mel jacobson on fri 1 dec 06
maurice is right on the money...as usual.
shopping around is always a good system for
a potter.
uspo can be very good, for certain things.
(that is `united states post office`.)
and here is a story:
my buddy called the other day.
pissed off, big time.
his furnace went out...saturday afternoon. cold day
he called the plumber.
he came out.
replaced the automatic igniter.
now, hold your seat...cost:
igniter $256.00
house call. $185.00
grand total.
well you add it up.
i said.
those igniters are made by a group of retarded nuns
in singapore.
cost each:
$3.95 he laughed...said...yah, maybe.
so...we did a search.
his son is a professional electrician.
part number search at the electrical supply house.
just the part number. you know, a YL65J-6.
cost:
$12.86 ...wholesale.
so. no more pilot lights...thermocouples.
we have igniters. they last about three years with a
propane gas system...(propane is dirty..plugs stuff up...)
my daughters house at the farm had the igniter go out
when i was in florida for a trip three years ago...i did not have the
red light in the window that goes on at 40F.
the house froze solid...toilets froze solid... when i got
to the farm to check things....i almost wept.
but, we saved the day...did the exchange of igniter,
used small electric heaters to warm the house slowly.
and, nothing burst. no damage.
cost of igniter....$186.00...i installed it...12 minutes
two screws and a snap on electrical connection.
now i have two...12 buck igniters in my truck.
thanks to virgil's son.
mel
now i link.
shop around.
get smart.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Kim Overall on wed 6 dec 06
Mel,
I have to say what you probably teach all of us most is not loose our heads
when we really need to think. You always face problems head on and figure
out how to fix them yourself if possible. I, for one, admire that. It's
just not something I've typically done.
For example: your story of when you've been firing for x number of years
and knew it by heart then sure enough something goes amiss. Happened to me
today but not to the extent you explained with lost shelves and pots.
I'm getting ready for a sale this weekend and today it's glaze firing down
to the wire (where did that expression come from?). Thermocouple kept going
out shutting the kiln down over and over at 1800 degrees. Hadn't done that
in a long time.
As you've always said, "fire a kiln, any kiln, get to know it by heart".
I've had a lot of experience with this kiln (26th firing today), especially
relating to the thermocouple, so I knew I must've moved it a bit from the
last firing. I kept having to wiggle it until it would stay lit. So far so
good at 2170 degrees and climbing.
The gravity glazing system I thought would be a stroke of genius was just
the opposite. Pouring in and out of tiny pots definitely better for now.
Thanks Mel
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