Emergency Committee Meeting Friday Nov 16 @ 6 pm

The expansion team informed me that the building next door is all single phase. The kiln that we selected for the BOD Meeting works for both single and 3 phase. At single phase, we could fire pieces exactly the same way we are currently firing them right now.

Kiln Link would be a more efficient use of volunteerā€™s time, as Beth mentions above.

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We heard about the meeting on Wednesday. The meeting was on Friday. I saw nothing on the forum until today. Even late last night nothing. We couldnt make the meeting either. :neutral_face:

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Or it could be I didnā€™t notice it, because in the description it didnā€™t say Ceramics, and I didnā€™t read it because I assumed it was for ā€œEmergency committeeā€ peoples only.

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Kiln Link is just for monitoring only, you can not control the kiln with it.

Iā€™m also wondering 208 kilns usually need special coils, standard coils pull to much power. Was it verified if separate coils will or will not be needed?

Please note the current large kiln has a counter weight lid attachment. Kiln lids are extremely heavy on larger kilns, Counter weights can be costly. If we make one it possibly could void any warranty. Has this been investigated?

Please advise what is the added cost for the kiln link?

Seems like it was $300-$400? Might be in the proposal if you look at the link.

Thanks Beth, I missed the pricing at the bottom, the lid counter weight is not listed.
Just my input the counter weight is a nesessity. The kiln Link is not.

This model level of Skutt kiln comes with the lid lifter, it is pretty much the same style as the larger Paragon.

Perfect! How about the coils?

If you widen your browser window you can also see how many times it was viewed.

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Please consider a gas kiln. We are bringing gas into the building right above the Ceramics area.

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For the love of all that is sacred within DMS, please look hard at gas. You can have all the gas capacity you want. Itā€™s unused. Itā€™s simple. And we preserve electrical capacity.

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I am far from an expert, so there may be something out there that I am unaware of, but hereā€™s my two cents:

Gas vs. Electric is more than just ā€˜this fuel vs. that fuelā€™. The vast majority of gas kiln work is reduction while currently we are firing oxidation (technically more neutral but thatā€™s even more detail you donā€™t want). Firing two different kiln types would mean two sets of wares shelves, two sets of glazes and a ton of education and management to make sure people are using the right materials and putting them in the right places. Maybe more problematically, reduction also requires someone to be much more active in the firing process, right now we can load, punch in a firing cycle and the volunteer is now free to do their own work, leave, frolic, etc.

Technically, you can fire oxidation in a gas kiln (with less stable results)ā€¦with downdraft venting ($$), a special controller system ($$), and quite likely an emergency auto shut-off ($$). Even then, you now need someone (a studio tech) to sit there with the kiln to control and adjust the gas inflow until the controller can take over the burners for the ramp holds. This is more volunteer time, ongoing, every single time we fire. Also, both personally and recommended by all gas kiln manufacturers, you do not leave a gas kiln unattended to fire. Firings can take 10-14 hours. Who is going to do this two to three times a week? This seems to be an unrealistic ask of volunteers.

I like gas kilns, I love reduction firings, however I donā€™t see how it works here at DMS. I appreciate the desire to free up electrical, but Iā€™m not sure if those asking about gas understand the difference it means in ceramics terms. If you know something about gas kilns that contradicts the above, awesome! Please, please share.

Further reading:
Oxidation: https://digitalfire.com/4sight/glossary/glossary_oxidation.html
Reduction: https://digitalfire.com/4sight/glossary/glossary_reduction_firing.html

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That is useful to know! Thank you.