Is it normal for the kiln to smoke the first time you fire it? Thank you for this video! You’re the only person that made a video showing how to test fire and stuff afterwards. My kiln started to smoke a lot and it flat lines when test firing
Well, the metal in the elements will oxidise (rust) as the power starts to run through them, and there will be manufacuturing materials burning out of the bricks in the chmaber, so I would not be overly concerned to get a few odd smells and perhaps a little visible smoke in the early stages of firing a new kiln. I would be more concerned that you say the kiln "flat lines" which may suggest there is an electrical issue, perhaps with a bad connection to an element that needs to be investigated before trying again.
Great video! Can you repair a broken element that has been snapped while cold? Or does it need to be replaced? I saw if you hold a blow torch to elements that have bulged out from the shelves they become soft and you can use pliers to push them back together again. So wondered if snapped ones can also be fixed? Thanks
Not really.. You'll need to replace it unfortunatley. As a temporary fix you can loop the ends of the broken element together. That usually gets you through another firing, but due to the added mass where they join it will burn itself out.
Sure. Paper tucked in on the element, start the kiln. If a piece of paper does not burn, then take a closer look at the element. Be careful though, as it may not be the element which is broken, it may be, and often is, the relay switch that supplies the element which is broken not the element.
