Oval Kiln Warp

[tgotch]

I am looking to purchase a new kiln. Two I am looking at are: Evenheat 2541, and Skutt 1414. I have been reading some posts online about lid warp (or wings). The posts appear to be older (2001ish-2004ish).
Is lid warp still an issue with these kilns, or have these issues been resolved?

[Marty]

get the Skutt.

[Valerie Adams]

I've had my 1414 since 2008 and don't have any lid warp. There are some cosmetic cracks around the handle in the brick, but all of my kilns have that due to the strain on the bricks. While my Skutt has been great, I wish it was a rectangle instead of oval.

[DonMcClennen]

I have been using the Evenheat 2541 for over 10 years with no problems to report. This has been a reliable tool for me. Having said that I do wish it was 24" x 48" SQUARE shaped!

[Judd]

The Skutt is an awesome kiln. I've had it for... uh... since 2004 or '5 I think. No lid warp.

[Morganica]

My Skutt is even older, still going strong (I have beaten that poor kiln to death with casting). I'm with Val, though--my next kiln will be rectangular. Often I'm firing just in the center panel, so the "wings," i.e., the areas on either side where the kiln narrows down, are just heating for no good reason. I'd rather have just had a kiln with a 24x24 inch footprint and save the space and power.

I've never seen a lid warp problem with mine. What I have seen, though, is difficulties with the lid--it's hinged in the center and there's a lot of extra weight in those "wings." If you prop open the lid to vent by sticking a firebrick in the center, or even if you lift the lid using one handle instead of two, you strain the hinges and can flex the lid. Eventually, it starts to crack.

I'm going to be getting rid of my Skutt--it needs new elements, a new lid and this time I'd get the lid lifter that goes with these kilns. Most people buy the lid lifter because they make it easier to lift a heavy lid (although, honestly, I've never found it to be that heavy), but for me the main reason would be to keep the pressure constant on the lid so it's less prone to cracking.

[Arnold Howard]

I am looking to purchase a new kiln. Two I am looking at are: Evenheat 2541, and Skutt 1414. I have been reading some posts online about lid warp (or wings). The posts appear to be older (2001ish-2004ish).
Is lid warp still an issue with these kilns, or have these issues been resolved?

The lid expands as it is heated. Because the temperature of the outer lid surface is lower than that of the inner surface, the inner surface expands more than the outer. This causes the lid to bow inward toward the firing chamber very slightly. This expansion is more pronounced on a long oval lid than on a square or round lid. The expansion is most apparent on the ends of the oval lid.

You will see a small gap between the ends of the lid and the kiln. However, there is little heat loss through the gaps, because heat does not rise up and out of the kiln at high temperatures the way it does at low temperatures.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com

[Marty]

Arnold- I'd like some more info on that last part, about how heat behaves in the hot kiln. When I raise the lid to comb the glass at 1600+ (or even to peek at 1475), I get a rush of heat coming out. How is that different from heat at "low temperatures"? I'd also like to know about convection currents in the kiln at different temperatures.

[Brad Walker]

Arnold- I'd like some more info on that last part, about how heat behaves in the hot kiln. When I raise the lid to comb the glass at 1600+ (or even to peek at 1475), I get a rush of heat coming out. How is that different from heat at "low temperatures"? I'd also like to know about convection currents in the kiln at different temperatures.

http://electrickilns.blogspot.com/2008/ ... rises.html

[Marty]

thanks- there's lots of good stuff there, like the element design article.