How to kill a new kiln....(@&#$(*#

SWalsh · Post by **SWalsh** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 9:30 am

My Evenheat GT14-6 with Rampmaster II control arrived in November. I've been happily playing and learning ever since... until Monday. That's the day that my moving the pyrometer temperature probe to the side to lower a loaded kiln shelf into the kiln decided it had had enough of the abuse and the wire broke. Evenheat sent a replacement, which arrived yesterday. They gave me instructions by phone on how to replace it. I dutifully dropped in on my brother and walked of with his 1/4" nut wrench, 1/4" socket and a few other tools he thought I might need. Went home, operated on the kiln and KILLED the patient!!! #*&$(@& I got the probe replaced but when I was screwing the piece onto the kiln that the wires go into, the temp control box slipped and the full weight of the box dropping 6 inches broke the two cloth covered wires inside the plastic sleeve. I have to call Evenheat to see what my next step is but I'm in pain right now.

For those of you other newbies who have been doing what I was doing-- STOP NOW!! The reason I was doing it is I have to put the shelf in tilted to have it go under the wire sticking out into the kiln. Rather than do that and then load the shelf once it's in the kiln, I was taking a "short cut." It's a bad short cut to take, folks. Now I need to see what to do to fix my broken wires... Evenheat is probably gonna be sorry they sold me a kiln! And, this time, I'm going to let an electrician fix it when I get the next part/s.

Sue

Stuart Clayman · Post by **Stuart Clayman** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 11:28 am

Before you call an electrician contact Evenheat or some of the other kilns manufactures and see if they know of a kiln repair person inthe area. This is more of a mechanical repair than a electrical repair. Remember, you kiln is a box that gets hot, like an oven, and you would not call an electrician to fix an oven but an appliance repair person. So, after a kiln repair person I would call an appliance repiar person with the parts and instructions from Evenheat.

Stuart Clayman · Post by **Stuart Clayman** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 11:56 am

SWalsh · Post by **SWalsh** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 1:05 pm

Good thought and I got sort of lucky today in exactly that area today. My heating system expert stopped in at the credit union I work for to deposit some checks and I tackled him in the lobby! He's going to fix it. I had spoken to Mike at Evenheat earlier and he said they use excess wire when making the kiln so all my guy has to do is strip the wire, move it up and re-attach it. I figure since Bob puts in heating systems and such, he'd be a good one. He's very busy but he is going to try to stop at my house today since I have projects backed up. I think I'll make something nice for his wife to say thanks, in addition to paying him, of course!
Sue

Marsha · Post by **Marsha** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 3:22 pm

Sue,

I have the exact same kiln and I didn't like tilting the shelf. What I did was cut a piece out of an extra shelf, so I can put it down flat with the cutout where the wire is. It works great except if I am doing a big piece. Then I use a shelf without the cutout.

Marsha

SWalsh · Post by **SWalsh** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 7:50 pm

Marsha, Thanks for the idea. For now, I'm going to see if I can just behave. My brother helped me fix the broken wires, courtesy of instructions from evenheat. My kiln is up and running. I'll keep what you did for a fix in the back of my mind if I can't stand tilting the shelf for the rest of my life. I've found some great ideas on this board. Sue