New Prometheus-Pro 7 Kiln - Couple of Questions!

Fruddy · October 26, 2010, 09:20:36 PM

I have spent quite a bit of time tonight reading most of the posts on the forum relating to kilns, but as I have just bought a Prometheus and they seem to be a bit of a newbie, I'm struggling to find the answers that I am looking for, so apologies in advance if any of these queries have already been answered.

I have unpacked it and read the manual - which isn't that detailed but gives basic instructions and some scenarios on what to do to program so don't think that I will have too much difficulty with that, given that Martin also sent me a very helpful "Idiot Guide" this afternoon via email!

One of the things that I am not certain of is what to do when garaging beads whilst making them. I got a little strange tile like thing that sort of fits on the bottom of the kiln - it doesn't say anything about that in the instructions,but on Martin's website it refers to this as a fusing base (i'm assuming that this is what it is anyway - its very light and looks a bit like a big ginger biscuit!!

So, if I am making beads as I go along, do I just rest them on this and then move them over to the left when space becomes a bit limited?

Also, my new kiln has a bead door - do I just put my newly made beads in through the bead door, as far as they will go and leave the mandrel ends sticking out of the door and just push it to?

Finally - there is a little viewing hole in the door of my kiln - how does this work? It looks like a little porthole, but I can't understand how I would be able to see anything in there - there's no light obviously, and unless I'm being really thick (which is not beyond the realms of possiblity!) I can't see what use this would be?

I haven't run the kiln yet - and there are no instructions in the manual for running it empty or what to do for the first time. Should I do this tomorrow - programme it and then run it with nothing in?? For how long?

Thanks guys for the questions, do appreciate it. Been so excited waiting until I could get a kiln of my own, but now its here, I'm actually quite frightened of it!

I don't want to cock it up, ruin it or misprogramme it.

helbels · October 26, 2010, 09:25:22 PM

Can't answer some of your questions Fruddy, but what I would suggest is to find an annealing schedule for a Paragon SC2 (do a search on here), have a go at programming it, and then run it empty to see if it does what you expect.

I found that was the best way to understand my Bead Cube, and by watching it do its stuff, you will be calmer when you eventually use it "properly" for the first time.

Billie · October 26, 2010, 09:31:18 PM

I can tell you what I did with my caldera. It came accompanied with some kiln wash powder. I mixed some of this with water and coated the tile that goes in the bottom of the kiln as per the instructions. I'm sure I did an empty run too... It was a while back now...

I first tried a stainless steel rod rack and placed that in the kiln so that I could rest the beads/mandrels on it without them touching the floor of the kiln. That wasn't that great, so I got a bit of stainless steel mesh from the DIY store which I trimmed and bent into an L shape. Then I can poke then end of the mandrels into it, and layer them, so to speak.... And as I put more beads into the kiln, I can layer them up and pack them closer together when they're no longer tacky.

I have a bead collar, which is like the bead door. You can get mandrels of different lengths, or trim the ones you have, so that when you close the door you can push it fully closed. Obviously, the area by the door will be a cooler spot, so you want too push the beads as far away from the door as you can, and close it as much as possible.

Fruddy · October 26, 2010, 09:35:23 PM

Thank you Billie. That's really helpful.

It didn't come with any kilnwash, but I will have a scout round on the internet and see if I can get some.

garishglobes · October 26, 2010, 10:09:33 PM

I don't really know if kiln wash is necessary - I just upped and ran my SC2 as it was without any kiln wash or anything fancy. I do have a tile thingy on the floor in case of major disaster because I don't fancy melted glass on the actual kiln floor, but apart from that I just use the kiln as it stands.
It is good advice to push the beads in nice and far so the bead door closes as much as possible, because this is a cause of cooler air coming into the kiln. If you have a shelf/tile thingy and some non-fancy beads, I'd suggest programming an average soft glass annealing program and giving it a whirl. The make of kiln shouldn't make that much difference, it is the temperatures and the ramps to them that are important - and you should in any case be annealing at a temperature lower than the melting point.

SilverGems89 · October 26, 2010, 10:13:59 PM

i dont know anything about all the technical beady questions but most kilns "glow" inside when theyre on, hence no need for a light, you should be able to see fine

(although i only have experience of industrial kilns im guessing this will happen with the little bead kilns too)

Fruddy · October 26, 2010, 10:20:55 PM

Quote from: SilverGems89 on October 26, 2010, 10:13:59 PM
i dont know anything about all the technical beady questions but most kilns "glow" inside when theyre on, hence no need for a light, you should be able to see fine (although i only have experience of industrial kilns im guessing this will happen with the little bead kilns too)

Aha! Which might explain the little porthole then Gem!! Thanks!!

Just need to screw up enough bottle now to plug the thing in and have a go with it!!!! I wasn't like this with my torch - what on earth is the matter with me?

?

SilverGems89 · October 26, 2010, 10:27:06 PM

Quote from: Fruddy on October 26, 2010, 10:20:55 PM
Quote from: SilverGems89 on October 26, 2010, 10:13:59 PM
i dont know anything about all the technical beady questions but most kilns "glow" inside when theyre on, hence no need for a light, you should be able to see fine (although i only have experience of industrial kilns im guessing this will happen with the little bead kilns too)

Aha! Which might explain the little porthole then Gem!! Thanks!!

Just need to screw up enough bottle now to plug the thing in and have a go with it!!!! I wasn't like this with my torch - what on earth is the matter with me??

i wasn't nervous with my torch at all so im guessing i'll be a huge wimp when i eventually get my kiln

Fruddy · October 26, 2010, 10:29:23 PM

I think that its the programming that is putting me off..... I'm a wimp when it comes to stuff like that... totally useless. Lee has tried to explain it to me tonight and I haven't got it, bitten his head off and we've had a row now. He's sitting on the sofa sulking after telling me to "wind my neck in and work it out myself!"

SilverGems89 · October 26, 2010, 10:40:21 PM

i think i would need the idiots guide to understanding the idiots guide! so will you have to "sit" the prometheus or will it do a whole cycle all on its own?
Mine goes and sulks on his xbox at even the slightest hint of anything to do with glass

Fruddy · October 26, 2010, 10:46:21 PM

Quote from: SilverGems89 on October 26, 2010, 10:40:21 PM
i think i would need the idiots guide to understanding the idiots guide! so will you have to "sit" the prometheus or will it do a whole cycle all on its own?
Mine goes and sulks on his xbox at even the slightest hint of anything to do with glass

Its fully programmable with up to 8 stages, so it should do its cycle all on its own but at the moment I haven't a clue what to do with it.

I'm going to wait until Lee forgives me for biting his head off and get him to look at it again for me.

chipperpottery · October 27, 2010, 08:55:12 AM

Hi, I have kiln washed with batt wash my kiln because I also do ceramics and have two very large kilns and know what it is like if glaze melts on the shelf.
My Paragon SC has a bead door and yes I feed my beads/mandrells through that. I did a dry run on full power and as already said then the inside will glow and you can see your beads through the window, which helps with placing them. Also I know you do fairly large focals, which on a course that I did, they advised that they should be annealed for a longer time and cooled slowly. Even after a year at beadmaking I still feel that I am still learning, but I hope this helps. You can buy Batt wash from any Pottery place, I get mine from Hobby ceramicraft in Hook.

poledra1958 · October 27, 2010, 09:04:48 AM

I know how to program my Pro-1 (the pro-7 little brother) for doing a batch anneal. The pro-1 does not have a timer, so the Pro-7 will be different, but I can probably help you understand the instructions if necessary.

I have found a pdf version of the manual so I will have a look at it and post again after that.

Jenny

poledra1958 · October 27, 2010, 09:49:16 AM

ok have had a quick read.

I think the main difference between the Pro-7 and say the SC2 kilns is that for the Pro-7 you have to tell it how long you want it take to get to the temp you want.

When I program my Pro-1 for a batch anneal I set the following.

Ramp up

Ramp to 520 degrees over 210 minutes (3.5 hours)

Soak (how long you want it to stay at that temp I normally do 1 hour)

Then I Ramp down 375 degrees over 105 minutes 1 hour 45 minutes then turn the kiln off

So to programmthe above you would ( from my understanding of the instructions

)

PU -1 = 520
tr -1 = 03.30
ts - 1 = 01.00
pu - 2 = 375
tr -2 = 105
pu - 8 0000
tr - 8 00.00
t5 - 8 = 00.00

I hope that helps

Jenny

Princess Peggy (Priscilla McGirr) · October 27, 2010, 09:51:05 AM

I line the base of my sc2 kiln with a square of the same glass fibre I used to use as a cooling blanket, as i reckoned if it was OK to put beads straight in to that when they were cooling it would be safe in the kiln, and as long as the glow has gone right out of them before i lay them in, i don't have any trouble with them sticking. It's easy to take out and shake bits of bead release off if necessary too.

I put the beads well towards the back as the bead door stays a bit open with the mandrels sticking out, and pile them up on top of each other when they have been in there a little while.
however I tend to lay the big focals down separately, not touching, as I don't make too many of them at each firing. With batch annealing you can clean the beads and lay them in, shutting the door, but I don't do that any more as i prefer to work with the kln operating.

I seem to only see the glow when the kiln is actively heating up, as I don't think you should see much of it at 510(garaging) or 520(holding) ....in my manual it says you should block the window with a piece of fibre blanket, as that is for observing fused pieces. I hold for one and a half hours as was suggested for bigger beads, and once it has been programmed it seems silly to keep changing it.

I can absolutely sympathise with you about the frustration of trying to decipher the instruction booklet, and the worry about doing something hideously wrong that will ruin both kiln and beads, but eventually I found the right schedule for firing and batch annealing on FHF, and it was a piece of cake after that! good luck, Pris