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Safety -- Make sure you are safe!

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  #1  
Old 2014-12-02, 6:09pm
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anyeresoj7575 anyeresoj7575 is offline
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Default Help operate Kiln please

Hello LE fam. Can anyone point me in the right direction to give me tips on how to operate my kiln...to be specific on how to go about setting a firing process for this manual kiln model... Any help is greatly appreciated
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  #2  
Old 2014-12-03, 11:13pm
LarryC LarryC is offline
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ummmm.....manually?!
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  #3  
Old 2014-12-04, 7:42am
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anyeresoj7575 anyeresoj7575 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryC View Post
ummmm.....manually?!
Haha....I have the owners manual but it's pretty vegue...I'm try to set a firing schedule...I've seen plenty of videos on ho to set the on digital controlled kilns ... But no info on this one ... This why I seek guidance... I'm not trying to burn tiny studio down haha... Thanks for the help btw.
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  #4  
Old 2014-12-04, 2:01pm
LarryC LarryC is offline
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looks like a manual setup with no controller. If so, you will have to babysit it throughout the annealing process and manually control the heat. This is really a lot of work to do well.
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  #5  
Old 2014-12-04, 2:31pm
nevadaglass nevadaglass is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryC View Post
looks like a manual setup with no controller. If so, you will have to babysit it throughout the annealing process and manually control the heat. This is really a lot of work to do well.
Hello, so Like Larry states, you will have to do this manually and babysit.

On a digital controller depending on the glass and what you are trying to do, you would set something up like a 6 phase firing. slumping or full fusing - that changes the temps in the program

The difference between the digital controller and the manual, is that the digital controller lets you program all the ramp and temp settings and hold times for the 6 phases all at once then the controller runs the job. A manual controller makes you do it by hand, I step at a time.....


so for 6 ramps on a digital controller you would setup the 6 phases on the controller just like a computer program, which is basically all it is.

phase 1 is usually warming up the glass slowly to keep it from cracking. so phase 1 might look like 250/hr ( for rate) 1050 for temp, 30 min hold so that the glass soaks up the heat at 1050 for 30 minutes.

so on a manual kiln you have to think like a computer program.

phase 1 is going to set your dial to a setting that takes it up to around 1050 then you have to watch it for 30 minutes, then at the end of 30 minutes, you have to manually change the settings to meet whatever they are for phase 2. I see on your kiln, it's high low and then settings 1 - 5.

Whatever one of those settings takes the kiln up to 1050 is the one you would pick and then leave it sit at that temp for 30 minutes. You would basically then have to do the exact same thing for each of the 6 phases and set your dial to take it to those temps for that phase and monitor it by hand for the hold times.

That means basically whatever a 6 phase digital controller is doing, you are going to duplicate on the dial of your kiln, one phase at a time, which also means you have to be in front of it for most of that. Of course on a program that lets things soak for an hour, you can actually walk away from it for 55 minutes LOL

One thing you might want to search on - some kilns allow you to replace the controllers. That's usually cheaper than replacing the entire kiln. you may be able to swap the manual controller out for a digital one. Check with Paragon on that.

Also before ruining a bunch of glass, turn your kiln on and monitor it while heating and note what each of the settings takes the temps to. when you set to 1 what's the temp. When you set to 2 what's the temp on the meter on the front.....etc. That will help you a lot in determining what settings to use and also give you a good idea on what firing schedule to use. Most of the glass manufacturers provide firing schedules with their glass. I know bullseye and spectrum system 96 both provide on their websites.

Last edited by nevadaglass; 2014-12-04 at 2:45pm.
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  #6  
Old 2014-12-04, 2:36pm
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anyeresoj7575 anyeresoj7575 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryC View Post
looks like a manual setup with no controller. If so, you will have to babysit it throughout the annealing process and manually control the heat. This is really a lot of work to do well.
I did a test fire today..I set the daily to "med" got it up to about 1100....left it on for an hour... Then gradually lowered to 2 then 1 then finally to off...I think I should be fine...and yeah I pretty much had to babysit it the entire time... Oh well.
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  #7  
Old 2014-12-04, 2:37pm
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anyeresoj7575 anyeresoj7575 is offline
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Dial*
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  #8  
Old 2014-12-04, 7:42pm
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anyeresoj7575 anyeresoj7575 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nevadaglass View Post
Hello, so Like Larry states, you will have to do this manually and babysit.

On a digital controller depending on the glass and what you are trying to do, you would set something up like a 6 phase firing. slumping or full fusing - that changes the temps in the program

The difference between the digital controller and the manual, is that the digital controller lets you program all the ramp and temp settings and hold times for the 6 phases all at once then the controller runs the job. A manual controller makes you do it by hand, I step at a time.....


so for 6 ramps on a digital controller you would setup the 6 phases on the controller just like a computer program, which is basically all it is.

phase 1 is usually warming up the glass slowly to keep it from cracking. so phase 1 might look like 250/hr ( for rate) 1050 for temp, 30 min hold so that the glass soaks up the heat at 1050 for 30 minutes.

so on a manual kiln you have to think like a computer program.

phase 1 is going to set your dial to a setting that takes it up to around 1050 then you have to watch it for 30 minutes, then at the end of 30 minutes, you have to manually change the settings to meet whatever they are for phase 2. I see on your kiln, it's high low and then settings 1 - 5.

Whatever one of those settings takes the kiln up to 1050 is the one you would pick and then leave it sit at that temp for 30 minutes. You would basically then have to do the exact same thing for each of the 6 phases and set your dial to take it to those temps for that phase and monitor it by hand for the hold times.

That means basically whatever a 6 phase digital controller is doing, you are going to duplicate on the dial of your kiln, one phase at a time, which also means you have to be in front of it for most of that. Of course on a program that lets things soak for an hour, you can actually walk away from it for 55 minutes LOL

One thing you might want to search on - some kilns allow you to replace the controllers. That's usually cheaper than replacing the entire kiln. you may be able to swap the manual controller out for a digital one. Check with Paragon on that.

Also before ruining a bunch of glass, turn your kiln on and monitor it while heating and note what each of the settings takes the temps to. when you set to 1 what's the temp. When you set to 2 what's the temp on the meter on the front.....etc. That will help you a lot in determining what settings to use and also give you a good idea on what firing schedule to use. Most of the glass manufacturers provide firing schedules with their glass. I know bullseye and spectrum system 96 both provide on their websites.
Thank you so much!!!! This is what Google could never provide. I am very grateful for you sharing and this puts everything in perspective for me. Thanks again!
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  #9  
Old 2014-12-05, 8:19am
nevadaglass nevadaglass is offline
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You are welcome!!!
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  #10  
Old 2014-12-05, 12:59pm
LarryC LarryC is offline
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there are also stand alone units that have a digital controller and supply power to the kiln. I believe Paragon makes one.
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  #11  
Old 2014-12-06, 9:17am
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Chocake Chocake is offline
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It could be worse. I inherited a Propane burnout oven... Talk about having to babysit!!
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  #12  
Old 2014-12-08, 9:13am
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laserglass laserglass is offline
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i have a similar kiln.....i use an external temperature controller...i just turn the knob on high, and let it go....here is an article i published on this topic....http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/show...ure+controller
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