Frit-Happens !

Technical Forum => Studio/workspace/setup/equipment => Kilns => Topic started by: ScarletLeonard on June 14, 2012, 10:56:16 PM

Title: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: ScarletLeonard on June 14, 2012, 10:56:16 PM
Not sure what has happened at all.
There I was merrily making things I just finished and went to skip on to the next segment when nothing would happen.

paragon SC2 with sentry express2.0 controller.

what seems to have happened is it has got itself stuck in a single segment firing using the SPD settings instead of ramp hold. I have managed to manually tell it to do the ramp up to 520 and hold for 1 hour and 30 mins but I can't get my original programme back and not entirely sure how I would ramp it down when it is like this.

any suggestions? please within an hour and a half if possible
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: Redhotsal on June 14, 2012, 11:22:39 PM
Not a Paragon owner but this has proven to be useful to folk in the past:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyJc0tiwi1Y

Hope it helps.
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: flame n fuse on June 14, 2012, 11:29:04 PM
Hope there was nothing too special in it. I can't come up with a solution, but if you can't sort it, could you just let it cool down naturally and then refire everything when you've got it sorted out?

I made a mistake when skipping steps recently with my kiln (hit the wrong combination of keys), but found that if I didn't touch the controls, it reverted to normal after what felt like a long minute, and I was able to do it properly after that.
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: ScarletLeonard on June 14, 2012, 11:33:37 PM
not really Sal :( also wrong controller so the speed settings are different.

I know how to programme it, it just won't let me go to the programme bit.  

Unfortunately there were special things in it as well as a few beadies I made for the weekend i have some off mandrel bits in there that I was quite proud of when they went in.

I'm pouring over my manual trying to figure this out but i have to find the right speed and take it to the right temp on the ramp down hopefully preserving everything.

edit to add: actually aside from the beads my biggest concern is how on earth did it just forget it's programme. the controller can only store one, I have never changed it since I moved it into the studio and the programme was there when I recalled it to start off today... just soon as I went to hit the up key to skip the rest of the hold the key was unresponsive. (the key does work though because attempting to reprogramme the key worked just wouldn't take me to the option I wanted.)
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: MadelineBunyan on June 14, 2012, 11:40:19 PM
if its at temperature, it wouldnt come down very much if you were to switch its power off for a minute, and the restart on the programe you want and skip through to where you are meant to be?

a suggestion, but I dont trust my brain this evening so if it sounds stupid, it probably is.
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: Blue Box Studio on June 14, 2012, 11:43:45 PM
That would be my suggestion too.  A couple of firings ago I got in a muddle pressing up and start buttons and decided to turn it off, wait long enough to get a drink then turn it back on and skip the segments until I back where I wanted to be.  It really hadn't dropped more than a few degrees but it was a warm shedio and a warm day.  Good luck!
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: ScarletLeonard on June 14, 2012, 11:45:39 PM
one of the first things i tried, (standard tech support that) it just continued from where it left off. Unless there is a way to force it to reset. just everything I seem to try keeps it where it is.

ahh sue i see i should just leave it longer... will try that
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: Blue Box Studio on June 14, 2012, 11:48:47 PM
A minute isn't long enough with mine, but that could be me! A minute is a long time in a blind panic.   I found the time it took to boil a kettle and make a cuppa was long enough.  A G&T would have been quicker but I was making myself wait a bit, to try and keep my BP from going too high with the 'it's not working, gnashing of teeth and much wailing' scenario.
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: ScarletLeonard on June 14, 2012, 11:58:12 PM
All praise Sue!!!

(and everyone else too.)

Kiln reprogrammed so my original programme is back in and hopefully happy.
It did drop to 460 so letting it get back into the garaging hold before I nudge it on which hopefully it will do this time.

Blind panic can make you do silly things. I had some toast since i had just finished a drink and all was happy again in the land of Scarlet
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: flame n fuse on June 15, 2012, 12:02:46 AM
I was just typing a long reply and then saw that you'd sorted it. Phew!!
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: Blue Box Studio on June 15, 2012, 08:44:36 AM
Glad it worked!
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: Pat from Canvey on June 15, 2012, 08:49:26 AM
At least I now know someone else uses doolally,        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolally
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: ScarletLeonard on June 15, 2012, 11:46:19 AM
Went to the kiln this morning, everything was fine.
it ran through the programme happily and I took some lovely beadies out.
Title: Re: HELP Kiln gone dolally
Post by: Blue Box Studio on June 15, 2012, 09:32:50 PM
Quote from: Pat from Canvey on June 15, 2012, 08:49:26 AM
At least I now know someone else uses doolally,        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolally

I've always said doolally tap - just looked at your link it says it there.  What a relief, it's not me who's doolally tap!  DH thinks I make up these words.