Elmer's Glass Kiln User Manual

Beadmaking, Glassblowing,

Fusing and Glass Kiln

Manual

Sundance

Glass

Introduction

Contents

Thank you for choosing this kiln! We have designed it to give you many years of reliable service.

Please read this manual. It will help you gain the maximum enjoyment from your kiln. It will show you how to avoid damag

ing the kiln and will answer many questions. Your instruction packet also includes a separate digital controller manual. Please save both manuals.

Inspect the kiln. When you receive your kiln, check the carton for damage (crushed, holes, etc.). Check the kiln for both inte

rior and exterior damage. If the kiln is damaged, you can refuse the shipment and have it returned, or accept the shipment after having the driver note the damage on the Bill of Lading.

Check the Bill of Lading to insure that you received the correct number of packages. Note any shortages on the Bill of Lading, and have the driver sign the copy.

If there were no signs of visible kiln damage and you discover it after the driver has left, notify the shipper immediately.

Save the shipping carton. It was carefully designed to provide maximum protection during shipping. Use the carton to take the kiln to seminars or on vacation, or to return the kiln to the factory for repairs.

Needless worries. Tremendous stresses are generated within the kiln. The ceramic fiber firing chamber actually expands and contracts with each firing. Do not be concerned if small cracks appear in the fiber. This is normal. These are sur

face cracks that close tightly when the heated fiber expands. You may find a small pin hole in the center of the firing chamber. It is from the manufacturing process and will not affect the kiln’s performance.

The paint around the door will eventually discolor from heat. This, again, will not affect the kiln’s performance.

Safety 3 Setting Up the Kiln 4

Electrical Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Where to Locate the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Transporting the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Basic Operation 5

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Important Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Loading the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Venting the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Silver & Gold Clay 8

Drying Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Loading the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Venting the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Rate, Temperature and Hold . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Cooling Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Combining Silver Clay

With Other Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Glass Fusing & Slumping 10

How to Cut Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Fusing Compatibility of Glass . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Annealing Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Cleaning and Gluing the Glass . . . . . . . . . 11

Loading the Kiln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Firing the Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Enameling on Metal 12

Preparing the Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Decorating the Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Firing Enamel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Ceramic Overglaze 13

Pyrometric Cones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Loading and Firing Overglaze. . . . . . . . . . 13

Lost Wax Burnout 14

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

A Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Burnout Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Firing Mistakes 15

Silver Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Ceramic Overglaze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

During firing, you will hear an intermittent, distinct clicking. This is the sound of the relay(s) sending power to the heating elements. Do not be concerned with this sound.

The Electrical data plate. Im

portant information about your kiln is recorded on its electrical data plate. Please include this in

formation when ordering parts or calling your dealer or the factory about your kiln.

Kiln Maintenance 17

Trouble-Shooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Door Latch Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Ceramic Fiber Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Cleaning or Replacing Glass View Port . . 17

Replacing the Thermocouple . . . . . . . . . . 18

Replacing a Relay or Transformer . . . . . . 18

Replacing the Temperature Controller . . . 19 Replacing the Firing Chamber

(testing the element) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Safety

Overfiring

The warranty on your kiln does not cover damage from overfiring, regardlessofthecircumstances.Itisthe operator’s responsibility to make sure the kiln turns off at the proper time.

The Ceramic Fiber

Avoid touching the firing chamber surface with sharp or pointed objects. They can damage the fiber surface. Touching the embedded heating element with sharp or pointed objects is a shock hazard.

Read the Manual!

Read each page of this manual in detail before operating your kiln. Warranty does not cover damage caused by failure to follow instructions.

Food or Drink Surfaces

Some decorative materials may be unsafe and toxic when used for surfaces that will be in contact with food or drink. When you make food or drink containers, select a glaze or glass that has been formulated, tested and labeled as approved for surfaces that will be in contact with food or drink. Follow the glaze or glass manufacturer’s instructions exactly, without any variations.

Important Safety Rules

An electric kiln is extremely safe to operate provided you

follow these basic safety rules:

Unplug kiln when not in use.

Do not touch hot sides.

Keep unsupervised children away.

Place kiln on a non-combustible surface.

Do not installcloser than 12” from any wall or combustible surface.

Fire only in a well ventilated, covered and protected area.

Keep cordset away from hot sides of kiln.

DANGEROUS VOLTAGE: Do not touch heating elements with anything.

Disconnect kiln before servicing.

Do not leave kiln unattended while firing.

Wear safety glasses when cutting glass.

Wearfiringsafety glasses when looking into a hot kiln.

Keep food away from your work area.

Never fire tempered glass inside a kiln. It could explode.

Avoid firing toxic materials inside the kiln, suchas styrofoam (used as a coreforhollow beads).

Kilnswiththeglassviewport:do notfirethe kilnhotterthan1700°F/926°C.Firinghotter will damage the glass.

Setting Up the Kiln

Electrical Installation

Youmustplugyourkilnintoacircuitthatnootherappli anceuses whilethekiln isfiring.Turnoffthecircuitbreaker or unscrew the fuse for the circuit that your kiln will be pluggedinto.Checktosee ifotherappliancesshutoff too. If that circuit powers appliances that must re main on while the kiln is firing,plugyour kiln intoa different circuit.

Note: 120 volt kilns: avoidextensioncords if possible. If you must use one, never use one smaller than 12 gauge and longer than 20 feet. Never plug it into a ceiling outlet!

2 Remove gasoline, paint, and other flammable

materials from the kiln room.

3 Providea minimum of 12 inchesclearancebetween

kiln and the closest wall.

4 Never allow the room temperature of your firing

roomtoexceed100-110°F.Measurethe tempera tureabout3feet fromthekiln.Ifnecessary,usefans to lower room temperature.

Voltage fluctuation can vary firing time from as little as halftomore than twice the average time. If the voltage is too low, the kiln may never reach full temperature.

The receptacle must have a separate safety grounding wire. This protects you from serious electrical shock. Changing the cord plug will void your warranty!

Where to Locate the Kiln

1 Place your kilninawellventilated, covered andpro

tected area such as the garage, basement, utility or hobby room.

Note: Somepeople keeptheir kilnoutsideon acov eredpatio. Thisisokaysolongasthekiln isnotsub jected to excessive humidity. We recommend good ventilation.However,somematerials,suchas silver clay, may not need special ventilation.

Place the kiln on a fire-proof surface, such as a large ceramic kiln shelf.

5 Keepthekilnawayfromcurtainsorothercombusti-

ble materials.

6 Position kiln on a level, fire-proof surface. We rec-

ommendan18” x 18”pieceofsheet metaloralarge ceramic kiln shelf.

Note: Ifyou are with the kiln at all times during fir ing, you can place it directly onto a workbench or kitchen table. A fire-proof surface is ideal, though, becauseitprovidesa safe placetolayhotshelves re moved from the kiln.

7 Keep unsupervised children away. 8 Keepthepowersupplycordawayfromthekilncase.

There is little danger of serious burn from accidental contact if you exercise the same caution you would use with an electric iron.

Transporting the Kiln

Some people take their kilns to seminars or on vacation. The easiest way to transport the kiln is to use the original packing materials.

Ifyounolongerhavethepackingmaterials,transportthe kilnonits back with the door facing up. Place a thin sheetof foamcushioning betweenthedoor andthefiringchamberto prevent rubbing. Avoid subjecting the kiln to excessive vi bration during travel.

Basic Operation

Accessories

Ceramic Fiber Shelves

The soft ceramic fi ber shelf, which comes standard with the kiln, cradles gold and silver clay pieces. These shelves are not suitable for firing glass or ce ramics.

Ceramic Fireclay Shelves & Posts

Ceramic fireclay shelves, available from Sundance are hard ce ramic surfaces on which to fire ceramics and glass. Firing glass, enameling,and ceramic glazes directly on the firing chamber bottom would ruin the bottom. Shelves can be stacked using posts.

Glass Separator & Kiln Wash

Glass separator and kilnwash are mixtures of finely ground minerals that will not melt and fuse together at high temperatures. They pre vent glass and ceramic glaze from sticking to fireclay shelves. The main difference between glass separator and kiln wash is that the separator is ground more finely to leave a smooth back to glass pieces laid on the shelf.

Aspowders,glass separatorandkilnwash haveanunlim

ited shelf life. Do not breathe the powder when mixing.

Caution: If glass separator or kiln wash contact a heating element, that element will burn out in the next firing. NEVER apply glass separator or kiln wash to the ceramic fiber firing chamber.

Haik Brush

The haik brush is used to apply glass separator to the kiln shelf in a smooth, thin layer. The smoother the glass separator, the smoother the underside of the glass.

Alumina Hydrate

Delicatesilveror goldclayshapesmay needextrasupport duringfiringtopreventwarping.Placetheseshapesinathin layerofaluminahydrateinsideasmallceramicbisquebowl. Do not breathe alumina hydrate.

Stilts

Stiltsarepoints embedded in a ceramic base. The points separate enameling and glazed ceramics from the shelf.

The wire mesh above is referred to as an enameling rack. An enameling fork lifts therack out of thekiln. A stiltseparates the piece fromthe rack.

Enameling Racks

Enamelingistheartoffiringglassontometal.The metal shapes are loaded onto a high temperature wire rack. The enameled pieces and wire rack are loaded into a hot kiln, fired for just a few minutes, and removed red hot. To load and unload the racks safely, use an enameling fork.

The heating element under power is dangerous. Do not touch the element with anything! Turn the kiln switch off beforeinsertinganenamelingforkintothefiringchamber.

Fiber Repair Filler

Thisisa permanent,hightemperature refractorycement used to repair holes or cracks in the ceramic fiber firing chamber.

Safety Glasses

Wear clear safety glasses when cutting or chipping glass. Wear firing safety glasses when

looking into a hot kiln, such as when checking the progress of glass.

Caution: Always wear fir ing glasses when viewing the interior through the optional glass view port.

Important Guidelines

The Embedded Heating Element

Theheatingelementsofyourkilnareembeddedintothe ceramicfiberfiringchamber.Thefiringchambersurface is hardenedtoadepthof¼”.Thismakesthefibermoredura ble. It is important that you do not touch the firing chamber with sharp objects. These can penetrate the fiber surface and contact the heating element, which is a shock hazard.

Note: Theheatingelementunderpoweris danger ous.Do not touch the element with anything! Turn the kiln switch off before inserting an enameling fork into the firing chamber to remove a shelf.

The Clicking Noise

Do not be concerned if your kiln makes a clicking sound during firing. Your kiln contains a relay, which sends power to the element. The relay clicks as it cycles on and off to maintain the correct temperature.

Check Thermocouple

You will find a small rod, called the thermocouple, ex tending into the firing chamber. The digital controller senses temperature by reading a voltage from the thermocouple. If this rod is pushed out of the firing chamber, the kilnwillassumethat the firingchamberiscold.This will result in an over-fire. Be sure the rod extends into the firing chamber by ½” - ¾” before firing the kiln.

Vacuum the Kiln

Clean the kiln before firing glass, enameling, or ceramic glaze. (Cleaning is not necessary when firing silver or gold clay).Usea softbrushnozzleon avacuumcleanerto remove dust from inside the kiln.

Removing Hot Ware

To remove hot ware from the kiln, turn off the kiln. Carefully slide an enameling fork un der the shelf. Place the hot shelf on a large ce ramickilnshelfin front of the kiln. Wear thick work gloves.

Firing Log Book

Record the following information in a firing log book:

Date

Firing temperature, speed and hold; or Ramp/Hold pro gram

Starting time

Total firing time

Type of pieces

Firing results

Asyou gain experience, you will finda wealth of informa

tion in your firing logs.

Low Temperature Holds

A low temperature hold (i.e. 200° - 300°F) is more diffi

cult to maintain than higher temperature holds (1400° -

1700°F). At low temperatures, turning on the heating ele ment affects firing temperature to a larger degree than at high temperatures.

When holding at a low temperature, heat the kiln slowly. Otherwisethetemperaturemayovershoottheholdtemper ature before the element turns off.

Avoid Contaminating the Heating Element

Contact with silica or silica bearing com pounds, such as kiln wash, glass separator, alumina hydrate, glass, enameling powder, and ceramic glaze, will ruin the heating element.

Neverfireglazed ceramic ware, glass, or enameling directly on the firing chamber bottom. Use a ceramic shelf on short posts to protect the bottom from glaze drips, glass and enameling powder.

Caution: Some kilns contain a heating element embeddedinthe bottomofthefiring chamber.Materials such as glass and glaze, if absorbed into the fiber firing chamber, can ruin the element. This type of damage is not covered by warranty. Prevent glass separator, kiln wash, and alumina hydrate from falling from a shelf onto the firing chamber. These materials can destroy the element.

Note: If a contami nantsuchasdripping glassorglaze embeds into the firing cham ber, unplug the kiln. Gently scrape off the contaminant with a knife, being careful not to damage the heatingelement.Vac uum the kiln.

The Effect of Silver Residue on Glass

Firing silver clay leaves traces of silver in the poresof the firingchamber.Sometimesthere is enough silverresiduein

the kiln to affect colors of glass. For instance, green might

turn yellow.

Note: Before firing an important glass piece in a kiln used for silver clay, perform color tests. Fire small samples of each glass color on a base sheet of clearglass.Placethe glassonafireclayshelf(notthe soft fiber shelf).

+ 13 hidden pages

Elmer's Glass Kiln User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual