Skutt-ette for life!
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2003 2:03 pm
Chapter 666 in the saga of this Skutt 1414 guinea-pig... (if you're fascinated by the 1st 665 chapters, it's all in the new & old archives)...
As Chapter 665 drew to a close, it was friggin' Labor Day weekend and my Skutt coffin had spent a full night and part of a day hovering at about 1000F on the way into the anneal. After handling that problem with great aplomb and saving the glass inside, I spoke with my trouble-shooter supremo at Skutt... engineer MIKE HAMPEL.
Mike immediately started the ball rolling on extensive and FREE kiln therapy. Though I'm still inside the warranty period, he also OFFERED me a new 1414 lid, since I've had drooping/pindropping since the beginning. New Skutt top-element kilns have an updated design that DOESN'T USE PINS!
PERRY PETERSON at Skutt handled all the arrangements, and was a pleasure to deal with as well.
So anyway, skipping to the chapter highlights, RUSS & DAVE came to the studio and took the kiln back to the factory. (Note: Skutt can pickup because I'm in Portland, as is Skutt. They don't have to do it, though.)
Just before they finish fixing it up at the factory, Perry notices that mine is a 208 volt kiln & he called to make sure that's still what I needed. (Discussion of volts & kilnbuying : http://www.warmglass.com/cgi-bin/wgarch ... read=42048 )
So anyway (and here comes the DOH! factor...) I was certain that in my new studio, we had 240. So I said yeah make my kiln a 240 while you're at it. Perry also suggested that running my 208 on 240 might be what caused all my current kiln woes.
So, even though everyone now knew that my kiln was screwed up because of my actions, Skutt still charged me nada.
SO... I go to the studio to eagerly await for Russ & Dave to deliver my kiln. In casual chat w/ studiomate Jack, I tell him that on top of everything else Skutt's doing for me, they've morphed the kiln into a 240.
SO Whoops, DOH!. Jack tells me that ...duh.... we're a 208 studio just like my previous one. So much for eagerness and elation, right?
I call Perry & tell him & he calls Russ & Dave, who are already outside with the kiln in their truck. ACK.
I suggest to Perry that maybe the 240 will work ok on our 208 Volt setup. After all, Jack's kilns are ok with it. But Jack's uses Digitry controllers, which offer more flexibility to the user. Perry tells me that my kiln won't just be slow getting up to temp, but actually won't get to temp. As I understand it, the Skutt controller will shut off if particular temps aren't reached in particular lengths of time. So, if I set a ramp up at 600F/hr, and it can't make it within the controller's version of a reasonable +/- period...then off it goes.
So anyway... Russ and Dave take it back again. I go home, tail draggin' in the dirt. Waiting to hear how much it WILL cost me now...
So, next day (yesterday Tuesday), Russ & Dave bring it back again. The set it up, test it, test the electricity & we all schmooze kilns & glass awhile. & off they go. I sign the paperwork from Dave.... & the paperwork show there's no friggin charge!
SO, Skutt not only fix'd the 1414 free -- within warranty, but still with no question at all -- picked up and delivered --- TWICE. Changed the elements twice. And offered me a new lid for free as well.
Plus, duriing this entire saga, dealing with Skutt's been easy. Not only easy, but pleasant & enjoyable.
SO. The few of you totally hooked on this tale.... I'll post after I use the kiln a bit... & see how the new lid design works out for me.
Also, still unclear as to why the kiln malfunctioned in the first place, given that the voltage was, in fact, not the problem at all. If I find out about that, I'll post it.
SO, as Chapter 666 of this "My First Kiln" drama draws to a close, I feel pretty daggone devoted to Skutt.
So...
xxoo,
PDXBarbara
As Chapter 665 drew to a close, it was friggin' Labor Day weekend and my Skutt coffin had spent a full night and part of a day hovering at about 1000F on the way into the anneal. After handling that problem with great aplomb and saving the glass inside, I spoke with my trouble-shooter supremo at Skutt... engineer MIKE HAMPEL.
Mike immediately started the ball rolling on extensive and FREE kiln therapy. Though I'm still inside the warranty period, he also OFFERED me a new 1414 lid, since I've had drooping/pindropping since the beginning. New Skutt top-element kilns have an updated design that DOESN'T USE PINS!
PERRY PETERSON at Skutt handled all the arrangements, and was a pleasure to deal with as well.
So anyway, skipping to the chapter highlights, RUSS & DAVE came to the studio and took the kiln back to the factory. (Note: Skutt can pickup because I'm in Portland, as is Skutt. They don't have to do it, though.)
Just before they finish fixing it up at the factory, Perry notices that mine is a 208 volt kiln & he called to make sure that's still what I needed. (Discussion of volts & kilnbuying : http://www.warmglass.com/cgi-bin/wgarch ... read=42048 )
So anyway (and here comes the DOH! factor...) I was certain that in my new studio, we had 240. So I said yeah make my kiln a 240 while you're at it. Perry also suggested that running my 208 on 240 might be what caused all my current kiln woes.
So, even though everyone now knew that my kiln was screwed up because of my actions, Skutt still charged me nada.
SO... I go to the studio to eagerly await for Russ & Dave to deliver my kiln. In casual chat w/ studiomate Jack, I tell him that on top of everything else Skutt's doing for me, they've morphed the kiln into a 240.
SO Whoops, DOH!. Jack tells me that ...duh.... we're a 208 studio just like my previous one. So much for eagerness and elation, right?
I call Perry & tell him & he calls Russ & Dave, who are already outside with the kiln in their truck. ACK.
I suggest to Perry that maybe the 240 will work ok on our 208 Volt setup. After all, Jack's kilns are ok with it. But Jack's uses Digitry controllers, which offer more flexibility to the user. Perry tells me that my kiln won't just be slow getting up to temp, but actually won't get to temp. As I understand it, the Skutt controller will shut off if particular temps aren't reached in particular lengths of time. So, if I set a ramp up at 600F/hr, and it can't make it within the controller's version of a reasonable +/- period...then off it goes.
So anyway... Russ and Dave take it back again. I go home, tail draggin' in the dirt. Waiting to hear how much it WILL cost me now...
So, next day (yesterday Tuesday), Russ & Dave bring it back again. The set it up, test it, test the electricity & we all schmooze kilns & glass awhile. & off they go. I sign the paperwork from Dave.... & the paperwork show there's no friggin charge!
SO, Skutt not only fix'd the 1414 free -- within warranty, but still with no question at all -- picked up and delivered --- TWICE. Changed the elements twice. And offered me a new lid for free as well.
Plus, duriing this entire saga, dealing with Skutt's been easy. Not only easy, but pleasant & enjoyable.
SO. The few of you totally hooked on this tale.... I'll post after I use the kiln a bit... & see how the new lid design works out for me.
Also, still unclear as to why the kiln malfunctioned in the first place, given that the voltage was, in fact, not the problem at all. If I find out about that, I'll post it.
SO, as Chapter 666 of this "My First Kiln" drama draws to a close, I feel pretty daggone devoted to Skutt.
So...
xxoo,
PDXBarbara
