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Kiln Pointers
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What is a Ferrite Bead? |
CONTENTS What is a Ferrite Bead? Reader Response: In a field to itself story; removing hot ware from the kiln Memorable Quote News: Paragon’s Basic Kiln Seminar October 8 – 9, 2010 ----------- WHAT IS A FERRITE BEAD? A ferrite bead is a small cylinder that can be threaded over a wire to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI). EMI can cause an erratic temperature display on a digital kiln, or a random temperature error such as –328. The Sentry controllers on Paragon kilns measure the temperature every 10 seconds. The temperature shown in the display is the average of the last three samples. Thus, the displayed temperature is the average temperature for the past 30 seconds. It is normal for the temperature to jump up or down a few degrees during firing. As the temperature rises, the readout will not show a steady climb, but rather minor jumps. The ferrite bead is useful in correcting abnormal temperature readouts of 10 – 15 degrees or more. The photo above shows the ferrite bead and where to place it. 1) Disconnect the power from the kiln. 2) Remove the four screws from the controller faceplate. Carefully lift the controller out of the kiln’s control box. 3) Remove the thermocouple wires from the back of the controller by pressing the button connectors. 4) Thread the ferrite bead onto the thermocouple wires. Loop the wires through the bead once. 5) Reinstall the thermocouple wires onto the controller. Tug the thermocouple wires to be sure they are secure. Reinstall the controller. ----------- READER RESPONSE Last week I included a story about photographing kilns in a grassy field. John Troy of Baldwinsville, New York wrote, “Enjoyed the story ‘In a field to itself’ from your recent Kiln Pointer. I knew the photo your were referring to. It's from an early Paragon catalog cover. I obtained a copy of this catalog from an ebay auction. The cover brought back memories, because it's the catalog that I ordered my first Paragon from (an A-11-6B which I still have--and it fires great). It's a cover you just don't forget. “I had thought about how much work it must have been to lug all those kilns into that field for the photo shoot, and it turns out you were a part of it. Question answered! With all the kiln lids up in the shot, it's like they’re waving hello. It's really one of the most creative kiln photos any manufacturer has shot.” John kindly included a scanned image of the cover with his email. You can see it and several of Mike Adam's “in a field to itself” photos on Paragon’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/paragonkilns ----------- Last week’s Kiln Pointer was illustrated with a picture of Shelia Collins wearing gloves as she removed ware from a kiln. Tony Rodriguez of San Antonio, Texas asked, “The photo shows Sheila with gloves holding a piece, hinting that the piece is hot coming out of the kiln. At what temperature can the ware be taken out of the kiln? I had understood from Orton that it should be room temperature. Has there been a change?” Paragon recommends that you allow the kiln to cool to room temperature before removing the ware. It is possible for thermal shock to break hot ceramic or glass pieces. In the photo from last week's Kiln Pointer, Shelia wears gloves to remove the ware. The gloves protect the hands from glaze shards and bits of pyrometric cones that have stuck to the shelves. Razor-sharp glaze fragments on shelves can be so small that they are difficult to see. ----------- MEMORABLE QUOTE You may be a glass fuser if-- --Paragon Industries is on your speed dial. --you look at a wine bottle and all you see is an over-inflated cheese tray. --you know the melting temperature of every glass object in your house. --you think "glass recycling" means fuse it again. --you think "energy shortage" means having to tack fuse instead of going all the way to full fuse. --you know the Orton cone chart by heart. --you have your fused project pictures in your wallet. --you have a "glass garden" out back with all the stuff that just didn't make it. --you can field-strip a Kiln Sitter in the dark in 20 minutes. --you have ever argued about kilns in a bar. --you read some of these and went "What?" By David Kittrell of Kittrell/Riffkind Art Glass in Dallas, Texas ----------- NEWS: PARAGON’S BASIC KILN MAINTENANCE SEMINAR OCTOBER 8 – 9, 2010 Paragon’s 1–1/2 day Basic In-Plant Kiln Maintenance Seminar is designed to provide students with the best techniques and concepts for keeping kilns firing well into the future. Work on kilns with greater confidence. Gain a deeper understanding of basic electricity, kiln electrical installation, the multi-meter, switch replacement, electrical troubleshooting, element replacement, pyrometric cones, and much more. http://www.paragonweb.com/News_Story.cfm?NID=113 ----------- I have been reading “Up Till Now,” William Shatner’s humorous autobiography. As I sat reading last Saturday, my cats must have wondered why I kept laughing and waking them from their daytime naps. Shatner wrote that when they filmed “Star Trek,” no one knew how deeply the show would touch the lives of the viewers. To the cast at the time, it was an unremarkable TV show. Think about that the next time you fire something in your kiln. A piece of ware or jewelry that you consider to be unremarkable could profoundly touch someone else. You just don’t know. Thank you, With best wishes, Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P. – Better Designed Kilns 2011 South Town East Blvd., Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122 Voice: 972-288-7557 & 800-876-4328 / Fax: 972-222-0646 / ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com / www.facebook.com/paragonkilns PRIVACY NOTICE: Under no circumstance do we share or sell your email address. Copyright 2010, by Paragon Industries, L.P. |
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