Aim 96J kiln problems - Help!

[Toni Lutman]

I'm already whining in the Bathroom, but I'll put this here too in case someone can help me.

My chili pepper kiln has died on me, and I'm temporarily using a little Aim 96J that I used to use for fusing. I had gotten a replacement door with the bead door on it because I'm going to loan it to our local lampworking group so we can use it when we do demos. I had just received the door, so put it on this morning and am heating it up, and it smells like something's burning. I looked inside, and the inside of the little bead flap part is turning brown. The rest of the door is staying the regular fire brick color. So, what's up with that?

Also, are you supposed to leave the bead door flap open? If I put mandrels in and close the door, it makes them poke upwards. Doesn't seem safe with the exposed elements.

Please help! I'm trying to make stuff for my table at the Gathering.

I've got a call in to both Jen-Ken for my chili pepper, and to Aim for the 96J. Just waiting for return calls.

Ugh.

Thanks!

[Emily]

Don't worry. I have the 84BD, not the 96J, but the bead door's probably the same. There's a little bit of a burnt toast smell when the bead door is brand new, but it should go away. My bead door didn't turn particularly brown -- maybe a little. It's been a while.

The mandrels stick out the bottom of the bead door. It props the door open a little. That's OK -- it's made to be that way. It won't make your electric bill any more outrageous than it already was.

[Toni Lutman]

Thanks Emily! I appreciate the response. It just made me nervous that it was turning a dark brown. I'm used to my chili pepper having the fiber on the inside of the door, so it kind of seals it off when mandrels are sticking out. I was afraid they'd forgotten to put something like that on it. So, I'll go ahead and get going on making beads. I've been working on twisties and canes this morning till I was sure it was OK to use safely.

Thanks again!
Toni

[Emily]

Mine didn't get really dark. It darkened, but not a whole lot. I'd still put it in the "coffee with lots of cream" range. I'd go ahead and make some beads, but kind of keep an eye on it (not that I'm sure what it would do, but in case it started doing something really alarming, whatever that might be).