jonathan byler on mon 27 oct 08
I am looking at building an electric kiln, and was wondering if
anyone knows where to buy the L&L style element holders. They look
like the best way to keep the elements in place. I'm also curious as
to why no one else uses them. surely the patent is up on them by
now, no?
Do other find them to be as good a design feature as they seem to
me? Do the elements stay put as well as when they are just pinned in
a channel in cut into the soft brick?
thanks,
jon
jon byler
3-D Building Coordinator
Art Department
Auburn University, AL 36849
Snail Scott on wed 29 oct 08
On Oct 27, 2008, at 11:01 PM, jonathan byler wrote:
> ...L&L style element holders...
> Do other find them to be as good a design feature as they seem to
> me? Do the elements stay put as well as when they are just pinned in
> a channel in cut into the soft brick?
They really are a Good Thing. It's not so much that they
hold the elements better, but that the element channel
lip is the most fragile part of the kiln. Changing elements
with less-than-surgical delicacy, or just a careless move
when loading/unloading shelves or large work can knock
big chunks out of the channel lip. That's when you get
elements escaping, and the need for extra element pins,
and eventually, brick replacement. Beat-up element
channels are one of the major reasons (if not the number
one reason) that people give up on an otherwise workable
electric kiln.
I don't know the status of the design patent, but surely
it's not just the higher cost of production that keeps
them as an L&L exclusive. Maybe you could make an
extruder die to produce a near-equivalent for yourself?
You'd still have to rout the brick to fit them, of course.
-Snail
Arnold Howard on wed 29 oct 08
From: "jonathan byler"
>I am looking at building an electric kiln, and was
>wondering if
> anyone knows where to buy the L&L style element holders.
> They look
> like the best way to keep the elements in place. I'm also
> curious as
> to why no one else uses them.
I like the basic idea behind the element holder. However, it
has limitations. One reason we don't use element holders is
that a single groove per brick limits element wire gauge.
Elements in a two-groove brick can be heavier gauge than
elements in a one-groove brick.
Sincerely,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
William & Susan Schran User on wed 29 oct 08
On 10/28/08 12:01 AM, "jonathan byler" wrote:
> I am looking at building an electric kiln, and was wondering if
> anyone knows where to buy the L&L style element holders. They look
> like the best way to keep the elements in place. I'm also curious as
> to why no one else uses them. surely the patent is up on them by
> now, no?
I know L&L enlarged the size of the element holders a few years ago, but I
have no idea about patent timetable. Having these in the kiln does increase
cost and I suppose other kiln makers figure they're better if they keep the
cost of kilns lower.
>
> Do other find them to be as good a design feature as they seem to
> me? Do the elements stay put as well as when they are just pinned in
> a channel in cut into the soft brick?
All of our kilns, at school & in my studio are L&L's. Yes the elements stay
in place. Changing out the elements takes me about half the time of other
brands of kilns.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Snail Scott on thu 30 oct 08
On Oct 29, 2008, at 7:57 AM, Arnold Howard wrote:
> One reason we don't use element holders is
> that a single groove per brick limits element wire gauge.
> Elements in a two-groove brick can be heavier gauge than
> elements in a one-groove brick.
Why is that? -Snail
William & Susan Schran User on thu 30 oct 08
On 10/29/08 8:57 AM, "Arnold Howard" wrote:
> One reason we don't use element holders is
> that a single groove per brick limits element wire gauge.
> Elements in a two-groove brick can be heavier gauge than
> elements in a one-groove brick.
L&L enlarged their element holders a few years back to allow for heavier
gauge elements. I can't recall what gauge the last set of elements I got
were, but Stephen Lewicki had a set made for me, specifically for
crystalline glaze firing, that I could hardly bend the pig tails when
installing them.
L&L is now custom building their "quad kiln", has 4 runs of elements per
section. Was developed specifically for folks doing crystalline glazes and
is rated to ^12. They had one on display at last NCECA conference.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
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