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HELP - how does this kiln work


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Lol, yeah I saw the science museum one! 

I did fire it and it did heat up, even got it to orange glow, all elements were on! 

The problem is it just shut off after a couple of hours which meant the glaze wasn’t really affected apart from the white turning gray ( see previous photo).

The thermocouple is intact but had like a ceramic tube over it which I took out as it’s base is broken a bit.

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odd indeed, no elements in back wall, elements in door?

reset button functioning?

looks in good nick old electricals aside.

If going on with it I'd install a separate timer which switches off the supply after the set time you know it takes to mature your glazes.

one kiln I had was 50 plus years old but of the original kiln, the framework and a couple off odd bits were the only things standing. Can still get parts etc, one Old codger gad notes on every kiln h made and where they went ,when factory clos ed down early seventies he continued to service, make elements for etc.

his efficiency could make you weep!

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For its age and condition, even though the controller has a top end of 1200C you may be relegated to producing Low-Fire products. As was mentioned above, witness cones would probably be your best indicator of the temps reached in the kiln... Good Luck!

JohnnyK

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A wee update: 

i just tried it again with the following set up within the kiln. 

It reached a kinda orange glow ( seen through the peep hole) after about 40 min. 

Sadly it switched off again by the time I checked about 15 min later. 

I suspect it’s the extension cord I have been using ( as the kiln is outside )  - the kiln plug was very warm and the extension cord had tripped.

Will find a heavy duty cord first  before moving the very heavy kiln nearer a socket. 

 

51D602D1-DB28-4224-AF9E-41CCCF6474C9.jpeg

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  • 5 weeks later...

Hi,

I have just inherited my Grandmother's Mills and Hubball kiln. I don't know how to use it either! My kiln does not have a temperature controller like yours however. I only have a few scant photos at the moment, but also is a 14amp.  The photos also include the fuse board my grandfather rigged up at his place (he was an electrician). However my father has got it working. I just need to transport it to my house. My question is, can I put it in my shed? It always lived in my grandparent's garage on a concrete floor. The only place I have for it is in a large shed on a wooden floor. Is this crazy?

My father in law is an electrician so I appreciate I may be about to ask him to run a cable up there!

I can't seem to upload the pictures as they are too large. Please do follow the link. https://photos.app.goo.gl/K7GBgL9QcQTMLb8f1 

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Anna

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Hi Anna, 

it looks like you do have some sort of temperature measure ( photo).

i have managed two glaze firings so far with a new heavy duty extension cable but still only on a normal socket. 

I put it on low for 2 hrs with the peep hole open, then med for 2 hrs with peep hole open and then to high till it glows yellow orange and I can see the glaze looking shiny with the peep hole closed. 

I never seem to have reached the temperature I put on the dial though as the both lights stay on. One of them is supposed to switch off when it has reached it. 

Really would prefer your kinda separate setup - need to find an electrician first though. 

 

Thanks Sputty, your the fireing chart, it has helped to gage the temperature. I use Maycos stroke and coat glazes just now.

 

C68FC5CA-637E-44C5-8DB8-391D97F70375.jpeg

4C9B875B-F930-414C-B791-A359427AAA8A.jpeg

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  • 11 months later...

Hiya,

 

Weirdly I have inherited a kiln the same as yours Anna, it is missing some elements and doesn't heat up however the light does come on. Do you know of anywhere you can get spares for the kiln? I have a standard 13 amp plug coming out the back of the kiln, does that seem right? Feeling it may be a lost cause as I can find no info on this make apart from on here. 

Any information will be gratefully received

 

Hannah

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  • 1 year later...

WARNING CONTAINS ASBESTOS

Hi all, 

I also have one of these kilns and had it tested for asbestos. Unfortunately the panels are AIB and are very dangerous. Please do not touch or move it and get it removed professionally. The damage has been done to me and my partner but no one else needs to suffer. 
 

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3 hours ago, JMmr said:

WARNING CONTAINS ASBESTOS

Hi all, 

I also have one of these kilns and had it tested for asbestos. Unfortunately the panels are AIB and are very dangerous. Please do not touch or move it and get it removed professionally. The damage has been done to me and my partner but no one else needs to suffer. 
 

Thank you for the info. Just to be clear, we're talking about this specific brand of kiln, Mills and Hubball, correct? Are the actual wall panels holding the elements asbestos, or just the backup insulation? Sorry to hear of your injury. Was it due to regular use of the kiln? I've honestly never heard of asbestos injury due to kiln use, so any additional information you can give us would be very helpful.

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Hi 


That’s right, the side panels are all AIB. The real nasty stuff (just below raw asbestos flocking). They came back as about 45% asbestos. 
 

The insulation bricks aren’t made of AIB- just the panels. Regular use of the kiln most likely won’t release many fibres but moving it does cause signifiant dust to come out- most likely a mixture of asbestos and brick dust.  The kiln weighs at least 150kg so that’s a lot of pressure on something so dangerous.
 

I’ve just been exposed to the stuff (moving one of these out of a dusty cellar)- won’t find out if it’s done any damage until 20+ years from now.  I doubt it won’t but any exposure is too much exposure. All the same I just wanted to make sure everyone on here knew what they were dealing with.

Take care all,

Jon 

 

 

 

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Sorry to hear about that exposure @JMmr.  I hope you are fortunate enough, that it doesn't lead to any long term issues.

I just find it interesting that even the Ancient Greeks knew that asbestos was likely bad news, despite its beneficial properties.  Yet humans continued to use it for centuries longer, if not more. 

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8 hours ago, Benzine said:

Yet humans continued to use it for centuries longer, if not more. 

Still used for brake pads and such. Very useful material actually used properly. It was added to building products because of its resistance to fire which at the time was very fatal to humans. Lots of dangerous natural materials actually that are useful such as uranium and the prodigy of. Clay and many ceramics chems fairly dangerous to human life actually. I think abundance of caution always a good idea especially for ceramic artists. Proper ventilation,  low dust, caution with leaching and use of oxides probably should be some things at the top of our list.

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On 9/29/2020 at 6:03 AM, Bill Kielb said:

Still used for brake pads and such. Very useful material actually used properly.

I wasn't aware of that.

My house has asbestos siding, probably done in the '50s, over top of the original wood siding.  The color is pretty bland, but I have no desire to mess with it, as it's durable stuff.

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  • 1 month later...

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