SnF Non-Digital Automatic Control Type

SetnFire: Automatic with Switch Timers

SnF-series automatic kilns use switch-timers to change the heat settings. A Dawson Kiln Sitter with Limit Timer shuts the kiln off at the end of the firing.

The top switch of an SnF kiln is an infinite control. The switch cycles on and off. The higher the switch setting, the longer the heating elements stay on during each cycle. This switch controls the heat output during the first stage of firing.

The 2nd switch (and 3rd, if the kiln has one) is a switch-timer. When you set these switches, you are adjusting timers, the same way you would set an egg timer. As the kiln fires and the timers run out of time, the second (and then the third) switches turn on, thereby delivering power to the elements.

At the beginning of firing, the only elements that turn on are the ones wired to the top switch. When the time you set on the second switch elapses, stage two firing begins. The time adjusted on the second switch determines the firing time of the first stage. The third switch (if the kiln has one) is a timer that adjusts firing time on the second stage of firing. As timers run out of time, more elements are powered, raising the temperature.

The SnF kilns are easy to fire. Basic switch settings are printed right on the front of the switch box. The SnF kilns have proven, since 1987, to be very reliable.

Dawson Kiln Sitter® with Limit Timer

Until Paragon popularized electronic controllers, the Dawson Kiln Sitter was the mainstay in automatic kiln shut-off. The Kiln Sitter is dependable and accurate when fired properly.

A small pyrometric cone placed in the Kiln Sitter triggers a shut-off switch. (Pyrometric cones, small clay pyramids placed inside the kiln, bend to indicate when ware is fired to maturity. They are rated by number.)

The cone, mounted in the Kiln Sitter, supports a rod. When the cone bends, the rod moves downward, releasing a trigger in the Kiln Sitter. The trigger drops a weight, which shuts off the power to the kiln.

The Limit Timer is a safety backup clock timer. It is designed to shut off the kiln should the Kiln Sitter malfunction.

As you gain experience firing the kiln, you will know how long a firing should take. Set the Limit Timer to the length of firing, plus 20 or 30 minutes. When the Limit Timer runs out of time, the power to the kiln will shut off. The Limit Timer is a deluxe safety shut-off that will give you peace of mind. It comes standard on both S and SnF series kilns. Note: you should monitor the kiln near the expected shut-off time and not depend on any shut-off device, mechanical or electronic.