New L & L kiln

[grackle]

well, this firing turned out ok.  there were some problems, mostly caused by glaze being a bit thin, altho, i think it still might have been a bit hot.  i am still relearning about how long to dip pieces in glaze, and what combinations of glaze i can expect to work--always trying new bits of combinations, also slowly some new glazes.  i make a lot of coffee/tea cups, as they seem to lend themselves to experimentation.  if a piece turns out poorly, it is usually something i did.

now my big question is should i have waited when the genesis said I had reached cone 5 and i let it go 3 more degrees and shut it down, or should i have waited 5,6,7,8,9 10 degrees just to see what happened.  i get so invested in the pieces i have in the kiln--would hate to see a big load ruined.  ineed to check the firing log and see if each of the 3 thermocouples is represented by temp.  must admit, i have not checked that thoroughly.  

when i used a kiln sitter, i just waited until the tiny cone sagged and the kiln turned off!!!

will definitely have cones in there next time.

[neilestrick]

4 hours ago, grackle said:

will definitely have cones in there next time.

If you know it's firing hot, then it would be worth your time to run an empty load with cones and get it dialed in so you don't have to watch it. It may take a couple of firings, but it'll be worth it in the long run to be able to trust your controller.

[grackle]

so, still wondering why my L and L kiln did not shut off when it reached temp.  have not fired it since then (off traveling).  the work inside was fine, not my best work, but that happens no matter what sometimes.  planning to call the company when i get home.

[Min]

31 minutes ago, grackle said:

so, still wondering why my L and L kiln did not shut off when it reached temp.

Did you have it programmed to reach a specific temperature or a specific cone? When you were looking at the screen were you looking at one single temp or the temp of all three thermocouples?

[grackle]

apparently, i still have a lot more to learn about what the info provided by the kiln can tell me!!  i programmed it to fire to cone 5.  i started with cone 6 firings, but it was obvious it was firing a bit too hot.  have been on the road for the past month, but will check all the info about the last firing when i get home next week.

[grackle]

thank you all!  when i get home, i will certainly do more test firings.  so if i just run an empty kiln with cones, would not that be different than a kiln with ware inside???  i did that when i first received the kiln which made me realize it was firing hot.  and since most of my glazes are cone 5/6, i just assumed cone five would work.  i know all about the assume thing!!!

[Bill Kielb]

1 hour ago, grackle said:

  i programmed it to fire to cone 5.  i started with cone 6 firings, but it was obvious it was firing a bit too hot.

I have read through this and cannot tell if you are using witness cones to confirm things are “too hot”. Cones sense temperature but also time at a temperature or heat work. The target cone temperature built into the controller is a target which can change a bit depending upon the amount of heat work calculated. Often this depends on the load as well. The controller keeps calculating the heatwork which often ends on or near the target. Witness cones are the only way to know what the kiln truly fired to. In the end, the best firing for your clay and glaze is the one your glazes behave the best in.

Edited September 24, 2022 by Bill Kielb

[grackle]

yes.  I did use witness cones--5, 6 ,7 to see what the kiln actually fired to.  6 and 7  were slumped ALL the way down, which surprised me.  the tip of 5 was touching the kiln shelf.  the ware itself gave me the impression of a firing that was a bit too hot/overfired.

I stared with ceramics in the late 90's, and continued for about 10-12 years, and then stopped as I had other things going on.  Sold all my equipment, and thought that was it.  (pretty dumb when I think about it now)  the Skutt I had used a kiln sitter, so never really knew anything about electronic controls until now.

after retiring, i realized I still wanted to do more, and bought an L and L kiln--mostly because during the covid stuff, it was the only one readily available at the time--had a skutt originally.  and a wheel, a brent.  now have a pacifica which is just fine..

using cone 6 clay from armadillo now and also some cone 5/6 porcelain--which is delightful to work with.  have to admit, i am NOT crazy about the idea of looking in the viewing thing to see what the cones are doing--just too hot, and hard to find those special glasses.  last few firings at cone 5 have turned out well, but I will definitely use the witness cones next time I fire a glaze kiln.  

[Bill Kielb]

2 hours ago, grackle said:

I did use witness cones--5, 6 ,7 to see what the kiln actually fired to.  6 and 7  were slumped ALL the way down, which surprised me.  the tip of 5 was touching the kiln shelf

Double check the numbering on your cones. If five was tipped then 6 and 7 are hotter and will not be bent. If you are firing to cone 5 then a popular stack would be 4,5,6. Or guide, fire, guard if you will. The operator would see 4 begin to go down which was a guide or warning that things are close and observe until 5 goes down. That should leave cone 6 still standing.

 IR rated glasses can be purchased online pretty easily and IR 3 or higher are often suggested. Regular sunglasses won’t cut it kilns produce infrared not UV rays. Protect your eyes.