William & Susan Schran User on sat 25 mar 06
On 3/24/06 9:24 PM, "Holly Shaw" wrote:
> has anyone had success replacing just one of an ageing set of elements?
> I'm a major cheapskate and would obviously love to squeeze all the life out
> of the elements that I can, I ordered the heavy duty elements originally
> because I thought I would get considerably more life out of them.
>
> - Anyone used Duralite or Euclid instead of manufacture recommended parts?
> (The kilns' warranty has expired so that is not a concern.)
>
> - Are all replacement elements made of the Kanthal wire?
>
> If I have to bite the bullet and replace all the elements I'm looking into
> the ITC 213 coating.
> -Any helpful advice on best application method, consistancy, things to avoid
> coating? Can older 'already kiln washed' shelves be coated or does the
> shelf surface need to be pristine?
Have worked with L&L products for many years.
Have replaced entire sets of elements and have replaced individual elements.
FYI - replaced single elements due to too heavy a coating of ITC that ended
up burning out a section of the element (happened 3 times) and actually
burned through the ceramic element holder!
We got a small L&L programmable for doing ^6 crystalline firings with the
heavy duty elements. Have done more than 40 firings, not much change in
firing times yet.
I'd suggest replacing the single element and making sure the meltdown area
is repaired properly.
I've also gotten elements from Euclid's and didn't note a difference with
the original manufacturer's elements, but that was regular elements, not the
heavy duty ones.
Most all elements are Kanthal, it's the gauge (how thick) that makes the
difference.
Scrape the loose kiln wash from the shelves, then wash with scrubbing brush
and a little water to get all old wash that will come off. Then recoat with
new wash. I use a small paint roller to get a more even surface.
-- William "Bill" Schran
Fredericksburg, Virginia
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
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