Trash Kiln Shelves; what to do?

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 4:48 pm

After years of quality work, my kiln shelf finally died. I ordered two replacement 20" square shelves never considering the possibility that they would be anything other than decent quality. Well, they aren't! Both are warped enough to cause HUGE bubbles from the bottom, in exactly the same place on the shelf. It's too close to the middle of the shelf to not use it.

The shelf came from Evenheat. I talked to them today, they told me they have had that same problem with most of the shelves they have. In fact, they checked their shelves today and found EVERY ONE of them is warped. Evenheat buys their shelve from Mexico where our jobs have gone and where quality control seems to be an oximoron.

Now, I have two warped shelves I'm aftraid to flat fuse on, and I do a LOT of flat fusing. If Evenheat can't be trusted, as big as they are, who else can I turn to. Paragon's customer service concepts are a subject you don't want me to start on. Evenheat didn't even want to call them and for the same reason.

Kaiser Lee Boards looks to be promissing but they seem expensive and I'm not sure about their durability. So I'm looking for answers. I have a large order I'm struggling to get out where I'm using square drop outs and getting bubbles where the glass hits the shelf; bubbles the size of grapefruits. I've got one firing now with 1/4" fiber paper on the shelf to see how that works. If it doesn't, I stand to loose a very large order, to say nothing about the customer satisfaction end of things.

Get a straight edge on your shelves folks, and I hope someone has a magic answer for me; just now I'm not a happy camper.

Jerry

Brock · Post by **Brock** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 4:51 pm

Buy the expensive flat shelves from Bullseye, and cut up your unflat shelves for dams, or use them as the heat sink for slumping molds. Brock

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 4:54 pm

Well, Brock,
I had already decided to cut them up but you seem to think Bullseye sells a decent shelf? Well, I'll take a look.

Thanks,
Jerry

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:00 pm

i'd try locally in a ceramic shop first. they're heavy to ship, and you might get good ones locally. take a straightedge into the shop with you and only buy flat ones.

the ones that came with my skutt are really flat. i also purchased a 2x2' square of fiberboard that i custom cut to fit my kiln, then rigidized. it's lighter, flatter, and cheaper than a mullite shelf.

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:07 pm

Charlie,
What kind of rigidizer are you using?

Jerry

Phil Hoppes · Post by **Phil Hoppes** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 7:12 pm

Jerry,

What Charlie has used is Colloidal Silica. You can purchase it in bulk from Western Industrial Ceramics if you are on the west coast area. If you are on the east coast or central US just check at an industrial ceramic or insulation supplier and they should have it.

Phil

DonMcClennen · Post by **DonMcClennen** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:11 pm

Bullseye 20" sq. is a high quality shelf.

Marty · Post by **Marty** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:17 pm

Pressed Vermiculite from Skamol.

Brock · Post by **Brock** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:23 pm

Marty wrote:Pressed Vermiculite from Skamol.

Elucidate, Terse Boy!

Brock · Post by **Brock** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:29 pm

Brock wrote:
Marty wrote:Pressed Vermiculite from Skamol.
Elucidate, Terse Boy!

Hmmm . . . .

http://www.skamol.dk/34.php

How expensive is this stuff Marty?

How much for a 20" X 20" shelf of an appropriate thickness?

Brad Walker · Post by **Brad Walker** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:32 pm

Not that expensive, less expensive than mullite shelves.

But they're heavy as hell (ie, expensive to ship) and (here's the real catch) you have to buy a full pallet at a time.

I'm in the process of buying a pallet of the 1" thick (Marty uses 2" as his shelf, but 1" might work, too.). This is the same stuff Bullseye talks about in their Box Casting tech note.

Brock · Post by **Brock** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:34 pm

Brad Walker wrote:Not that expensive, less expensive than mullite shelves.

But they're heavy as hell (ie, expensive to ship) and (here's the real catch) you have to buy a full pallet at a time.

I'm in the process of buying a pallet of the 1" thick (Marty uses 2" as his shelf, but 1" might work, too.). This is the same stuff Bullseye talks about in their Box Casting tech note.

I saw it when Marty brought it to Corning, but I was running around and didn't really pay attention. So, no warping?

Brad Walker · Post by **Brad Walker** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:47 pm

No according to the Famous One.

Brock · Post by **Brock** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:52 pm

Brad Walker wrote:No according to the Famous One.

Well, who are we to argue with success?

Sounds like a winner. You're gonna be selling it?

Brad Walker · Post by **Brad Walker** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 9:03 pm

Brock wrote:Sounds like a winner. You're gonna be selling it?

Well, given that I have to buy 144 pieces, I have no choice.

But I'll probably only sell it to folks in the US east of the Mississippi River. Bullseye carries it also, so with shipping so expensive anyone on the West Coast ought to buy from them.

dee · Post by **dee** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 12:15 am

Brad Walker wrote:
Brock wrote:Sounds like a winner. You're gonna be selling it?
Well, given that I have to buy 144 pieces, I have no choice.

But I'll probably only sell it to folks in the US east of the Mississippi River. Bullseye carries it also, so with shipping so expensive anyone on the West Coast ought to buy from them.

brad, can you cut it to fit a jenken 24" kiln?

D

Brad Walker · Post by **Brad Walker** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 12:47 am

If you have a table saw (which I do), you can cut it to fit anything smaller than 2 feet by 3 feet (the size of a full sheet).

I don't have this product in stock yet (it's on the way over from Denmark), but I hope to by the end of October.