Randy McCall on thu 26 apr 07
My kiln sitter seems to be hanging on the edge and is not shutting off the
kiln. I have prevented a couple of disasters by using my pyrometer and
observing the kiln prior to shutoff. It seems the sitter is hanging on the
edge of the lever.
Is there a way to take it out and clean it with steel wool. I was thinking
of burnishing the little hook some with a polishing tool.
Need instructions on taking it out of the kiln if that is the solution.
Any help with this is appreciated.
Randy
South Carolina
Pottery Web site
http://members.tripod.com/~McCallJ/index.html
Marcia Selsor on fri 27 apr 07
Randy,
You may need to adjust the position of the weight IN the lever. That
is the part that touches the lip hook from the rod of the
sitter.After a while they seem to move from their functioning action
of dropping.
To reposition the weight, take a small screw driver and loosenthe set
screw of the weight in the middle of the lever. There is a template
that comes with the sitter to correctly position the weight, If you
don't have one, place a cone into position inside the kiln. Set the
lip end from the rod on the outside to a position of 1/16 inch or so.
You could play around with a melted cone and see how much to need to
adjust the weight.
It takes less than a minute to keep this well adjusted.
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
William & Susan Schran User on fri 27 apr 07
On 4/26/07 6:42 PM, "Randy McCall" wrote:
> My kiln sitter seems to be hanging on the edge and is not shutting off the
> kiln. I have prevented a couple of disasters by using my pyrometer and
> observing the kiln prior to shutoff. It seems the sitter is hanging on the
> edge of the lever.
Here's a link to Paragon's site for manuals:
http://www.paragonweb.com/Instruction_Manuals.cfm
Scroll down the page and you'll find several manuals for the Dawson
Kilnsitter. Could be your sitter is simply out of adjustment or the sensing
rod may need to be replaced.
FYI - I'd suggest you start using witness cones in every firing you do. A
pyrometer will not provide you with an accurate picture of the work heat,
and the Kilnsitter is only as good as how well you keep it adjusted.
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Paul Herman on fri 27 apr 07
Randy,
Try rubbing some graphite (pencil) on the contact points where the
hook touches the part that drops and shuts the kiln off. I have done
this to my kiln sitter, and it seems to help a lot. Graphite is a dry
lubricant.
Best wishes,
Paul Herman
Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
http://greatbasinpottery.com
On Apr 26, 2007, at 3:42 PM, Randy McCall wrote:
> My kiln sitter seems to be hanging on the edge and is not shutting
> off the
> kiln. I have prevented a couple of disasters by using my pyrometer
> and
> observing the kiln prior to shutoff. It seems the sitter is
> hanging on the
> edge of the lever.
>
> Is there a way to take it out and clean it with steel wool. I was
> thinking
> of burnishing the little hook some with a polishing tool.
>
>
> Need instructions on taking it out of the kiln if that is the
> solution.
>
>
> Any help with this is appreciated.
>
>
> Randy
> South Carolina
> Pottery Web site
>
> http://members.tripod.com/~McCallJ/index.html
>
>
Arnold Howard on fri 27 apr 07
From: "Randy McCall"
> My kiln sitter seems to be hanging on the edge and is not
> shutting off the
> kiln.
The Kiln Sitter is beautifully engineered. Everyone who owns
one should know how to adjust it. A few common hand tools, a
firing gauge, and instructions are all that is required.
Randy, you can download the 20 page Dawson Kiln Sitter
instruction manual here:
http://www.paragonweb.com/Instruction_Manuals.cfm
Manuals are listed alphabetically. Scroll down to Dawson.
The manual contains detailed drawings for making the
adjustments.
You should buy a firing gauge ($5.75), which is used to
adjust the trigger (the part that is hanging up on your Kiln
Sitter). Maybe you already have one--it is a small disk with
a hole and two slots. People throw away the gauge
thinking it is part of the packing when they receive a
new kiln.
Lift the Kiln Sitter rod up and down. Does it move freely?
If movement is sluggish, you may need to replace the tube.
Sincerely,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
Lynn Goodman Porcelain Pottery on fri 27 apr 07
On Apr 26, 2007, at 6:42 PM, Randy McCall wrote:
> My kiln sitter seems to be hanging on the edge and is not shutting
> off the
> kiln. I have prevented a couple of disasters by using my pyrometer
> and
> observing the kiln prior to shutoff. It seems the sitter is
> hanging on the
> edge of the lever.
>
> Is there a way to take it out and clean it with steel wool. I was
> thinking
> of burnishing the little hook some with a polishing tool.
>
>
> Need instructions on taking it out of the kiln if that is the
> solution.
How old is it? You probably need to change the rod assembly with the
tube. (Don't change just the rod--it is easier and not much more
expensive to change the whole thing.)
Lynn
Lynn Goodman
Fine Porcelain Pottery
Cell 347-526-9805
www.lynngoodmanporcelain.com
Randy McCall on fri 27 apr 07
Thanks to all that responded. I have polished both the hook and the dropper
where they contact and have moved the weight down some. Seems to be working
much better. This kiln is over 35 years old and I don't think this part has
ever been adjusted. Will replace the tube and rod if this does not work.
Will test it carefully tomorrow for a bisque firing.
It keeps on trucking like the bunny rabbit. By the way it is a Skutt 1027
manual kiln.
Randy
South Carolina
Pottery Web site
http://members.tripod.com/~McCallJ/index.html
Vince Pitelka on fri 27 apr 07
Randy -
You've gotten some good advice, but if this kiln has some time on it, then
the best advice so far was from Lynn Goodman suggesting that you replace the
whole sensor tube/rod assembly. The sensing tube is the porcelain tube, and
the sensing rod is inside that tube and rests on the cone inside the kiln.
Over time, those rods can bend. Also, debris can accumulate inside the
porcelain tube, interferring with full movement of the rod. You can mess
around with straightening the rod, but if it has bent at all, it is usually
a sign that the metal is degrading. The sensing rod breaks down over time
just like the elements do.
Purchase the whole assembly of tube and rod, and make sure that you get one
the appropriate length for your kiln. When you have the part., disconnect
the electrical supply to the kiln, remove the screws that attach the kiln
sitter to the kiln shell, pull the kiln sitter and sensing tube away from
the kiln. With a very small screwdriver, loosen the screw that anchors the
little latch "shoe" to the outer end of the sensing rod, where it engages
the falling shutoff lever. Once you've removed the latch shoe, Remove the
kiln sitter cover, remove the large nut that attaches the sensing tube base
to the kln sitter housing, install the new sensing tube, tightening the nut
securely, and replace the kiln-sitter cover. Reinstall the little shoe on
the end of the new sensing rod, slide the sensing tube into the kiln, and
replace the mounting screws.
The new sensing tube/rod assembling comes with an adjustment gauge - that
little disk that fits over the cone support prongs and the sensing rod on
the inside of the kiln. Loosen the screws that allow you to adjust the
catch blade on the falling shutoff lever on the outside of the kiln sitter.
With the adjustment gauge in place on the inside of the kiln, adjust the
catch blade so that it just barely clears the shoe on the end of the sensing
rod, and re-tighten the screw on the catch blade.
Make sure that the sensing rod and shoe move up and down freely. If the
shoe seems to be rubbing on the little stainless steel guide plate, loosen
the two screws on the guide plate and reposition it so that there is no
friction against the shoe, and re-tighten the screws.
As long as the gauge is in place and the latch shoe just barely clears the
latch plate on the falling shutoff lever, the kiln sitter is perfectly
adjusted. It's really simple to do as long as you have that little gauge
disk. Be sure to keep the gauge disk where you can find it, so that you can
periodically readjust your kiln sitter.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
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