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23

KILN MAINTENANCE

          You can protect your kiln and add many extra years to its life by using this maintenance guide.

        Before each loading:

Visually check kiln and its furniture.

Remove glaze spots

 

on shelves, posts, kiln bottom or kiln sidewalls

.

 

Clean kiln by removing chips and dust. A vacuum cleaner works well for this purpose.

Check kiln shelves for cracks.

 Sand any rough spots on shelves and recoat with kiln wash. Also re-

coat  

areas where the kiln wash has worn off. Avoid thick kiln wash layers. There is no need 

to kiln  

wash shelves every time you fire.

Kiln wash floor where it has worn thin.

 This may not be required every firing. Sand rough spots, 

recoat.  

Keep a smooth layer not over 1/16" thick. Kiln wash built up to a thick layer may 

damage kiln   

floor by pitting due to differential thermal expansion. 

       Whenever possible, use a clean kiln-washed shelf on the kiln floor to protect it.

Keep the outside of the kiln clean.

 It is easier to clean before burning contaminants onto the stain-

less  jacket. Use glass cleaner when kiln is cool.

 

 

 

 

RARELY NEEDED MAINTENANCE

Lid Brace: 

Be aware of lid brace operation every time the kiln is fired. Replace lid brace if it be-

comes  

bent, or does not function perfectly. WARNING - Do not use kiln if lid brace is not 

in perfect   operating condition.

Lid Band: 

Tighten lid band when necessary. The normal differential expansion and contraction of the  

brick and lid band cause a gradual loosening of the lid band.

Stainless Steel Case: 

Ordinarily the case does not need tightening from normal use, but tighten if 

needed.

Push button power switch light: 

Replace switch if  light fails, is damaged or fails to operate. 

Cord: 

Check the cord every month for heating. If cord becomes hot during firing, replace cord and 

wall  

receptacle. Check cord for heat near wall plug after the kiln has been firing for over three 

hours.   Have a licensed electrician replace the  cord with a CRESS cord and receptacle to make sure 

the  

heat specification as well as the amperage and voltage specifications are met.  Do not unplug 

Summary of Contents for E18

Page 1: ...ELECTRONIC KILNS OWNER S MANUAL ...

Page 2: ...st power surges when the kiln is not in use We are proud of our products and gratified that you have joined the many thousands of ceramic enthusiasts who have compared and chosen Cress firing equipment We sincerely wish you many years of creative and rewarding use of your Cress kiln UNPACK SHIPMENT IMMEDIATELY When this shipment was given to the carrier neither the crating nor contents were damaged ...

Page 3: ...3 ...

Page 4: ... touch heating elements with anything 12 Do not touch hot sides of kiln or hot lid Burns may result 14 Never store anything under kiln never lean objects against kiln 15 Do not store or use flammable liquids or sprays in the same room with your kiln 16 Do not store or use your kiln outside keep rain and moisture away from kiln 17 Do not use kiln if cord is damaged 18 Wall receptacle must not be cor...

Page 5: ...ise there is a possibility of pieces of ware falling during firing Screw the stand to the kiln with the screws provided Use your kiln only in a well ventilated room Vapors containing poisonous gases are possible when firing certain materials Do not breath fumes from kiln when firing ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS Proper electrical wiring is necessary to safely and efficiently operate a kiln Even though the...

Page 6: ...ofile STOP KEY used to stop a firing profile PREVIEW KEY used to display program or firing information varies with mode of operation F or C SELECT KEY used to select the temperature scale the control operates in CONE TABLE KEY used to look up the temperature equivalent of a pyrometric cone RAMP HOLD KEY used to select or to create a custom firing profile CONE FIRE KEY used to select a preprogrammed firin...

Page 7: ...IMPORTANT THE ZEROES IN A PYROMETRIC CONE NUMBER ARE A NECESSARY PART OF THE NUM BER OMITTING THESE ZEROES WILL RESULT IN A SERIOUS OVERFIRE CONE O6 IS MUCH COLDER THAN CONE 6 SETTING UP A CONE FIRE MODE PROGRAM 1 Turn on the master power switch located below the control on the front of the kiln panel 2 Press the CONE FIRE key the display prompts you to enter a cone number Use the 10 digit key pad...

Page 8: ...rease or a de crease in target temperature To do so press the CONE FIRE key when displaying IdLE select 999 as the cone number then press the ENTER key Select the cone number to offset then press ENTER The display will read F or C OS and the current offset value To raise the temperature enter 00 then the number of degrees of change 1 50 and press ENTER To lower the tem perature enter 90 then the n...

Page 9: ...nt profile chart for FAST is SEGMENT RATE TEMPERATURE HOLD 1 570 F 200 F below setpoint 0 2 200 F setpoint 0 The firing time varies depending on the load and the cone selected Because it takes time for moisture to evaporate from the ware and for chemical changes to occur FAST is not recommended for thick hand made pieces MED FAST cone 06 example 500 F per hour temperature rise until the kiln reaches...

Page 10: ...to density of load and cone selected Examples of the type of ware most often fired at this speed would be low fire glazes thick greenware or cast earthenware MED SLOW cone 06 example 400 F per hour temperature rise until the kiln reaches 1000 F then 100 F per hour until the kiln reaches 1100 F then 400 F per hour until the final 250 F of the firing then 108 F per hour until the setpoint is reached The...

Page 11: ...erature rise and the length of hold time as well as the absolute temperature More on the nature and use of pyrometric cones may be found on the section on cones It is essential to have an understanding of the properties of cones before creating custom programs based on temperature cone setpoints The firing profiles in the CONE FIRE mode are already prepro grammed for optimal firing curves for each co...

Page 12: ...n to the next segment If no hold time is desired program in 0 The highest possible hold time is 99 hours 99 minutes In the display numbers to the left of the decimal point represent hours numbers to the right of the decimal point represent minutes CREATING A CUSTOM PROGRAM 1 To create a custom program from IDLE press the RAMP HOLD key The display flashes USEr and a number select a user file number 1...

Page 13: ... in hours and minutes 00 00 Selects hold time at end of first segment 00 00 11 ENTER Inputs hold time for segment 1 rA 2 zero for this example 12 Temperature 1 9999 108 Selects temperature rise rate 2nd segment 108 13 ENTER Inputs rate of rise F 2 14 Temperature 1 2350 1900 Selects end temperature for segment 2 1900 15 ENTER Inputs end temperature for segment 2 HLd 2 16 Time in hours and minutes 00...

Page 14: ...se is 0 degrees per hour The rate of rise is checked every 7 5 minutes Slow rate must persist for 22 5 minutes before the error is triggered 2 The program is in hold and the temperature is 50 degrees or more above the hold temperature The error must persist for 18 seconds before the error is triggered 3 The program is in hold and the temperature is 50 degrees or more below the hold temperature The...

Page 15: ...rol is saying there was a power failure for more than 2 minutes or that the kiln was turned off for more than two minutes rA 1 6 For each segment the control is waiting for the user to enter a temperature rate of rise in F per hour or C per hour SEGS IT S NOT SE65 The control is waiting for the user to enter the number of segments in the profile being programmed SlO Slow speed firing profile Spd The ...

Page 16: ... the unprotected elements The first firing will test the shelves a very small percentage of which may crack on the first firing Test firing shelves is a wise precaution for any new shelves LOADING Careful loading of ware in the kiln is important for satisfactory results You need to plan the placement and distribu tion of the items to be fired Careless hurried loading might result in mishaps which could ...

Page 17: ...t is evenly distributed on the piece below Do not however place a heavy piece upon a small piece or the weight may cause the lower piece to warp or crack Tile and large flat pieces should be fired flat on a shelf so they do not warp Slow firing is required in such cases because the shelf mass effects the temperature uniformity across the flat piece Strain on any delicate portion of a piece could result...

Page 18: ...de of ceramic material which is formulated to melt when subjected to a sufficient amount of heat It does not indicate temperature per se but the effects of temperature over a period of time Cones react very similarly to the ceramic ware since they are similar in composition They deform as a result of the influence of heat time and kiln atmosphere revealing what is happening in the kiln and when the ...

Page 19: ...orks satisfactorily in most cases is 06 Cones used to fire china paint gold and decals range from 015 to 019 Cone 4 to cone 6 is used for porcelain Stoneware may be fired to cone 8 or cone 10 All clay and glaze manufacturer s recommend the correct heat treatment for their products Clays and glazes do vary so check labels or ask your local ceramic supply dealer for advice on the proper cones to use s...

Page 20: ...e ventilation and has many advantages Besides removing fumes coming off the ware from the kiln room and eliminating the need to prop and then lower the lid during firing the Fanfare increases temperature uniformity provides for less cross contamination of colors during glaze firings and achieves the clearest brightest and purest colors pos sible Firing Glass Glass is very sensitive to variations in ...

Page 21: ...ing ware too close to the elements Stressing delicate area by improper support Removing ware incorrectly from the mold Failure of glaze or underglaze to adhere to the ware crawling glaze can be attributed to one of the following causes Dirty bisque surface Dust and skin oil are the most common offenders Try to clean recover and refire the ware Damp bisque Allow to dry completely then reapply and re...

Page 22: ...azes may be used with his reds Insufficient air circulation during firing This usually results in black spots Reds need sufficient oxygen to mature Try leaving peephole plugs out until true red no pun intended heat has been reached Soaking too long at maximum temperature Cracking and crazing crazing is characterized by many very fine cracks running throughout the glaze surface may be caused by one or ...

Page 23: ...iln clean It is easier to clean before burning contaminants onto the stain less jacket Use glass cleaner when kiln is cool RARELY NEEDED MAINTENANCE Lid Brace Be aware of lid brace operation every time the kiln is fired Replace lid brace if it be comes bent or does not function perfectly WARNING Do not use kiln if lid brace is not in perfect operating condition Lid Band Tighten lid band when necess...

Page 24: ...24 ...

Page 25: ... for consistent controlled firing This device does not always shut off due to operator induced mechanical variables and must be checked manually KILN WASH Arefractory material used as a coating to prevent sticking of ware and glazes to parts of the kiln and shelves It is a powder which is mixed with water and applied with a brush LOW FIRE Ware fired only to medium temperature as for earthenware pott...

Page 26: ...rog fired clay particles and is usually made of native clays TERRA COTTA A natural low fire red clay THERMAL SHOCK the result of putting ware through sudden changes in temperature THERMOCOUPLE Two wires of different metals which are inserted into the kiln and comprise the temperature sensing part of the pyrometer It produces a very small voltage in proportion to the difference in temperature between...

Page 27: ...r must be placed on the outside of the returned part or kiln Repair or replacement of defective kiln parts shall be considered as complete fulfillment of this warranty This warranty does not include kiln damaged by overfiring exceeding the melting temperature of the material being fired regardless of cause kilns damaged by transporting abuse improper use reactive materials being fired i e reduction fir...

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