Snail Scott on wed 18 dec 02
At 09:41 PM 12/18/02 -0600, you wrote:
>...I fired up the kiln to glaze at cone 6. After 9.5 hours it shut off.
I opened the kiln at around 250 degrees to discover 3 of my pots, all white
with transparent glaze had melted into a heap. One had dripped off the
side and into a coil element.
>What can I do about the coil? Is it ruined? Can I still fire?
Sounds like you got some low-fire clay into that load! If
you use both stoneware and earthenware in your studio, be
very careful to keep the two clay bodies separated.
In the meantime: If it is not terribly melted, it may
actually pop off the element with a little teasing. If it
is really embedded, though, the element will probably need
replacing. I would get the mess out before trying to fire
again, so as to not make it worse. Replacing an element is
not too difficult with most kilns, and can be done in about
an hour (or two), usually.
If you have the instruction book for your kiln, just follow
its directions. If not, here's the general process:
First: SHUT OFF THE BREAKER, AND UNPLUG THE KILN.
Then: Open up the electrical box on the side of the kiln.
See how the element is connected. Is it a screw connector,
or a crimp connector? Screw connectors need a screwdriver
to deal with them. Crimp connectors need really studly
wire-cutters and lineman's pliers. Unscrew (or cut off)
the element at the connector. From inside the kiln, pull
any pins out form around the element, and then ease the
pigtail of the element through the hole (and maybe an
insulator plug). Gently pull the old element loose from
its groove. If it's old, it may break in pieces; that's
OK. Vacuum out the empty groove. Put the new element into
the groove, making sure the pre-fitted bends line up with
the corners, and tuck the pigtails through the hole into
the electric box, and refit the insulator plug if any.
Replace the element pins if needed; use as few as possible.
Then reattach the element to the electrical system. The
element should include a new connector in the package,
if needed. Tighten VERY well. Close the electrical box.
Then plug in, and reset the breaker.
-Snail
Rudy Claassen on wed 18 dec 02
I am a newbie to pottery and to this listserv. I fired up the kiln to =
glaze at cone 6. After 9.5 hours it shut off. I opened the kiln at =
around 250 degrees to discover 3 of my pots, all white with transparent =
glaze had melted into a heap. One had dripped off the side and into a =
coil element.
What can I do about the coil? Is it ruined? Can I still fire?
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