Hollyfaucheux Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi, I'm wondering is anyone can offer any advise!! I loaded my kiln about 9pm last night, and after I switched it from low to medium to high, I went to bed like normal. Today around noon I went in to going unload my stuff from the night before and to my surprise my kiln was still running!!! I turned it off right away. After letting it cool a few hours I was able to peak in the top and my trees looked like this!! They are glazed exactly the same as the other tree in the other picture though. I am wondering if maybe my kiln didn't reach temp. it should have which is why it didn't shut off and these did not fire all the way? Or if they fired to much and they are burnt?? Can anyone help me?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 You need to be careful with dry trees and fire -its a major fire cause of house fires this time of year. on a more serious note I cannot see much with them inside kiln-the one with the lights is different looking for sure. Take one out and take a photo.Did you use a cone or something else to turn kiln off? more info is needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 I don't go to sleep until my kiln has turned off, so many things can happen, start your kiln at 6.00 am then it will be finished by bedtime. You can check on it several times a day and when it shuts down. I have had a greenware load ready to bisque for several days but waited until I was home all day, I may leave it for a couple of hours to run a errand in the early stages of the firing. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Looks like the glaze is underfired as it's still matte looking instead of glossy like in your second picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 I would take one tree out and look at it under good lighting. If it looks dry and dull it's most likely under fired since the glaze didn't have time to mature and become glossy. If it has a lot of glaze runs and drips maybe even some bubbles then it's most likely over fired. A close up of a tree in question and one of a correctly fired tree (no lights on it) would help to identify the issue better. Speaking of when to fire: I try and only fire at night since the electricity is cheaper. I have a camera on the kilns so when I wake up during the night I can check on them. I should state I wake up a lot at night due to back issues so this works for me. I can see the digital controller with the camera app on my iPad. If I see that it has completed I pop down and turn off the breaker just in case the controller thinks it's done but I have a relay stuck on or something. Never had a problem like that yet, but it can happen. Most of the time I can schedule it to finish at about the same time I am getting up in the morning. I never leave the house while I am firing, too paranoid for that. I always use one cone on the center shelf, so I at least have an idea what the kiln did if there was an issue. I know my kiln well enough now to know that if the cone bent this way on this shelf it pretty much means it did this and that on the others. If I think I have a problem forming, like when my TC started drifting I will put 3 cones on every shelf. I know I should do 3 on every shelf each time I fire but it's a small 18x23 kiln so kind of feels like a waste to do that many every firing. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 If I see that it has completed I pop down and turn off the breaker just in case Its not a good idea to use the breaker as an on/off switch. it can cause a premature failure of the breaker. A better idea would be to install a safety switch box with an on/off You'll have to match the amps between your kiln and the box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnolia Mud Research Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 I'll second that proposal. LT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 I'll third that-I have just such a switch in photo for my whole studio-100 amps breakers will age faster by using them that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugmkr Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Pugaboo, what app and what camera are you using? Thank you, Owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Geez you guys never give a girl a break in phraseology! I meant.... I throw the arm on the shut off switch like those shown to cut the power to the breakers. I never touch the breakers themselves. Oh and I turn off the kiln first then the arm on the shut off box. I have 2 cut off switches installed one dedicated to each kiln with the appropriate wiring and amperage. I keep the power cut off to the kilns at all times unless the kiln is firing. Everything was wired through metal conduit on the exterior of the wall by a licensed electrician. Better? T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Mugmkr - I have Foscam cameras and the FoscamPro app on my iPad and iPhone. I have been pleased with this set up I can even turn on the volume at times and hear the kiln switches kicking on an off, doing this tells me how things are going. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Thank you Pugapoo, it would have been better if you said you turn off the thingamajig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted December 31, 2016 Report Share Posted December 31, 2016 Yep gotcha I turn off the thingamajig switch. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted December 31, 2016 Report Share Posted December 31, 2016 sorry, pug, that is not a thingamagig, it is a doohickey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugmkr Posted December 31, 2016 Report Share Posted December 31, 2016 Thanks Pugaboo, I will check out the foscam system. Would be very handy when I am firing my gas kiln which is all manual especially those times when I have no choice but to fire through the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted December 31, 2016 Report Share Posted December 31, 2016 Pug which camera model do you have and is the picture clear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted January 1, 2017 Report Share Posted January 1, 2017 A doovie flikka for sure I can now envisage a rush on the cameras and potters partners vacating the bedroom to turn of the kilns esp if the soft clicking of kiln firing lulls the potter to sleep😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted January 1, 2017 Report Share Posted January 1, 2017 Pug which camera model do you have and is the picture clear?I have 7 of the Foscam 18910 cameras with one dedicated to just my kilns. I only have to do a slight angle adjustment on the camera to get it to focus on the kiln I am firing. I am attaching a screenshot from a video I captured using the camera while the kiln was firing one night. I have to turn off the infrared to get it to read the digital display because the heat of the kiln messes with the image which you can see in the second photo. Both images were taken in pitch black only difference is the one you can read has infrared turned off and the 2nd one has infrared turned on. They are not SUPER fabulous but for the price and capability to see them when away from home they totally worth it. I can see what my husband is doing upstairs while I am working in the studio without having to run up and down all day to check on him. I can check on my Pugs when I am away from home as well as see every door in the building. I have my phone set to send me a warning anytime one of the motion sensors goes off as well. I LOVE love love being able to simply roll over grab my phone or my iPad in the middle of the night to check on the kiln rather than running up and down downstairs repeatedly in my pjs. Sometimes I turn on the speaker and lay there and listen to it clicking away. When I get the flashing CPLT I scoot down, record the readouts, turn it off, throw the shut off switch and scamper back up the stairs to bed. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preeta Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 the last time holly logged in was to write this thread. she either discovered the answer herself or has been too busy with the holidays. she has not read even one reply on this thread. i wonder where holly is from. because i visited a friend of a friend's and came face to face with one of holly's xmas trees and thought of this thread. what a small world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Many folks just ask a question and never return-its very common on this site what ever happened to Holly is a solid question with no answers Now that xmas is gone we may never know-many of the xmas tree lots are all cleaned up and the trees are recycled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 The trees pictured seem to be a fairly common and popular item in "paint your pottery" shops; I believe the form can be either slip cast at the shop or bought premade/bisque-fired. The white is a glitter-type add-on after the glaze firing and the twinkle lights are installed. http://www.clay-king.com/bisquepages/holiday.htm And, just because there is not a recent log on doesn't mean the member has not come back to view threads as a guest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollyfaucheux Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 I am here! Sorry guys! I did end up refiring them and they came out fine! they were defaintly underfired... Although... speaking of,, TODAY iit looks like it happened to me AGAIN! I set my shut off at 8 hours.. Yestreday I did a glaze fire and it came out perfect with the 8 hour shut off... today.. not so much!!! I am thinking maybe something is going on with the kiln now! It is a really old kiln that my finances grandmother used when she did ceramics 20+ years ago and it has been sitting for that long.. I started messing around with it about 3 years ago because she was teaching me how to do ceramics. We did not use it a aol.. mainly a few times during Christmas and that was all. This year however, I thought i would put it out there and see if I could sell the ceramic christmas trees and apparenly A LOT of people still love them like i do and I got a response from them that I never would have imagined and defaintly NOT prepared for! So since about September the kiln has been running at least 3 times a week!! I am currently still finishing up with the last few trees and NOW THIS! Lets just say i am learning A LOT THE HARD WAY! haha, but I am ok with it as long as i learn, and know how to correct it! You guys have been a TON of help through this, because his grandmother doesnt remember a lot, and she is so scared to tell me the wrong thing to do, I try to find the answeres myself first!! (sorry for my speeling mishaps, i hate writting all this from my phone!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollyfaucheux Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 preeta, you have no idea how happy that makes me to see that my trees are getting around! What did you think about the quality?? Again, I am VERY new at this, so I would love to hear your comments coming from someone that probably know a whole lot more then I do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preeta Posted January 9, 2017 Report Share Posted January 9, 2017 preeta, you have no idea how happy that makes me to see that my trees are getting around! What did you think about the quality?? Again, I am VERY new at this, so I would love to hear your comments coming from someone that probably know a whole lot more then I do! Holly it looked great. i saw it in a low light room and i barely got to look at it, but it certainly looked professional. i couldnt even pick it up to see the signature in the back. i was there for a very serious scrabble meet and boy did people want to get on with the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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