John Post on thu 30 mar 06
it??
I would see if you could remove the pins that hold the kiln to the hinge.
Then flip it over so that the ruined side now faces up.
See how well the other side sits on the kiln.
At axner pottery they sell this stuff called kiln cement or something
like it.
I had a kiln lid that was cosmetically ugly but worked ok, it had some
crap from a ceiling dripping onto it.
I just painted the kiln cement on there and now it looks brand new.
So... flip your lid and then paint the axner cement on the ugly side
which will now be the top.
Kiln lids sometimes fit better if you leave them unhinged and just
remove them every time you load the kiln.
With large lids, this is hard to do, but it does work on smaller kilns.
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Robert Seele on thu 30 mar 06
it??
On Mar 29, 2006, at 10:24 PM, Belinda Willis wrote:
> What=92s the best way to fix my treasured and much loved kiln???
If the gap is not too wide,
you could sand the whole top down evenly.
Get a piece of particle board,
the type used to make counter tops,
of a very flat piece of plywood.
Cut it 6 inches or so larger than the top of the kiln.
Glue several pieces of sand paper to the particle board,
and sand slowly.
Hint DIY
Bob Seele
Taylor Hendrix on thu 30 mar 06
it??
Don't hate me Belinda:
Buy replacement bricks if you can and the kiln is not too much of an
old timer. Go ahead and use fiber blanket pieces if you're 80 years
old or older. Otherwise be good to your lungs and say no to fiber.
Repair goop might work, but it's not really designed as a caulk ( I
don't think). Perhaps if you had old IFBs you could crush up some,
add to the repair goop and fill back up, using the plastic bag method
for a good fit, but I would be very careful around your elements if
you go that route. Be advised, that stuff is HARD to sand.
If you lived in Rockport, I would put the replacement bricks in for
you. Just cost you a Dr Pepper. Honest.
Taylor, in Rockport TX
http://wirerabbit.blogspot.com
http://wirerabbitpots.blogspot.com
http://clayartmugshots.blogspot.com
Vince Pitelka on thu 30 mar 06
it??
Belinda wrote:
"A few months back someone posted about making the lid of an electric kiln
fit better by carefully sanding down the high spots. I was oh so carefully
in the process of doing that. almost had a perfect fit. when my dear sweet
husband happened by. He assured me he knew a way to make the top of the
kiln perfectly flat using a piece of lumber wrapped with sandpaper to form
a flat sanding surface. . . . . Well...you know what happened. Its
impossible to convey to someone how
delicate fire brick is until they have ruined a brick or two...or one side
of a kiln, as the case may be."
Belinda -
I think that you identified the most effective method. We have done the
same thing. Get a high-duty refractory cement from your ceramic supplier.
When you are ready to do the job, unplug the kiln or disconnect the circuit
breaker, spray the surface of the insulation bricks atop the kiln walls with
a liberal amount of water (the kiln cement must air-set before it dries),
apply a generous layer of cement, cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and
gently lower the kiln lid. As soon as the cement barely begins to set up,
you can lift the lid, remove the plastic wrap, and use a fettling knife to
trim off any cement that squeezed out the edges. Make sure you do it at
this stage, because once the refractory cement cures, it will be MUCH harder
and much more durable than the insulation brick.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Marcia Selsor on thu 30 mar 06
it??
You idea of the kiln cement sounds good. I like the touch with the =20
plastic wrap.
Also they make fiber rope that is used as a gasket seal for kiln lids =20=
by some manufacturers.
Its nice that your husband tried to help. Mine does too sometimes. =20
And sometimes its a good
thing and other times....
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
On Mar 29, 2006, at 9:24 PM, Belinda Willis wrote:
> A few months back someone posted about making the lid of an =20
> electric kiln
> fit better by carefully sanding down the high spots. I was oh so =20
> carefully
> in the process of doing that=85 almost had a perfect fit=85 when my =20=
> dear sweet
> husband happened by. He assured me he knew a way to make the top =20
> of the
> kiln perfectly flat using a piece of lumber wrapped with sandpaper =20
> to form
> a flat sanding surface. He was so insistent that it would work and =20=
> I just
> can=92t say no to him so I explained how very soft kiln brick is, =20
> begged him
> to be careful and with every fiber of my being yelling =20
> =93NOOOoooooo=94 I let
> him sand the top surface of my beloved kiln.
>
> Well=85..you know what happened. Its impossible to convey to someone =20=
> how
> delicate fire brick is until they have ruined a brick or two=85..or =20=
> one side
> of a kiln, as the case may be.
>
> I=92m doing a glaze firing right now. The top thermocouple is =20
> registering
> more than 80 degrees cooler than the middle and bottom. I even =20
> turned off
> the kiln vent in an effort to even out the temperature and after =20
> nearly
> three hours it=92s having no effect.
>
> What=92s the best way to fix my treasured and much loved kiln???
>
> Can I smear kiln repair cement on the top surface of the kiln body, =20=
> cover
> that with a layer of plastic wrap and then lower the top until the =20
> cement
> sets? Seems to me that would result in a tight fit between the =20
> kiln and
> the lid. Would repair cement be sturdy enough to withstand the =20
> wear and
> tear of loading and unloading the kiln?
>
> Or would it be better to get some kiln fiber and put a layer of =20
> that down
> before closing the lid? How dangerous is it respiratory-wise to be =20=
> moving
> fiber around that much??
>
> Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Belinda Willis
> www.greatpottery.com
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
Belinda Willis on fri 31 mar 06
it??
Taylor and Arnold,
Thank you for the responses and advice regarding my kiln sanding
catastrophe. Per Arnold=92s warning, I=92ll stay away from the repair cement=
and per Taylor=92s, I=92ll stay away from the fiber blanket. Guess I=92ll ha=
ve to
use bubble gum.
In reality, the gap between the top of the kiln and the bottom of the lid
is a fraction of an inch but when the kiln is firing, it looks like you
could drive a car thru it. I hate that glowing red line so I may end up
replacing the bricks =96 it would be just two, thankfully.
Turns out its not as bad as I feared. There was a 30 minute hold at top
temp so that gave the cooler area time to catch up some. When the kiln was
unloaded this afternoon, the cone pack (love those cone packs!) on the top
shelf had ^5 flat and ^6 just starting to lean so it was a hard ^5 glaze
firing there. The middle and lower portions of the kiln showed ^6 with tip
touching and ^7 just starting to lean. So, if that=92s the worst I have to
deal with, I can handle it. Before the sanding project tho, the entire kiln
fired within a few degrees top to bottom.
The major effect I noticed was that my usual 14-ish hour firing (which
includes the controlled cool down) took 16+ hours. For those that aren=92t
familiar with a computerized kiln with three thermocouples, the computer
has a lag feature. If one thermocouple is reading significantly lower than
the others, the others slow down the heat so the cold spot can catch up.
The cold spot at the top of my kiln made the firing take close to 2 hours
longer than usual. I was concerned about heat work making the lower levels
go to ^7 but luckily they didn=92t. However, here in California, when the
kiln is fired, the electricity costs 32 cents a kilowatt hour so an extra 2
hours per firing will eventually add up.
Thank you, Guys, for taking the time to respond to my post. And Taylor,
I=92m hoping to move to Austin in the next year. I=92ll stock up with some =
of
those real cane sugar Dr. Peppers. I have a friend there who makes regular
runs to Waco just for his Dr. Pepper fix.
Belinda Willis
www.greatpottey.com
Belinda Willis on fri 31 mar 06
it??
Well, heck. There was more lag time than I expected between hitting the
send button and my post showing up on the list. My response to Taylor and
Arnold, sent in yesterday, was supposed to be listed right after Arnold=92s.=
Oh, well.
Bob =96 your idea of gluing sandpaper to a sheet of plywood is great. That'=
s
basically what my husband did except he did it with a scrawny piece of
2x4. If he=92d used plywood as you suggested, I would not be in this
situation now. You think outside a bigger box than we do. But I have to
say, your best advise was =93DIY=94 Oh, when will I learn?
Vince, - Shucks, I=92ve already ordered Lee=92s Amazing Kiln Patch, which I
must admit, sounds pretty darn good. If for some reason it doesn=92t do the=
trick; my second line of defense will be to follow your advice. It=92s nice=
to know I came up with a viable fix on my own even if I didn=92t know what
material to use to properly carry it out. The good part is that your
response will be forever posted for others who experience a heavy hand with
sandpaper.
Marcia =96 happy to see I=92m not the only one torn between gratitude toward=
s
the husband and an overwhelming desire to wring his neck.
A big thank-you to everyone for helping me out. My life is such that I
sometimes go weeks and occasionally even months without having time to read
the list. Right now, I have the time so I=92m spending every available
moment reading the archives of the past few weeks. Its like I=92ve been
holding my head under water for a month.
Belinda
www.greatpottery.com
Belinda Willis on fri 31 mar 06
it??
I wrote a thank-you to Taylor and Arnold that hasn=92t make it to the list
yet. Hope it gets thru.
Anyway=85..John, THANK YOU. The sanded damage to my kiln is to the body, no=
t
the lid otherwise I=92d just flip the lid and keep going. But=85.I just cal=
led
Anxer.
They have something called =93Lee=92s Amazing Kiln Patch.=94 It claims to m=
ake
firebricks stronger, glue firebricks, and act as a filler for chipped
firebricks. It can be thickened and used to patch larger areas of a kiln.
And kiln fiber can be added to it for additional effect. It=92s a liquid.
$12-ish for a pint, with shipping to California, about $20 total.
Once I repair my kiln and fire it a couple of times, I=92ll report back to
the List on how well this product works. It sure sounds good!
Belinda Willis
www.greatpottery.com
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