artteachrm Posted June 9, 2021 Report Share Posted June 9, 2021 Hello and thanks in advance for the help and advice! I just got a Duncan Ea820-2 Kiln for my home studio. It already has a center peep hole in the lid. I am installing an ENVIRO-VENT 2 Kiln Vent (the kiln will be in my garage). Do I need to fill in the center peep hole and drill the 2 holes near the edge as directed in the instructions? Or will it function the same? If I do need to fill it, what is the best way to go about doing that? Also, it has some interior bricks that have some dings in them, what is the best product to fix those with? The elements all look good and I will "Kleenex" test them before I do my first (practice) firing. Anything else I should know before I start using it? I taught ceramics for years, but only used the industrial kilns at school so the home kiln ownership is new to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted June 9, 2021 Report Share Posted June 9, 2021 The peep hole will be too big, and should be plugged when using the vent. You can make a plug out of a piece of kiln brick, or stuff it with fiber blanket. I'd make a plug, so you can remove it to help speed up cooling when needed. You can also make a plug out of clay, but make it hollow, and it would also be a good idea to mix some sawdust or flour or coffee grounds or any sort of organic material to reduce the density of the clay so it handles the uneven heating better. Bisque fire it. Then drill the small holes per the instructions that came with your vent. Depending on the size of the hole, you may also be able to get away with setting a kiln post over the hole to block it, which may be just drafty enough that you don't need to drill the smaller holes. Bricks cannot be fixed in a way that is permanent and durable. For now just pin the element if the break in the element groove is more than an inch wide. If it's more than a couple of inches wide, I would then replace the brick the next time you replace the elements. Happy firing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artteachrm Posted June 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2021 16 hours ago, neilestrick said: The peep hole will be too big, and should be plugged when using the vent. You can make a plug out of a piece of kiln brick, or stuff it with fiber blanket. I'd make a plug, so you can remove it to help speed up cooling when needed. You can also make a plug out of clay, but make it hollow, and it would also be a good idea to mix some sawdust or flour or coffee grounds or any sort of organic material to reduce the density of the clay so it handles the uneven heating better. Bisque fire it. Then drill the small holes per the instructions that came with your vent. Depending on the size of the hole, you may also be able to get away with setting a kiln post over the hole to block it, which may be just drafty enough that you don't need to drill the smaller holes. Bricks cannot be fixed in a way that is permanent and durable. For now just pin the element if the break in the element groove is more than an inch wide. If it's more than a couple of inches wide, I would then replace the brick the next time you replace the elements. Happy firing! Thank you so much Neil! You are a wealth of wonderful information. This is the hole in the lid, it is 1" in diameter. (pictures attached) Is this small enough to just cover with a post? If so, do I completely cover it so there is no hole showing? (I don't line up the hole in the post with it) As for the bricks, the elements are still seated well, so no worries there, just crumbling in a few places or dented (also attaching pictures). Any way to fix or patch them? How much of a problem will they be? Thank you again for your help and advice, they are both greatly appreciated. Rebecca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted June 10, 2021 Report Share Posted June 10, 2021 See if you can get a post to sit mostly flush over the hole and see if it works. You can always make a plug if it doesn't work well. Most kilns are drafty enough that you don't really need to drill the holes in the lid. Dented bricks are no big deal. The breaks in the element grooves aren't a problem as long as they're small. Just put an element pin there to keep it from sagging in the hole. If the breaks are big, like over 1 1/2 - 2" or so, then you may want to replace the brick the next time you replace elements. Elements get soft when they get hot, so the bigger the break the more likely the element will sag out of the hole. Pins will keep it from falling out, but pins don't support the element very evenly so the element still tends to bunch up if there are a lot of pins used in one area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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