Really disappointed as I type this, this morning. The kiln fired until 12:00 midnight last night and it only reached the temperature of 1248 degrees and should have been at 1946 degrees. The witness cones in the kiln were still standing straight up and had not bent any either. So this tells us that either there is a problem with the thermocouple or some or all of the elements are bad :( Either way, we will call Skutt today and let them help us diagnose the problem. Elements can be expensive, but... not as expensive as a new kiln. One way or another, we will get it fixed. I'm not going to worry over it, but I'm just anxious to get my own going so I can experiment with some slips and my own home grown clay.
I saved this to my drafts folder so I didn't have to make another post for today. We called the Skutt Manufacturer today and talked to them. I'm so blessed my husband is so smart! He was able to do exactly what the tech told him to do in order to test the elements and the relays. Come to find out, I have at least 2 relays which are bad. It was suggested that we go ahead and replace all 3. We will be calling the local ceramic shop tomorrow to see if the guy carries the relays there. If they are too expensive there, we'll just order from Skutt.
I will be so happy when we get this all worked out! I'd love to get myself a gas kiln next since I really got into this to make some Crystalline Vases! Stay tuned... I'll be posting some pics of the bowls I got out of the kiln. This is my second batch of bowls. They turned out pretty good, but they look to be underfired. Wait till you see the watermelon bowl... gosh it turned out great enough to eat! lol.
Thanks for stopping by to read my blog. Now, more tomorrow!
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