[Jaimeta]

I have a Skutt 614 kiln and just finished running a cone 04 bisque fire. Under the element, there is a small amount of black dust. Does this mean my element is burning out? This kiln is new and has only been run a handful of times. Thanks for your help.

[Lucille Oka]

No it doesn't mean that. The elements are oxidizing and the oxidation flakes off into the kiln. It just means you have to vacuum out the grooves so that the flakes won't land in your ware. Since this is a new kiln, look in the kiln manual under ‘maintenance’ and Skutt will show you how to do this. You can also go to the Skutt website and see a video on how to maintain your kiln.

[Marcia Selsor]

Good point. It is a good maintenance practice to vacuum your kilns every so often.
I put kiln wash on the cone holder too.
Marcia

[Jaimeta]

Thank you all!