FrogBlog
Discoloration on kilns with fiber
Fiber kilns are constructed of rigidized fiber to keep the walls nice and stiff. Some kiln companies pre-fire their fiber at the factory to a satisfactory temperature so that any excess rigidizer burns away while others do not. As you can never be 100% positive that all of the excess rigidizer is gone, a good fiber burnout is usually necessary. With that said, before you put anything in the kiln, fire your new fiber kilns up to 1500°F and hold for one hour. Make sure to do this in a well-ventilated area, like an open garage, near an open window or your back porch because as the heat increases, the excess rigidizer may begin to steam, and well, yes even get a bit stinky. We get a lot of calls about this but, don't panic as it is totally normal. As the process continues, the nice white fiber board may even begin to turn brown and discolor. But, once the temp reaches 1500°F the toasty looking area should return to pristine white. If there is a lot of rigidzer, the area may remain slightly discolored or seem stained. Again, don't worry, as this will not effect the firing of the kiln, or later, the glass inside. Discoloration happens a lot when you use fiber papers like Thinfire or Papyrus. It’s just happening inside the kiln, so you don’t see it. If you vent your kiln while using these papers, the burnout process can discolor the edges of your kiln lid. Again, this just isn’t a real problem, just a cosmetic blemish. Think of this as smile lines from the joys of using your kiln! Learn more about fiber vs. brick kilns...
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Don't be a gambler with your kiln..
I'm declaring November "National Kiln Problem Month!" Murphy's law says that whenever you need your kiln most, and are firing the most, that's just when it's going to have a problem. So.... we all know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of I told you so. This is not directed to any one of our clients who've contacted us this month with an OMG moment! This is for all of us, who are just very busy and forget to take care of the basics. And yes... this has happened to me so, you're not alone. If you don’t already know, a relay is the part of the kiln that controls the power or current to the element, allowing the element to either receive current and get hot, or to interrupt the circuit thus not allowing the element to receive current and cool down. The mechanical relays, which come standard on all kilns, are what is responsible for the ubiquitous opening and closing clicking we hear while our kilns run. ALL MECHANICAL RELAYS in U.S. kilns are vitually the same... no matter the manufacturer. Mechanical relays have a life of up to “X” amount of clicks and then they fail. This failure can either be in the closed position (Yikes, my kiln temperature keeps rising and it won’t turn off… everything is ruined!”) or they can fail in the open position. (Yikes, my kiln won’t heat up at all!) If they fail, it is not the manufacturers fault, since they do not make the relays. They test them to make sure they work at the factory, but after that... it is your responsibility. We know that all failures stink and that is why we recommend changing your relays every 12-24 months. If you are a heavy kiln user, you should be smart and change your relays once a year. Think about it like an oil change or new tires... you wouldn't let you car drive on bald tires or your engine run on old oil. Pick a month and make it kiln maintenance month. Install new relays, paint the bottom with kiln wash, etc. and give your kiln a thorough inspection. Don't be the cautionary tale!! Finally, if this is something you don't want to hassle with... you can eliminate the problem by upgrading to mercury or solid state relays and almost never have to change a relay again. In our opinion, it's the best upgrade money can buy.
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Feeling Like I'm on Grey's Anatomy... Kiln Surgery... STAT!
There's a sinking feeling that I get in my gut when one of my kilns behaves oddly. It's akin to the car making weird noises as you are driving down the highway. Thoughts of dread begin to fill your mind and you start to concoct scenarios of doom. Mainly, "ON NO, I HAVE TO OPEN THE CONTROLLER BOX!" It's funny because I've owned a lot of kilns over the last 14 years and changed a lot of relays, transformers, thermocouples, etc., but still that feeling of dread comes over me as though it was my first time "opening the box." It's like a big mystery. What's in there? What's it going to look like? ...and the biggest question of all.... WILL I SCREW IT UP? You'd think that I'd approach this with confidence and bravado thinking, "I've done this a million times. I've got this!" But, sadly, NO! Anyway, if you feel the same way too, know you are not alone. The inside of the "box" is intimidating. Although it's pretty simple once you know what all of the wires are for and how the electricity needs to move, it's still a little daunting. So here's my story of the week regarding my kiln surgery. I have a 36" Profusion Fiber kiln. I love her, and her name is Jenny! (Yeah, I know I'm a weirdo.) I loaded some simple 2 layer plate tiles into the kiln for an easy full fuse and got a FTL error. The glass never got fired at all and the kiln only went to 600F. So why the FTL? (That's failure to cool, for those of you who don't know all the error codes.) Apparently, you get a FTL code after a FTH (failure to heat) code. Now that seems illogical, but that rant is for another blog. So my task was to figure out why the kiln wasn't heating. No heat = no fusing = no fun for me! There are only a few reasons why a kiln won't heat; dead or stuck relay(s), broken or fried element, not enough current/volts getting to the kiln, etc. The thermocouple was telling me the correct temps, so we could rule that out easily. I'm not as religious about changing relays as I should be on this kiln. I changed them all out exactly 3 years ago. So, it clearly was time! Luckily, I'm not a hypocrite! I did have a stash of relays that was reserved for this event, so I was ready when the time came. (I might be lazy, but I'm not a hypocrite!) So I set aside yesterday afternoon for this planned outpatient kiln surgery! I took out my drill with the 1/4" nut driver attachment, my phillips head bit, and my long nose pliers. I unplugged the kiln and set a small bowl next to my chair. The bowl is for all the screw, nuts, and parts that come off, and will need to go back onto the kiln. It just helps keep things in one place and makes sure things don't roll away and escape from you. (I learned this from experience of not doing the bowl thing and being on my hands and knee on the floor looking for a damn screw.) I pull up a comfy low chair and found a stool to rest the box on since It was still going to be attached to the kiln. NOW I AM READY FOR SURGERY! All I needed was the trippy Grey's Anatomy music and someone telling me, go for it! As you can tell from these pictures, there is A LOT going on in there. The kiln has 4 relays with 4 element connections, power jumps from one relay to the next, connections to the pilot lights, etc. There are 6 prongs on each of the 4 relays, and each prong has something attached to it. That's 24 connections to take off and reconnect correctly, and in the right order. That wouldn't be so bad except that this all has to be done in a tiny space. I'm not the largest lady in town, but I'm not small and delicate either. My hands are normal size, but in that box I felt like my hands were baseball mitts. Each relay is color coded to an element. So the red wires go to one relay, the whites, the blacks, and the blues, each to their own relay. That's really helpful so that you know you've got it all correct. Of course that escaped me the first time I did this, but you learn. Each relay is held in place by 2 bolts, each with their corresponding nut. That's a challenge, removing the relay from its spot, then disconnecting all of the crimped connections, then attaching all the connections correctly to the new relay, and then bolting the new relay back in place securely. That's what you do, just four times, in a small space, bent over, with reading glasses on, while you struggle to hold the long nosed pliers that are wiggling the tightly crime connectors on and off. See.... it's simple... a breeze.. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The TRUTH is that none of this in mentally taxing. I didn't need special knowledge, JUST NERVE! I had to remember that this was just a giant toaster, and I am a resourceful girl! Yes, I started out intimidated, but that soon gave way to a wave of confidence and accomplishment. My last step was to take a picture of the inside of the box and send it to the folks that built the kiln to assure I hadn't missed anything. They got back to me quickly and pointed out one mistake, which was easily fixed in 15 seconds. The kiln companies are there to help, so utilize that help. NOW I AM READY TO GO! HERE'S WHAT I LEARED, THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM TOO... Fear is the enemy, not the relays! Have the right tools and get them together in one place. Get a stash of relays so that you will be ready when the time comes. Schedule a quiet, uninterrupted "appointment" time with yourself to do this task. Go slowly and take a break if you need it. DO NOT wait until the kiln doesn't fire, or do this the night before a show. Ask for help from your kiln manufacturer. Reward yourself for job well done! Good luck! If I can do it, you can too! Your Kiln Gal, Gail Some important kiln parts: RelaysAdhesive Electric Kiln Parts
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The Importance of Spare Parts... and other stories I didn't believe until it happened to me!
A few weeks ago I had a minor traumatic incident. A visiting instructor was teaching at my studio and the kiln just decided to rebel. There was a tiny waft of smoke, and then a error signal from my controller. Part of me wanted to freak out and run around the room with my arms waving while screaming expletives at the top of my lungs. Luckily, I realized I had an audience so, I only did that in my head. So, after a few deep breaths and some positive self-talk, I turned the kiln off, unplugged it, and proceeded to use my nut driver (see below) to unscrew the box where I saw the little smoke puff. And, yes... I know it's not an extra part but, must have a 1/4" nut driver on hand in your kiln room. everyone So, I opened the box and I see a small area that looks burned. It's a connector that attaches the kiln element to the electrical feed that runs to the relay. (In case you didn't know... the element isn't directly connected to the relay.) There's also a ceramic insulator that looks like it's seem better days, and a dead bug. To make a short story short...the bug wiggled in, couldn't get out, and in it's frenzy, wiggled around the wire and caused a short when the wire touched the side of the box. This action killed the bug, and fried the connection. (I know what you are all thinking... and, yes... we have big bugs here in Texas.) This is not common, but it can happen. Thankfully, kilns these days are made pretty "smart" so the controllers sense when a problem arises and shut the program down. With that said, all I needed now was a new ground connector and a new ceramic insulator. I went to my local hardware supply and picked up some hot tub ground connectors as a temporary measure and found some unglazed bisque beads to serve as my insulator. A few moments later I was up and running again. (I know... who the heck has unglazed bisque beads?) Here's the lesson learned; Just like with a car, occasionally your kiln will hit a bump, or a bug in the road, and need a minor repair. You CAN do it, if you have some spare parts available. Here's what I recommend having on hand: An Extra Set of Relays - call the manufacturer of your kiln and ask them to send you a full set of relays for you kiln. They're cheap. They usually run about $50 each and are worth their weight in gold. They do have a lifespan rated in "clicks." So age is less of a factor than usage. You just can't run your kiln with them. A Few Ground Connectors - since you're calling for relays, ask for a few of those. Again, cheap but worth it. Ceramic Insulators - since you're asking for the relays and the ground connectors, ask them to add a ceramic insulator. (Now you sound very knowledgeable and they will be impressed!) Extra Side Element & Element Pins - The side elements are usually longer than the top element, so this could be MacGyver'd to be smaller if you needed to replace your element on top and just couldn't wait to for it to come. Have a spare on hand, you'll sleep better at night. Thermocouple - This is truly for the die hards! These can vary extremely in terms of dollars depending on the company and whether it's a Type-K or Type-S. Again, your kiln won't run without it. Electrical Tape - Duh! Pliers, a Phillips head and a Flat head Screwdriver, Wire Strippers, Set of Nut Drivers, Flush Cutters - These are basic tools you should have in your kiln survival kit. Pack these along with some tranquilizers and a shot of tequila for calm steady hands! An Ohm Meter - Another weird, but handy tool to help you determine whether electrical amperage/voltage are getting to your elements. (Using this is a whole other conversation.) They come with directions and there are smarty pants types on YouTube who can walk you through it.) Trust me, you'll need it at some point in your kiln life. The phone number of someone who knows what their doing....if you don't. - When you call them they'll tell you to get all this stuff, and you'll look like a genius because you have it. Your Brain - Always unplug the kiln before you start unscrewing things. Do not fire the kiln unattended. Call your kiln company today and practice safe kiln forming! Your mother will be proud of you! Your Kiln Gal - Gail
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