Pres Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 Hi folks, another question from Pres, as there seems to be nothing new in the question pool. When you repair( equipment, like a wheel, kiln or other equipment) do you use the manufacturers parts or do you use out of house parts(from another parts supplier)? I have gone both routes when repairing equipment over the years. In the long run, ordering things like elements from a second hand house ended up to be more of a hassle than the savings was worth, and at the same time it seemed I was burning elements faster. As far as belts, one of the wheels I had would use a V-belt from an auto parts store. I also found rubber drive pucks for my motorized kick wheel at an industrial parts store. In the long run though, I have found that the support with the manufacturer and quality of parts was best bang for the buck in house. What have you experiences been? So once again question of the week: When you repair do you use the manufacturer parts or out of house part? GEP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Pres said: Hi folks, another question from Pres, as there seems to be nothing new in the question pool. When you repair( equipment, like a wheel, kiln or other equipment) do you use the manufacturers parts or do you use out of house parts(from another parts supplier)? I have gone both routes when repairing equipment over the years. In the long run, ordering things like elements from a second hand house ended up to be more of a hassle than the savings was worth, and at the same time it seemed I was burning elements faster. As far as belts, one of the wheels I had would use a V-belt from an auto parts store. I also found rubber drive pucks for my motorized kick wheel at an industrial parts store. In the long run though, I have found that the support with the manufacturer and quality of parts was best bang for the buck in house. What have you experiences been? So once again question of the week: When you repair do you use the manufacturer parts or out of house part? I like OEM for elements or at least known very high quality elements by others, even when more costly. For proprietary stuff, knobs, handles, etc... probably the manufacture. Grooved bricks, OEM for sure. For products they don’t produce themselves, relays I can buy equal or in many cases superior. For wire and connectors I will often buy superior because it’s available and I have specific knowledge it is common in other industries. For the simplest of things That are costly for the manufacture to build in all their kilns but simple for me to do a single kiln, say a rusty #8 sheet metal screw, it probably just gets replaced with a #10 stainless. So I guess to answer your question, both - always trying to replace with anything reasonably known superior so hopefully I don’t have to revisit it in the near future. Edited March 10, 2020 by Bill Kielb JohnnyK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Branfman Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 It depends on the piece of equipment and the part. Many manufacturers of pottery equipment; wheels kilns, slab rollers, etc, use stock parts that are also used in the manufacture of other items, industrial equipment and more. I agree when it comes to elements. My experience with third party elements over the years has been inconsistent and years ago I decided to only use elements manufactured by the kiln maker. However, fuses, drive belts, bearings, motors, status lights, switches, insulated wire, switches, electrical connectors, and other parts are often available from other sources.. The key to success is to be sure that the replacement part is either an identical part or a direct replacement. If you aren't confident in your own knowledge, or experience, or that of the source of the replacement part, your only option is the manufacturer of the equipment that you're repairing. JohnnyK, Magnolia Mud Research, Bill Kielb and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 I like to tinker so I always try to reverse engineer anything I use. Doesn't always turn out well, but I feel like I understand what I'm doing a lot better once I've tinkered with it. In my head, everything can be fixed and companies do not invent things. That means anything can be fixed if it's not some kind of structural deficit. When I tell people that, so many people say yeah you can fix anything yourself but it's not worth the time. Well I guess that depends on your definition of worth? If knowledge is worthless then I agree! In that case ignorance is bliss. But if you find value in knowledge then any experience repairing or maintaining your equipment is priceless. So this is sort of in the same vein as last week... If I can see a path, I will take it! JohnnyK, Pres and Bill Kielb 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 Sometimes OEM parts are the way to go -that said If I can make it better/stronger/work longer with other better parts I'm all in with that. So really its a mix. Pres and JohnnyK 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted March 11, 2020 Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 When it comes to kiln elements I always go with OEM. Each company makes their elements a little differently, and having their specific elements in the kiln can help with diagnosing problems because they know how it should be working. I use OEM bricks, of course, because they won't line up well otherwise. Beyond that, everything else on a kiln is off the shelf stuff. All the switches, relays, wiring, etc can be purchased elsewhere. Some things I can get cheaper from the kiln manufacturer, some things I can't . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 Boy, would I like to have your supplier listing! best, Pres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted March 12, 2020 Report Share Posted March 12, 2020 OEM, third party, (may I add) used/repurposed, or (also adding) fabricated part(s) - depends; I have and will weigh the factors and try to make the best decision. Hi Ken! Your question probably belongs in its own thread under Equipment Use and Repair topic. Replacing a switch, my guess would be that the replacement switch should match up in terms of amperage rating. Could you supply the model number, voltage and amperage of your kiln, and perhaps some pics as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted March 13, 2020 Report Share Posted March 13, 2020 On 3/11/2020 at 1:17 PM, Pres said: Boy, would I like to have your supplier listing! best, Pres It's not that impressive. I just have a few online sources I get most things from. There's really only about half a dozen things that the vast majority of my kiln repairs need. Pres 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronfire Posted March 16, 2020 Report Share Posted March 16, 2020 Usually try to get locally, sometimes from auto shops. Used a hockey puck for a new drive wheel on an Estrin powerd Kick wheel. Met a person the other day visiting here that had made my Kiln elements and claimed he worked on Building the Estrin wheels for the Vancouver school board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted March 16, 2020 Report Share Posted March 16, 2020 McMastercarr is one of my go to suppliers for many items-not cheap but always top quality. They have a incrediable selection of materials. I have a box of parts coming tomorrow . https://www.mcmaster.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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