Hobbyfuser Offer

Krysia@No98 · November 30, 2011, 08:31:24 AM

At the moment I don't know. I have been asked if I would be interested in it. Yet to find out how much they want for it and I need to work out where I would put it in this flat the size of a gnats bum and also how much it would cost to fix.

I really should say no, but the inner need for a kiln for flat glass is telling me to just bloomin go for it, even if it did just sit under the bed until I moved house.

Lee - Kilncare · December 02, 2011, 10:24:43 AM

Dawn, when you say HOT, can you give me anymore on that so I can digest

Zeldazog · December 02, 2011, 06:28:43 PM

Full fuse at 775 (Bullseye)..... and I think that's actually still a tad too hot as I get needling sometimes, was going to experiment a bit more when not got full kiln loads going through....

Lee - Kilncare · December 05, 2011, 01:24:07 PM

Hi Dawn, that is pretty hot indeed. 30 degreees almost.

We could do with investigating this for you.

Is it uniform across the kiln???

Lee

Zeldazog · December 05, 2011, 04:35:45 PM

Yes, pretty much even, Lee.

Lee - Kilncare · December 05, 2011, 05:02:26 PM

mmm, well that rules out s few options. OK. mate. Let me think.

How fast is the kiln climbing to the full fuse??

Zeldazog · December 05, 2011, 09:53:21 PM

I had it on a fast climb from bubble soak to just before full fuse (which is how the Hotstart was always programmed), then slowed it right down in the last 50 degrees, but I wondered if it was overshooting, so I just have re-programmed it to climb at 333 dph from bubble soak to full fuse - I haven't had chance to properly monitor the results on this yet to be honest though Lee, with getting ready for Xmas - but its definitely doing a very full fuse.

Lee - Kilncare · December 06, 2011, 01:24:16 PM

O.K. Dawn, we will get to the bottom of it I'm sure.

Let's check what your overshoot settings are on The KCR1.

You are about to enter Engineering mode so DON'T CHANGE anything what so ever or your controller may suffer acute brain damage and go off on one!!!!!!!!! $:-\$

To enter configuration mode perform the following actions exactly!

Turn the ST221/ST222 off.

Press and hold down the start/stop key.

Turn the ST221/ST222 on but keep the start/stop key pressed down.

Wait until the thermocouple type is displayed then release the start/stop key.

Press the start/stop key a further 7 times, scrolling through the various parameters until the display shows "E5 - -" The dashes may well be a number, say 20 or 50. This number is the overshoot alarm allowance. Don't worry if you go past E5, you can just scroll to the end and begin the process again or wait 15 seconds and it will time out.
If it is set anywhere between 30 and 50, or off "--" it may be that the kiln is actually overshooting due to it being much faster than the Hotstart.

Take a look at that value for me matey. It's a start point.

Zeldazog · December 06, 2011, 08:10:45 PM

Well, I have to say I did wonder if it was overshoot, as I'd seen just how fast it can climb, which was why I added in a slow climb in the last portion before process temperature.

Originally I just used exactly what I had in the Hotstart, and worked on from there. (The programme I use is probably slightly odd compared to a lot of fusing programmes, because as well as the hold at the end of the first controlled climb, I have a slow climb as a bubble squeeze, as I found that a simple soak didn't always work, as different glasses soften at different temperatures, and I found this was a good "cover all" - it took a good couple of years of fusing to get that right - translated it straight to Bill, but that shouldn't be causing a problem as even allowing for the variance in temperature in the kilns, as the bubble squeeze is well below even a tack fuse, never mind a full fuse).

But then I wondered if I was leaving it in the fusing zone for too long - I know that fusing, like ceramics is a matter not just of temperature but of heatwork, so I wondered if I was doing the equivalent of giving it an extra long soak. Hence I reprogrammed to have the climb at 333, hoping that it would be less likely to overshoot.

Thanks Lee, not sure if I will have time tomorrow to play, as I need to get some work through, but I will certainly get the info to you as soon as I can.

Lee, what's the ST221/ST222? (Not got the booklet here, tis at the studio)

Krysia@No98 · December 06, 2011, 10:31:23 PM

(my bad, turns out the broken kiln at uni is not a skutt)

Warm Glass UK · December 07, 2011, 09:17:12 AM

Good, good - our lovely Skutt's don't normally break so very pleased to hear that. What make is it just for interest?

Lee - Kilncare · December 07, 2011, 09:36:07 AM

Dawn, ST221 is KCR1 sorry.

Do me a favour and pm me your cycle.

Krysia@No98 · December 07, 2011, 09:44:06 AM

It's an EvenHeat, From what was said last night it is *very*old.