Cress FX - Kiln Operation; Shut-Off Devices

KILN OPERATION
The kiln is used to apply a certain amount of heat over a period of time to a ceramic piece to
produce a chemical change, resulting in a finished piece. Firing too fast causes stress to occur that
can physically break the piece or stress the ceramic piece so that it breaks on its own sometime
after firing. The patented FIREMATE
® control system applies the heat smoothly, (not in stepped
increases) permitting faster firing without damaging the ceramic ware. The firebrick retains just
enough heat so that when the cooling process starts, the bubbles from chemical gases from the
vitrification process can escape the glazed surface. Rapid cooling fiber kilns can produce
imperfections from trapped air in the glaze. Your ceramic pieces will achieve their best possible
finish because you have the best firing equipment available. The maximum degree of heat and the
length of time necessary vary widely according to many factors, suck as the type of ware
(porcelain, earthenware, stoneware, etc.) or glaze, paint or decal, the thickness of the piece, the
size of the load being fired, and the voltage available.
Shut-off Devices – Kiln Sitter and Limit Timer
WHEN ORDERING A TUBE ASSEMBLY ADVISE KILN-MODEL
Shut-off Devices / Kiln Sitter
®
CAUTION
The Kiln Sitter
® control is a valuable aid when firing your kiln and is engineered to give
you years of trouble-free operation when it is properly adjusted and maintained as
outlined in the Kiln Sitter
® operating manual. It is, however, recommended that the Kiln
Sitter
® not be left unattended beyond the estimated firing time. An uncontrollable
accident, such as greenware falling against the end of the Kiln Sitter
® tube, may cause an
overfiring which could damage your kiln. Should this occur, the operator should be in
attendance to shut off the kiln manually, using the witness cones behind the peepholes as a
guide.
The Kiln Sitter
® should be used mainly to achieve consistent firing from one firing to the next
and not as a failsafe shut off device. Note: because the small cone is placed on its side in the Kiln
Sitter
® with the weight of the rod pressing down on it, the small cone may bend one to two cone
numbers before the witness cone. With experience, you may use one or two cone numbers higher
in the Kiln Sitter
® than the actual cone you wish to achieve.
IMPORTANT
Never use lubricant of any kind on the Kiln Sitter
®!
The Kiln Sitter® does not take the place of watching the large cones through peepholes, but can
help achieve repeatable and uniform firings. It must be kept in good working order and
adjustments checked before each firing.