My new Jenken kiln is making me mad!

[Thirteenmoons]

Hi! I'm mad! I got a new Jenken Deluxe kiln a couple weeks ago and it's killing my beads! The bead door is about 2 inches up from the floor so I have to use a kiln shelf to get the beadies in. I run my program to anneal at 940 just the way I did in my other kiln. I keep ending up with flat dents on the side that sits on the shelf! Is this because of the shelf or what? Is it conducting too much heat since it's more solid than the fire brick? Has anyone else experienced this? I swear I wait till the bead isn't too hot anymore! Right now I'm heating it with a fiber blanket in it to see if the soft surface helps. I also have something to make a rack out of on it's way too. I don't know the details yet. Thanks Loco : ) I think that will fix my problem but I want to know if there's something wrong with my kiln. I have made some kick ass beads that this has happened to. If it happens again I think I'll develop a twitch! Right now I'm ramping it up with 14, YES, 14 beads in it to TRY to fix. Big awesome ones too : P This is going to be a long night!

Funny thing as a side note... The first time I used it I didn't realize I needed to use the shelf in order to use the bead door. It never crossed my mind since my other one didn't need one and the directions didn't say anything about it. I didn't think about how I was going to get the beads onto the bottom of the kiln when I opened the door. When I went to put the first one in I almost cried! I refused to turn it off to put the shelf in and waste a cycle and a work session. All night I danced around with tongs and hemostats, almost burning my hands, practically throwing the beads in through the door. What a sight I must have been! Lol! I learned my lesson! I can laugh about it now so you can too : )

Cheers!

[glasser]

Hi, I have a Jen-Ken with the bead door also. Mine is the AF3Pw/2 inch bead door. The bottom opening on my door is level with the kiln floor. I tried to use the bead mandrel rack in mine and just get frustrated. Can't see well enough, to place the beads onto the little grooves, most end up falling onto the kiln floor so....think I will try just putting them on the floor. That rack may be just the ticket for you as you will be able to see it well by the floor of the kiln beign lower than the door. I watched a lady on "That's Clever (HGTV) open her kiln after annealing beads and all hers were on the floor. BTW mine that were on the floor did not have any dents in them. When I first started using my kin and had different issues with it, folks kept telling me, "You have to learn your kiln." So, maybe your fires hot. Pam
go see this string. http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11663

[Mr. Smiley]

All kilns are not accurate. Try bumping down the temp just a hair. ;)

[Thirteenmoons]

I guess I'm going to have to lower the temp and get the rack. I just opened her up and I have blanket marks on all the big stuff! Grrr... I have a bunch of polishing and etching to do now! Does 900° sound like a good mark to lower to or is that too low?

Thanks!

[DancingSalamander]

I have a Jen-Ken with the 2" bead door level with the bottom of the kiln. I've had this problem and I think that the temp is higher than what the pyrometer reads. I use little shelves that I prop the mandrels on so the beads don't lay directly on the floor of the kiln. I ruined some nice beads figuring this out. On a positive note, now that I've figured out the quirks, it's a pretty good kiln. I haven't had any trouble with it in the three years I've owned. I'm currently saving money to buy one with a digital controller, though.

Good luck.

Stacia

[Thirteenmoons]

Stacia,