Too much or just right?

[Billdozer2]

(07-26-2016 )in2trux Wrote:  Maybe add a pyrometer and an on / off timer to get it to 1200 degrees on high setting.

The kiln I have has 5 settings, or switches. Each switch controls a different electrical circuit inside the kiln. The first switch turns on the lowest circuit and goes up from there. One switch on got it up to 350 degrees and two switches on got it up to 850. I was thinking about turning on the third switch, but I really didn't want to be sitting there for a couple of hours watching it making sure it didn't over heat. Unfortunately, the kiln doesn't have a setting where it turns off after hitting a certain temperature, unless I were to rewire it some how. But ain't nobody got time for that.

Well, actually, I could have used what is called a kiln cone or pyrometric cone to turn it off when it hits a certain temperature. But, the only cones that my mother had lying around were 1900 degree cones. Basically the cone "melts" and trips a switch, causing the kiln to turn off. And since it is so well insulated, it would stay roughly at that temperature for a couple of hours. I would have had to order lower temperature cones online, as all the pottery places around here have gone out of business. Probably because my mother stopped doing pottery.

If I plan on doing this again, which I don't cause I'm going to "fix" it permanently eventually, I'll probably purchase a pyrometer and just leave the sensor hanging inside the kiln. Or if the thread size is the same, install it into one of the temperature bungs on the DPF.