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itc spray/gas/elec.

updated mon 2 oct 00

 

mel jacobson on sun 1 oct 00


june, i think you have a clear idea of what you are doing.

the major problem with sprayers is that they let it go on
too thick.
frosting.

if you keep your material thin, spray with about 35 lbs constant
and control your thickness, you have it. (just have a partner with
you like kurt, and he will stir like mad and keep things in suspension.)

i took out my old coils, cleaned the carcass with lots of water
and a brush, sprayed the inside of the kiln with a good coat of
water. waited about 15 minutes and applied a thin coat of 100 to the
entire inside.

i had cleaned and dipped my coils the night before, we use the coiled
back up, splash and shake in the 213 method.

installed the new coils (doug gray did the final connections, he is
learning to be a master electrician.) then put a nice even coat
of 100 on the entire inside of the kiln.
fired it to dry...then coated it with 296A. we will have no
problem getting the coils out...but do not think we will ever have to.

fired to cone 11 in about 5 hours.
perfect reds and shino. good body reduction.
fired down a bit.

i think the `bird lady` did not have enough gas pressure.
or, her bunsen was not big enough for the kiln size.

she should have had about a two inch back pressure flame
at the spy hole.
we had to turn our gas down, the back pressure was about 4 inches.

our only problem was learning how to stack....the kiln seems to
need a great deal of alternating with the shelves. one cannot
block the flow of reduction. the more we stagger, the better the
reduction flows to all the pots.
nils may have more to add.

mel
if a kiln can fire to 2,000f. i do not think it needs a blanket
around it when it gets to zero degrees f. in the winter.
just put plastic over it. kilns do not care if they are chilly.




FROM MINNETONKA, MINNESOTA, USA
http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)

Robert Santerre on sun 1 oct 00


Mel,

I'm confused. When you say:

<< installed the new coils (doug gray did the final connections, he is
learning to be a master electrician.) then put a nice even coat
of 100 on the entire inside of the kiln.
fired it to dry...then coated it with 296A. we will have no
problem getting the coils out...but do not think we will ever have to.

fired to cone 11 in about 5 hours.
perfect reds and shino. good body reduction.
fired down a bit. >>

do you mean that you have an electric kiln that you're firing in reduction to cone
11 in 5 hrs? How are you getting reduction, are you firing with gas as well as
electricity? Which energy source is providing the majority of the heat work? Is
the gas being used mainly to achieve a reducing atmosphere? Are you monitoring
this with an oxygen probe?

Bob
rfsanterre@iquest.net

Ingeborg Foco on sun 1 oct 00


Mel,

I would agree that a kiln doesn't need to be kept warm. However, I was
under the impression electronics on a kiln should not be subjected to
freezing and thawing. I always bring in my digital oxyprobe as well as my
analog pyrometer when there is a chill in the night air. Is this another
old wives tale to be dispelled? Someone let me know. Thanks.

Ingeborg
ifoco@teleport.com


Mel said:
if a kiln can fire to 2,000f. i do not think it needs a blanket
> around it when it gets to zero degrees f. in the winter.
> just put plastic over it. kilns do not care if they are chilly.
>
>
>
>
>

Barney Adams on sun 1 oct 00


It's true. Electronics actually like the lower temps. They don't like
moisture though so morning dew would be a bad thing.

Barney

Ingeborg Foco wrote:

> Mel,
>
> I would agree that a kiln doesn't need to be kept warm. However, I was
> under the impression electronics on a kiln should not be subjected to
> freezing and thawing. I always bring in my digital oxyprobe as well as my
> analog pyrometer when there is a chill in the night air. Is this another
> old wives tale to be dispelled? Someone let me know. Thanks.
>
> Ingeborg
> ifoco@teleport.com
>
> Mel said:
> if a kiln can fire to 2,000f. i do not think it needs a blanket
> > around it when it gets to zero degrees f. in the winter.
> > just put plastic over it. kilns do not care if they are chilly.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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