Cress Kiln -

kiln will fire pretty much like any manual electric kiln. you can contact Cress for a manual, but i believe THIS might work. it's not going to say a whole lot, but it'll get you started with some basic operations.

having never fired a cress, i can only give you experience with "manual/kiln sitter kiln" firing, and they all fire basically the same. the two dials you refer to are the controls for each section of elements. it's pretty safe to assume that "0" will be "off" and "100" will be "high/full power" for the infinite switches/dials controlling each section.

giving you specific instructions with regards to how to fire this kiln will be difficult since it will vary depending on what you are doing, what goes inside, and also how this kiln fires.

in general, this might be a good place to start:
- set your stack and set your cone in kiln sitter (making sure to set the plunger/contact block)
- set your limit timer to a safe time setting without going too long or short (6-8hrs might be a good start)
pre-heat and ramping up:
- small kilns have a good amount of power/volume, so setting low w/o blowing things up is sometimes difficult. i'd probably set bottom element/dial on low setting (maybe 1-20) with the lid cracked open via soft brick wedge. this setting usually keeps kilns below 200-250* depending on kiln and how much gap is left open/chamber size/mass of work inside.
- once pre-heat is over, and piece is dry, close the lid. just closing the lid might raise temp 100-200* so that might be considered your first "ramp" for the climb in heat.
- 2nd ramp might be to set the top dial same as bottom, at a low setting (like both on "low") - kiln might climb to the 300-500 range. if you have a handheld pyrometer, this will be the best way to determine what your kiln does at each setting. always double check that moisture is gone before closing it up and increasing the heat so you don't blow your work up....or DO blow your work up so you learn faster and learn how much heat can be safely put into a piece of clay without disaster Posted Image

- if your piece is good to go then now you can start ramping up your kiln. since you have such fine adjustment with your controls (vs a Lo-Med-Hi/3-settings) you could divide the 100 into 3-4 settings for less confusion. either way, you'll want to adjust both sections when turning it up. personally, i like to do a 3-stage (Lo-Med-Hi) or a 4-stage ramp with the dials and make the adjustment about every 1-2 hours or so -- really depends on what it is you are firing and how the kiln fires.
- once you get the kiln to Hi/full blast, you may need to adjust your timer so it doesn't go much past your expected stop time. once you fire a few times you will kinda know how long your kiln takes to reach temp once you put it on Hi. until then, set it at a few hours and keep track of how long it takes.

for safety, since its a new kiln to you (or even for a seasoned artist), just remember to always be present for the firing and especially at the end to make sure kiln shuts down without issue.

good luck!

: Cress Kiln -

Cress Kiln Settings Rate Topic:

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