FrogBlog
Moving Your Studio Kiln... and other crazy annoying things!
It's a fact of life that humans are nomadic. We try to settle down in one place, but as comfortable as we get, we eventually pick up all of our stuff and move it to another location. As an artist I am certainly not immune to this condition. Over the last 15 years I will have moved my studio 4 times. First my home, then my first real studio out of my house - 8 years, then the next one - 3 years, now this one - 2 years. The reasons always seem legitimate; bigger space, which eventually raised rents too high, then less expensive space, which eventually proved to be too far to travel (45 minutes each way) The current space is close to home (8 minutes!) but alas, crowded. Nothing is every perfect it seems.... so we move to create a more perfect situation. This brings me to the point of this blog; moving the most important thing in everyone's studio.... the kiln. Just thinking about how to move a kiln brings a lump to the throat. It makes even the most relaxed person a little nervous. You might think that small kilns would be a "no-brainer" to move, but they can be damaged too. Often, it's the items we don't go out of our way to protect that become the most damaged. Arnold Howard, Engineer Extraordinaire from Paragon posted a blog a few years ago that covered this really well. He states,"The main concern in moving a kiln is brick damage, especially to the lid. The wiring is usually not affected by a move." Those of us with Fiber kilns also need to take great care to not dent the or damage fiber exterior! Here's what to do: ..."Sandwich a 1/16" thick sheet of foam packing between the kiln body and the lid." (This is the stuff that comes in rolls at the office supply store, or at home depot.) "The foam sheet must extend under the lid completely so that no section of the lid touches the kiln walls. This is very important. I have seen kilns sent to the factory without the protective sheet under the lid. The kilns were always damaged. If you are moving a front-loading kiln, place the foam sheet between the door and firing chamber." Strap the tip or door down and wrap the entire small kiln in a blanket. Then place the kiln in your trunk surrounded by blankets and towels with no other hard objects in the area. Then proceed to your destination. If you are moving a larger kiln, follow the same instructions for the smaller kiln, and then,...."Lay a 1" thick piece of Styrofoam board over a wooden pallet. Then place the kiln on the Styrofoam. (The Styrofoam and pallet must be large enough for the entire kiln.) On top of the kiln lid, place one or two sheets of 1" thick Styrofoam, and on top of that, a light-weight pallet. Then band the two pallets tightly. If you are moving the kiln a long distance, you could nail vertical 1x4 boards at the corners to form a crate. Then add diagonal boards on the sides for stability." I love this video, also from Paragon which shows how to crate a kiln! He also states, "Do not place anything inside the kiln during a move, especially shelves and posts. Unless your kiln is securely crated, do not place anything on top of it. Place the kiln near the front of a truck or trailer where the ride is smoother." For those of you who are moving your studio... best of luck! It will all be over soon! Your Kiln Gal, Gail
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Undercover Heat Work; Top Fire, Side Fire, Both?
I've been doing this kiln forming thing for almost 15 years now, so you'd think that I'd have it ingrained in my brain when I need heat from the top and when I need heat from the side. Recently I was attempting a new project that was 3" x 3" thick by 6" long. It was dammed with clay dams and then heavily bricked to keep the dams in place. I concentrated hard on making sure the firing schedule was pristine and the annealing was generous and smart. i never even considered the heat work issues. I was blissfully ignorant! The resulting piece came out of the kiln over fired on the top and under fired near the shelf. It had small champagne bubbles near the surface that I didn't like. I could see that the bottom layers just weren't fully fused and lacked clarity, but all the air was squeezed out perfectly. I fused the piece in my "go-to" kiln which is a top fire. I didn't think the heat work would matter, but it did! I made some calls and did some research to figure it all out! Color me embarrassed! It was proven to me that we can't rely on just instinct; we really do need to think about what we need... and why. So here's the skinny on that..... Top Fire: You need heat from the top when you are doing thinner work. This means anything below 9mm or less than 1/2". This is basically shallow fusing, tack fusing, slumping, draping, combing/raking, and boiling. The heat needs to penetrate through the glass from the top down through the shelf or mold. It is important that the heat is uniform across the entire area of glass and that it is not too close or too far from the elements. Most fiber kilns are top firing, but there are exceptions. (I new all of this, but just wasn't thinking about it because, Uh, well, I really love my fiber kiln, and I put almost everything I can in it, but alas...it's not perfect for every job.) Click here to check out our glass kilns Side Fire: You need heat from the sides when you are working thicker than 9mm or over 1/2" as a general rule. This means deep thick fusing, casting, annealing, basically doing thick or deep work of any kind. Traditional ceramic kilns are side firing only. They can be used for glass, but are better suited for casting and thicker work. (I knew this too! I have a brick kiln and should have realized this was what I needed. Fusing habits need to be tempered with thinking....note to self!) Click here to check out our ceramic kilns Why You'd Want Both: When a kiln has both top and side fire elements, the energy flow is usually divided between the two heat sources. For example, Evenheat's GTS 2541-13 distributes the heat approximately 70% to the top and 30% on the sides. This allows for very even heating allowing a wide range of activities to be successfully executed. A front loading kiln, like Paragon's GL-24ADTSD, has the same type of divided heat. Some manufacturers even allow you to control which elements you use for which activities. A popular example of this is the Olympic 186GFE, which has a toggle switch that allows you to change from top to side elements in the middle of a firing. That's convenient! Another good option is a hybrid kiln, like Jen-Ken's JK22-ceram-a-glass, that fires glass and ceramics. One of these could be the perfect fit for just about every project. They're deeper than traditional glass kilns, and also allow you to switch "on the fly" from top to side fire, and then back again. (I've actually got a hybrid kiln, that I don't use half as much as I should. By now you've probably noticed that I love my kilns and have a few of them. Like potato chips, one is just not enough!) The Conclusions... Just like every artist is different, every kiln is different too. Each kiln design, either top fire, side fire, or a combo firing is configured to perform certain processes with ease and other processes are a just a bit of a stretch. You kiln will cheerfully attempt every job, but just might not be the best "soldier" for the job. After my recent project had a few technical errors, I called my friendly kiln engineer and asked for some heat work advice. Here are my conclusions, and the final recommendations. If you are fusing and slumping as a general rule.............................top firing is great! If you are casting into molds, using billet, or stacking thick..........side firing is great! If you are working thicker, using bricks & dams, doing pot melts, thicker bars, boils, and deep drops and deep molds...............................................................combo firing is great! Drum Roll! The Final Recommendations: If you are getting your first small kiln (under 14" and less than 6" deep) don't worry about this too much. You're going to get pretty even heating throughout the entire kiln chamber just based on the smaller volume of space that needs to be heated. If you are going bigger, you really need to to think about the type of work you plan on doing with the kiln. If you want to "do it all" make sure you have a kiln that gives you options. Get something with top and side firing capabilities. If you are a crazy control freak that wants to shift back and forth between top and side elements during a firing, contact us at KilnFrog and we'll get you a custom switch to do that! Your Kiln Gal - Gail (Epilogue..... I'm re-doing this project and firing it in my hybrid kiln! Stay tuned!)
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What I'm Supposed to Do Before Firing My Kiln..... and other things I'm probably forgetting to do!
Most of us are so excited about what we're putting into our kilns, that we forget we need stop and inspect the kiln carefully prior to each firing. Caring for you kiln is an easy task that, if you pay attention to the small things, can save you down time and lots of maintenance dollars. Doing these simple steps every time can help your kiln last a really, really, really long time! Before EVERY firing... Look. Take a gander inside of your kiln and make sure nothing has taken up residence. You think we’re kidding, but sometimes, especially if your kiln lives in your garage or basement, insects or even a critter could have taken up temporary quarters if you left the top open. If you have house pets and the kiln is in an area that your pets can access, make sure that none of your little friends have left you a liquid present near the kiln. Moisture and electricity don’t mix, and really smell up the joint! Avoid installing kilns in a damp area. This could cause corrosion on the plug. Even if there is no critter present, sometimes droppings around your kiln can be a telltale sign you have guests in the vicinity. Check for anything out of the ordinary. Vacuum. Turn off the power switch! Then, vacuum all brick areas on the inside of your kiln! Make sure there is no loose fiber paper, blanket or other refractory material that is unneeded in the kiln. Extra burnout of unnecessary fiber smells crummy and may contribute to devitrification. This includes the inside of the lid, around your elements on the side, and the bottom. Your vacuum should have a HEPA filter, to protect you from inhaling dust. Ideally you would use a shop VAC with a separately purchased HEPA filter. Make sure you are using a soft brush attachment. You are vacuuming because you must remove all kiln brick dust, sand, and residue that could settle into your glass during the firing. Clean. Make sure the area is really clean - remove all flammable or combustible materials such as curtains, plastics, rags, paper, packing materials, etc. from the area surrounding the kiln. Inspect. Make sure all the coils/elements are in their designated place and tuck everything in where it belongs. Make sure the elements and their respective channels have no glass, glazes, or metal fragments, crustings, etc. Push all loose element pins back into place. Inspect your thermocouple for any signs of damage and replace immediately if needed. Tighten screws in the lid band, if necessary. Check for cracks. Check your shelf for cracks before firing. This may prevent the possible disappointment of the shelf breaking mid-firing. Sand any rough spots on the bottom or shelves and recoat with kiln wash. It is not necessary to kiln wash between each firing but a sufficient coating should be maintained. Power Up! Turn the power switch back on and make sure your kiln registers an appropriate room temperature for the inside of the kiln. Regular MONTHLY maintenance check up… Do a Lid Check Up! During every firing the kiln lid expands and contracts. All this action will make it necessary to tighten the lid band occasionally. Carefully, using the correct tool, tighten the band, being mindful not to strip threads. Most kiln lids are manufactured with a protective coating on the "hot side" or inside. This coating was applied to optimize the heat insulation of the lid, as well as to prevent brick dust from falling into the kiln. Of course this cannot be completely prevented. Because of all of this expansion and contraction over the years, cracks may appear in the lid. Most cracks are cosmetic in nature and will have no impact on your firings. Sometimes, a small crack can become a problem that can be repaired with kiln cement. If a lid crack is creating a structural problem, then it’s time to call in the kiln repair person, or call the manufacturer. Structural problems will be handled in short order by most manufacturers during the warranty period. If you are in the warranty period, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THIS without calling the manufacturer, as this could void your warranty. Do a Body Check Up! The only things inside of your kiln should be your elements, pins, brick, kiln furniture/posts and kiln washed shelves. Turn off the power to the kiln and remove anything else (glaze, slip, clay, glass, silica sand) from the sidewalls before firing. We are doing this for the same reasons we vacuum the lid. Leaving this material in the kiln will damage the sidewalls and possibly the heating elements. Remove the material with a small screwdriver or knife. Be careful not to gauge the brick. It's possible that small pieces of brick will break free from the sidewall. Most cracks are cosmetic in nature and will have no impact on your firings. On occasion, a small crack can become a problem that can be repaired with kiln cement. Be as neat as possible and be mindful not to get cement on the heating elements, as this could destroy the element. If a sidewall crack is creating a structural problem, then it’s time to call in the kiln repair person, or call the manufacturer. Structural problems will be handled in short order by most manufacturers during the warranty period. If you are in the warranty period, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THIS without calling the manufacturer, as this could void your warranty. Visually Inspect The Elements! Rusty, bulging, and thinning or thickened areas of your elements mean wear is happening. Elements don’t last forever, so expect to change your elements at some point during the life of your kiln. Element wear is based on the number of firings you do, and the environment or climate where the kiln resides. Just like tires on a car, mileage equals wear. In a kiln, the hours firing are equivalent to miles. The more hours you fire, the wear you’ll see on your elements. The thicker the gage of the element coil wire the more resilient the element will be. Keep in mind that each manufacturer has taken great care to size the element coils for the amount of amperage that they will carry to get the job done well. If you find it necessary to change out your elements, make sure you speak to the manufacturer to determine the appropriate element size for your kiln. Please refer to your operator’s manual for the discussion and photo's of "Element Replacement". Perform an Electrical Check Up! Perform an Electrical Check Up! Periodically inspect the power cable, receptacle, and plug for any signs of discoloration or heat. Make sure all connections in the receptacle and plug are tight. Check plug regularly for corrosion or dark spots. If corrosion or discoloration occurs, replace the plug and receptacle. Touch the plug and receptacle regularly to make sure it is not hot. If it does feel hot, check for loose connections and corrosion. Do not continue firing until the problem is fixed. Replacing the cord set or the receptacle may be necessary. If an electrical problem occurs and it becomes necessary replace any part of the plug assembly, then it’s time to call in the kiln repair person, or call the manufacturer. Electrical problems will be handled in short order by most manufacturers during the warranty period. If you are in the warranty period, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THIS without calling the manufacturer, as this could void your warranty. ***Don't take any of these check up steps for granted!*** The long life and resale value of your kiln depend on these steps! Now that I've reminded you....my work here is done! Go fuse, fire, slump, rake, drape, and drip to your hearts content! Your Kiln Gal, Gail... Special thanks to our friends at Paragon and Jen-Ken Kilns for the use of their pix!
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What does it REALLY cost to run my kiln?
Sometimes we would rather put our heads in the sand then face the reality of what it costs to run our kiln. Don't worry! Firing your kiln costs less than you’d imagine. Even though a kiln draws electricity, it does not draw it continually, so during a typical glass firing, a kiln's elements are drawing power only a fraction of the time. Most digital controllers allow you to enter your cost per kilowatt hour for electricity and they will report back the cost of the firing. Here’s one formula for calculating the cost of firing your kiln: 1 = Amps2 = Volts3 = Estimated Firing time in hours time x .75 (kiln is only on full power intermittently)4 = Cost per kilowatt hr from your electric bill 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 = Firing Cost 1,000 A longer firing will increase the energy cost, it will not be a large increase because the kiln will not be on full power any longer and the .75 factor in “3” of the formula would be lower. The formula assumes a normal, even increase per hour. Here’s another way to calculate electric usage and costs: Step 1: Determine the wattage of the kiln (Volts x Amps = Watts... ex. 120 volts x 15 Amps = 1800 Watts) Step 2: Multiply wattage by 1000 (ex. 1800 Watts / 1000 = 1.8 KW) Step 3: Multiply kilowatts (KW) by KW cost on your energy bill (ex. 1.8 KW x $0.15 = $0.27 per KWH for each hour the kiln is on high and not cycling on and off) Step 4: Multiply the answer you received above by .75 (ex. $.27 x .75 = $.20 per hour to run the kiln) We assume the kiln is cycling on and off during this firing so the actual amount of time the kiln is running a program is about 66% to 75% on. This is not much for a 120v small kiln, but can add up over a month of firing a 240v 45 amp kiln. So.... step one is to go get your electric bill and find out what you pay per Kilowatt Hour (KWH). Then, you can really know what it costs to run your kiln. So... step two....include those costs in your cost of goods when you are selling your beautiful glass work! Finally.... step three...make a profit and have some fun! Your kiln gal - Gail Want to save on electricity bill? Here are some of our top 120V kilns: Paragon Kiln - Caldera Digital Jen-Ken - AF3P Vitri Barrel Vitrigraph Evenheat Studio Pro 17 Oympic Doll-E/Test-E Hot Shot Oven and Kiln HS16 Pro Clamshell
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The Bad Back Syndrome and the Clamshell Kiln...
I used to experience back fatigue every time I loaded my kiln. It was a real pain in the.... neck! Last year I purchased a large 26" Clamshell kiln and the back discomfort went away. I now wish my other two kilns were clammys too! If you are thinking about a new kiln, take a moment to think about the following information... If you have a challenge like I do with bending over, i.e. the dreaded "bad back" then a clamshell kiln might be just the thing for you. A clamshell kiln is configured to have the firing chamber (the top and sides of the kiln) lift off of the base on a hinge. The set up allows the user direct, easy access to the kiln shelf. The key to kiln loading back relief is the height of the base of the clamshell kiln shelf. So what does this really mean? When you set up the kiln, make sure the base of the clamshell kiln is above your waist and below the height of your chest. Think about where you will place the clamshell kiln and whether you'll need to elevate the unit on a steel stand on the floor or on a table. Because, like me, you are responsible for your own kiln loading fatigue destiny. With that said, just about every kiln company has a clamshell model in a small, medium, and large size. The large size clamshell units typically have their own steel stands included. That's great, but we're not all the same size. I'm tall with long legs, so I looked for a kiln with an extra tall stand. You can also place the kiln on a platform to raise the base higher. The medium and small clamshell units have feet that act as stands. You can elevate these units by constructing a platform on top of your table table top. What ever you do, make sure the unit is level front to back and side to side. Some units even have leveling feet that adjust to help with this process. Doesn't this look painful to load? Here are a few of my favorites: Paragon CS 19-S Olympic Square 186GFETLC Evenheat Studio Pro 17 Remember, SAFETY FIRST! Whatever modification you need to elevate your kiln to the perfect comfortable loading height, make sure it's sturdy and heat proof. Most of the chain hardware "home centers" carry cement board, brand names include "Hardy Backer" and "Duraboard". Use these to protect surfaces that are not heatproof. Be smart! A hot kiln = a happy life! #olympickilns #pargonkilns #jenkenkilns #evenheatkilns #clamshellkilns Your Kiln Gal - Gail
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