mel jacobson on tue 18 oct 11
it is rather funny when i think that
i did that quick repair on my coil last
summer...2010.
i thought i could get one or two firings..but
now it is about 20 and the coil works just fine.
arnold has given me some great hints
with coil repair.
(arnold did a 30 page book of electric repair and
maintenance for our kiln book...amazing effort.)
if they are sagging, just heat them with the torch
and shove them back in their slots.
the key is using that bernz-o-matic torch.
get them red and you can do almost anything
with them. a long pliers is nice to have.
and gloves.
the advantage of coils is that you can
cut a piece out and stretch those babies
for many inches.
you may lose a little heat potential
but man...a couple of inches gone makes
no difference at all.
i have a new set of coils for that kiln and they
have been sitting for 5 years.
my coils are sprayed with itc 100 and i really
think they will last the rest of my life.
(the break in the coil was a pot hitting it...not
a mechanical break down.)
i have had to fix the wires outside the kiln. they
get old and need to be made new...my kiln is a
1966 L&L. found it at the dump.
works like a champ.
high, medium and low.
never blows up pots by itself. amazing.
( i cannot remember the last pot i blew up.)
even at hopkins high...three skutt 10/27's they did
not blow up pots either. of course all heavy pots,
3d pieces went on top of a kiln while it fired to pre/heat
and dry them. big stuff went through three firings on top
of the kiln. i would tell kids...`better to be sure than blow em up..
might as well be over/cautious with great work. two minutes to blow
em up/six weeks to make them over.`
no blow'd up pots.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
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