WarmGlass.com

Well it has been a just about a year in the works but I got "First Heat" this afternoon on my monster kiln. Hopefully this picture post will work. http://dell.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b34b8d2d84e7 I got at least 2-3 weeks of breaking-in, tuning up, calibrating and stuff but should ...

Oh come on Paul......Uncle Billy is our friend. He's only looking out for our best interest....and our wallets....and our bank accounts.....and our privacy.....and well you get the picture. Phil PS - To Mr. Gates's credit, he is probably more Philanthropic than anyone else of his stature and for tha...

Barbara,

You see if this was any other product like ....say software....especially from a certain company in Redmond you would call this a feature. In fact they would change their EULA (End User License Agreement) to reflect this and then want to charge you more for it!!!

Phil

Dick, I have a fletcher, among others, and other than using it for maybe a door stop, I would not buy it. The suction mechanism on it broke after two circles. It is poorly designed in my mind. I got it replaced for free but I don't use it, even for ovals. I've got a silberschnitt and it works pretty...

Avery, Couldn't agree more but I think the "ball" so to speak is really in Bullseye's hands not ours. I mentioned an N-Factorial test rather toung in cheek but that is what Bullseye would need to do to really find the problem. Our "users" environment is too uncontrolled of an env...

Point taken but something I belive is producing some kind of gas that is causing the openings, either that or the glass is being disolved some how and I don't believe that is going on.

Phil

Back to the problem at hand.... I was curious when I first saw it if it was related to moisture, possibly getting trapped between the irid layer and the glass. Makes sense possibly, especially if silver is the one that appears to exhibit this problem most and it is the thinest of the irid coatings. ...

Kevin, AFAP is the ONLY ramp that low voltage may affect someone. I don't know your schedules but I never ramp up AFAP I only cool down at that rate so the elements are not on, thus low voltage is not a factor. When I set my controller to ramp at 100 DPH it will ramp at 100 DPH regardless of the lin...

Hmm, not sure I follow that logic Kevin, at least for all of us with computer controllers. The inputs to those systems are ramp rates and hold times. These are, for the most part, independent of voltage. The computer ramps the kiln at the rate required. The program does not have a memory of the char...

Interesting thread. I had this happen to me about a year ago on a piece of silver irid clear. It was a fluke and at the time was about to scrap the piece until I discovered some interesting things that I could do with it. I haven't had much time to work on it in the mean time but while all of you ar...

Thanks for the feedback. That's really what I kind of figured. If I ever get good enough to get into a Riley gallery creating a DBA is a piece of cake. Until then Enfusiasm works fine for me!

Phil

Hmm....got back from a trip back east (Cleveland) to see my folks and had an opportunity to show my work to a number of gallaries. Got some positive response and some possibilities I need to follow up on after the holidays. The question in my post is this. My mother took some of my work and later, a...

Tony, Well the material is sold as refrasial. There was no mention of shrinkage on the datasheets but I'll see what it does. The way it is fastened I can loosen it on the bottom end inside the kiln where the bowties attach it. Not sure what it would do on the long axis. It is very nice stuff. Keeps ...

Bert,

I've been trying to figure out how to backflush my Paragon since I got it. Can't seem to find the spigots for the water pump?????

Bert, The elements in the quartz tubes are the elements sold to me by Duralite. I do not know the exact material, I was just assuming that they are nichrome, but I have to believe that they are compatiable with the quartz as this is what Duralite sells as a set. If nichrome and quartz don't work, th...

Tony, I think we are saying the same thing. The Paragon elements are in a fiber not a cement btw. Not sure how they do that, I'm guessing it is a slurry of some type with fiber and when it dries the elements are then embedded inside of the material. Anyway, it make a much nicer ceilling than brick a...

Ron, That makes sense. Also I was thinking about it and the insulation/no insulation around the element probably has more to do with longevity when the element is actually off rather than on. In the off state, the immediate envrionment around the element will be cooler or hotter depending on the mat...

Bert, I understand. What happened to your elements obviously...happened. What I'd like to understand is the real reason why. Material types both in elements and insulation probably have everything to do with the answer. You've had a case where you can't embbed the element in insualtion as it fries i...

To your point Tony. If it is covered in insulation, the insulation simply heats up and radiates at a slower rate than that portion exposed to air. I can see where the presence or absence of air could make a difference in the rate of oxidation (if any even occurs) of the surface of the NiChrome wire ...

Hmm....I don't understand that one at all. My 24" Paragon has the top elements embedded in insulation. I mean these things are completely inside the fiber insualtion with only one surface, that being the top surface, exposed. I've had lots of firings with no problem. I have to believe that Para...