[elaine clapper]

QUESTION: How do I control the cooling process of my electric kiln? I am glaze firing at cone 6, using a kiln sitter and venting fan is from below.
The kiln sitter turns kiln off when temp is reached. I want to hold that temp longer. Can I just turn off the venting fan?

[neilestrick]

Turning off the fan will only slow the cooling a tiny bit. The only way to hold temp in a manual kiln is to hook up a pyrometer and experiment with turning the switches down/off/on/off/on/up/down, etc.... whatever it takes to maintain temperature.

[Marcia Selsor]

I use a shelf on the top of my top loaded shelf to help even out the occupied space and hold heat.
When I was firing crystalline glazes and holding for a while, I found that "6" next to "hi" would hold it. You will have to test
and see. Infinite switches will allow you to find the right setting. If you just have low, med, and high, you may find it more
difficult. As Neil says, you'll need a pyrometer.

Marcia

[elaine clapper]

Marcia Selsor, on 31 October 2012 - 04:18 PM, said:

I use a shelf on the top of my top loaded shelf to help even out the occupied space and hold heat.
When I was firing crystalline glazes and holding for a while, I found that "6" next to "hi" would hold it. You will have to test
and see. Infinite switches will allow you to find the right setting. If you just have low, med, and high, you may find it more
difficult. As Neil says, you'll need a pyrometer.

Marcia

[Wahine]

I have often wondered how this could be done also. I understand what your saying about adding an extra shelf to hold the heat and using a pyrometer. But, with my skutt kiln sitter, once the kiln has reached the desired temp it auto cuts off. To restart the kiln you have to add a cone? Or is there another way I am not aware of?



-chantay

[neilestrick]

To restart the kiln once the sitter has shut off, just lift the weight, push in the power button and very gently lower the weight. It will stay on. The other option is to use visual cones on the shelf and just watch them to see when you need to start cooling. Put a cone in the sitter that's a couple higher as a backup.