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| Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2006-12-08, 7:01am
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Who me?
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Join Date: Jun 15, 2005
Location: Hagerstown, Indiana
Posts: 2,284
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Big Door - Heat Loss on Toolbox Kiln?
I just got my toolblx kiln - love the Bartlet controller but I'm having a bit of trouble when I put my mandrels in the kiln every time I open the dooor I get tremendous heat loss - Very quickly inserting the bead I loose at least 10 degrees and if I move some mandrels over to make more room, I can loose as much as 50 degrees.
Yikes, this never happpened on my AIM 84BD.
I think it's because the door is so wide. Has anyone ever tried to cut the door in half so there's not so much heat loss. Any other solutions?
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2006-12-08, 7:15am
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What, Me Worry?
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Join Date: Jul 09, 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 343
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So... what's the problem with that?
Your still way above the strain point.
All frax based annealers lose heat when opened... just don't keep it open too long.
Me
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2006-12-08, 8:09am
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Join Date: Jun 15, 2005
Location: Hagerstown, Indiana
Posts: 2,284
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bhhco,
I'm just not used to all that heat rushing out. And it gets pretty hot on my hands - but on the up side - the kiln is shallower so the rods sticking out aren't as hot and I can move them around faster.
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From the Perimeter of the Great Dismal Swamp
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2006-12-08, 8:19am
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Safety ALWAYS
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Join Date: Jun 10, 2005
Location: Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
Posts: 2,401
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Part of the problem, Linda, is that the tool box doesn't have the mass of refractory that brick ovens do. The only insulation in the Tool Box (unless they've changed it) is fiber blanket. This stuff has very little mass to hold heat (in fact it isn't designed as a refractory material, but as an insulator like the fiberglass batts in your walls at home).
One of the things you can do is to get some fiber board and cut it to fit the opening to partially block off the section of the kiln you are not using (empty), then move it over to cover the area that is filled. By doing this, you are blocking in the heat in that area and the temperature won't crash quite so fast.
I understand your concern about this, and it is a problem with small fiber blanket kilns like this, and you can get some thermal cracking if you aren't careful.
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2006-12-08, 9:42am
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Who me?
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Join Date: Jun 15, 2005
Location: Hagerstown, Indiana
Posts: 2,284
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Thanks, Mike. Yes I am concerned about thermal cracking so I will definately look for some fiber board to block part of the door.
I do like the kiln. It worked great at the gallery for a demonstration I did on Sunday, it was easy to tote and I wanted to free up my AIM 84BD for fusing and slumping.
Just takes some getting used to but I like your idea of the fiber board.
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