Author Topic: Kiln  (Read 6480 times)

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Offline JoJoDapyro

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Kiln
« on: October 31, 2014, 12:58:56 pm »
What temp does a kiln need to reach to be good to heat stone? I may have found one!
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline mullet

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2014, 01:20:13 pm »
At least a thousand. I think mine goes close to 3 thousand.
Lakeland, Florida
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Stringman

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2014, 01:25:34 pm »
Most rocks will heat treat between 450-600. But there are a few that need to go upward of a thousand. The average kiln will cover those needs.

Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2014, 01:37:32 pm »
A coworker just told me he had some stuff to sell, and told me one of them was a kiln he had never used. $100. I think I am gonna have to bite! Sounds like it is about 36 inches square on the inside.
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline mullet

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2014, 01:44:57 pm »
Sounds like a good deal. I haven't tried heating that Wonder Stone, yet, but I bet it needs to go pretty high.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline Dalton Knapper

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2014, 04:20:33 pm »
Unless this kiln has a infinite control, you will have to alter it. For instance I have a kiln with "low, medium and high settings, all three of which are too hot for chert once they reach temp. Make sure you can set it to any temp before buying or else you are in for a complicated re-wiring job or purchasing a controller. That's my understanding anyway, so better to ask around than take my word.

I have recently learned that Wonderstone is a type of Rhyolite. Apparently some grades of it with higher silica contents can be improved some by heat treating. I once threw in a piece of regular gray Rhyolite with some Novaculite and heat treated the batch up around 700 ° or so. It had no effect on the Rhyolite, but I understand some of the Wonderstone does benefit to different degrees with heat treating, so why not?

http://minerals-n-more.com/Wonder_Stone_Info.html

Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2014, 05:54:42 pm »
From what he told me it does have an adjustable thermostat on it. I'll go and look at it (Pick it up) tomorrow.
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2014, 06:12:48 pm »
Kilns are good for all kinds of stuff, not just heat treating.  I'm still on the lookout for a kiln at a good price (real cheap).  It seems that everyone here in TX knows the value of a good kiln so they are NEVER cheap.
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Offline bubby

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2014, 07:22:14 pm »
$100 bucks is cheap pick that baby up
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Offline Trapper Rob

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2014, 10:12:53 pm »
100 bucks is a good buy JoJo that's what I paid for mine years ago.

Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #10 on: November 01, 2014, 10:41:53 am »
So, after lunch my co worker said he went home and pulled it out. I has a high low, and an on off. I looked it up online (Dixon A22H) and it looks like low is 1250 degrees, and high is 2000. First off, this being an older unit would it be possible to find a controller? and secondly, isn't it possible (technically) to hook the kiln up through a timer to turn it on and off to hold a certain temp for long periods of time? Let me know what you all think, I am a novice when it comes to kilns, but I am not afraid of playing a bit.

It is also about 36 inches square, and 18X18 on the inside.
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline Trapper Rob

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #11 on: November 01, 2014, 11:17:12 am »
A friend of mine bought a computer program to run his he just bought a old computer to run it.

JacksonCash

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #12 on: November 01, 2014, 01:27:06 pm »
It is possible- you can make a controller pretty easily to do that sort of thing. A friend and I made one with a crockpot to make a sous vide cooker.

Offline Dalton Knapper

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #13 on: November 01, 2014, 02:40:41 pm »
I'll attempt to show what I have learned. I too have the same type kiln, and the directions on this link seem to be a bit more than I can chew:

http://www.flintknappingtools.com/heattreating_kiln.html

There are many discussions on this. I think there is a solution with a thermocoupler and a controller where it basically turns it on and off as needed like you say. Personally, I'm not sure why a 220V infinate dial type control just can't be wired in. There has also been a lot of discussion of this subject at  http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/directory in the flintknapping forum. It is searchable, but it may take you a while to read who did what to a kiln.

Good luck and if you hit on a simple solution, I'd like to know because I have a kiln that isn't doing me a lot of good. I have successfully treated Novaculite in it by running it X time and turning it off. Theoretically, if you are willing to babysit a kiln, you could use a thermometer thorugh the monitor hole and turn it on and off as needed.

Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: Kiln
« Reply #14 on: November 01, 2014, 04:54:15 pm »
I went and took a peek today. It is an old unit. It has 2 110v plugs, so I figure one for each heating element. Seeing how I wont be using both heating coils at the same time it think it should be easy to make one. Tyke was thinking a Furnace controller and a high temp thermocouple would do the trick. He is the HVAC guy, and pretty dang smart when it comes to thinking out of the box. I'll post some photos of it in a bit.
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.