 6. The firing data is fine... 1200 C (celcius) for cone 6, ramp at 400 c, no delay, "soft" hold time. Then I put my work inside and started the engine. 12 hours later, the temp. is stuck at 440 c and never went higher. I finally stopped the kiln manually. What went wrong? Why is it not going up to the set temp.?
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Hi, I have done raku before. Many, many years ago. I am getting set to give it a try again in my own studio and I had a question that the manufacturer of the clay I am using (Laguna EM345) was unable to answer. The question I posed was how long should I approximately wait (in time or temperature) after my first piece is removed to let the raku kiln cool down before I put my second piece in to keep it from cracking. I will be using a pyrometer to measure temperature (if I feel uncomfortable just watching the glaze), and should be able to use it to gage the kilns overall temperature after the first piece is removed. Perhaps it is an unfair question to the manufacturer as they would want to potentially push away from and liability as raku can be somewhat unpredictable. I did feel however that they should have a general idea what the shock temperature thresholds are for the clay the make. Any guidance on how long most people wait before you put your second piece in? Do most people start to pre-heat the work so the shock will not be so dramatic? Thanks Mal~ -
Three questions: (1) The manual (yes, actually read & referenced) for my L&L Easy Fire kiln, plus an Orton Tips sheet, say to have the vent (Vent Sure) running continuously throughout the firing. Both specify to NOT open any peep holes. OK...but then how do I see my witness cones? And if the answer is in front of my nose somewhere, please be gentle as you chuckle! (2) The instructions for upon firing completion say it is safe (and preferred, I gather) to turn off the kiln. It also says that the controller will continue to read out the temperature as it cools down. Well, once I turn the kiln off (toggle off) and turn off the juice (main breaker), there is no read out on the control panel. So how am I supposed to know the temp as it cools? And if that info is in front of my nose, same petition for mercy as in #1. (3) About how long is an "average" (I know, no such thing) cool down? The manual does not speak to this at all (other than instructing to keep the vent running and don't open the peep holes). Based on what I have read in other sources, some say roughly twice as many hours as the fire, some say about the same number of hours as the fire, some say just wait until there is no warmth felt at all on the surface, and some say when it is 200 degrees or less...but per #2 (kiln off, no lights/read out on control panel), I have no way to know what the temp is. So-am I doing something wrong with the shut-off? At this point I don't care if the info is in front of my nose and the reader is rolling on the floor--just gimme the how-to's that I am clearly missing. THANKS in advance. -
I just bought a cone 8 kiln and I have just started getting into ceramics. If I put in one of my ceramic platters with the glaze and bisque on it, in my cone 8 kiln would I melt the ceramic in the kiln? Also can I still use the cone 8 kiln and just only have the ceramic in the kiln for a lesser time or would the kiln still melt the ceramics away? I've used a kiln that only fires at cone 06 and 04 and that is what I need for my ceramics but I got this cone 8 kiln and was just wondering if I can use this cone 8 kiln and just do it in a lesser amount of time? Someone please help me I'm a beginner in ceramics and I really need some guidance of knowing what to do.
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This is my first gas kiln and I have had a successful test firing and bisque firing. The man who I brought it off gave me his old successful kiln log sheets so I have been working of that. I went to start a glaze firing at 7am in the morning, by 9pm at night I cone 3, 4, 5 had not melted so I called it a night and shut it off. Any suggestions?? (attached is some pics of my kiln for reference) (Internal firing space 650x650x650)
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