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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Fixed the Kiln and Started Creating Stations in my Workshop

Setting up "stations" in the workshop.  I find this very exciting.  No more "setting things up" if I want to solder or enamel or polish.  Will takes photos when the room is done.

Went to fire a batch of metal clay pieces this morning and noticed the kiln wasn't heating up.  Called JenKen and they suggested I replace the relay.  Was REALLY happy the suggested I buy a spare relay the first time I broke my coil and ordered a replacement.  So that relay's been sitting in my storage unit for over two years.

After opening the control box, I took a photo.  I'm very meticulous about putting things back together the way they were and since that black thing (where the red arrow is pointing) beneath all the wires was what I had to replace, I knew I'd never remember where all the wires went back.

I grabbed the masking tape and as I removed each screw, I taped the screw to the wires because three of them had multiple wires and I needed to make sure I put the right pairs back together.  I also wrote a number on the masking taped wires that corresponded to a diagram I'd drawn of the screw holes to make sure I put the right wires back where they were.

Going to storage to get my relay, running to the hardware store to get a 1/4 inch nut driver, and then actually replacing the relay took less then two hours.

I was so happy to see the kiln start up.

Here's what's in it (next blog post I can show you how they came out).  Still working on that riveted cuff.

I want to try some inlay (enamel, resin, whatever) so I made those two recessed framed pieces.  The teardrops I am testing out if I like them drilled vertically or horizontally.  The triangle is a garbage piece I think... just testing a pattern.

I consider this a happy day.  I repaired my kiln.  Yay!


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