How To: Convert a Ceramics Kiln into Digital Heat Treating Oven - PID Controller 

Best walk-through on youtube. Actually showing the wiring and parts. Many thanks to you!!

I did a version of this for my daughter's kiln. Everything went as expected, much better than the old kilnsitter. At first run the relays overheated and stayed on without cycling at high temp, luckily nothing was harmed. I left the door to the controls open the second time and everything works perfect. Thanks for sharing your ideas on this video it is appreciated.

thank you for doing the whole "whiteboard" layout on wiring the SSR and PID. thats exactly what I was looking around on youtube for....most of these howtos dont go into what goes where on the wiring ... really very helpful! cheers!

A. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! Literally the only video on RU-vid about doing this this the clean proper way!!!❤️❤️❤️ B. The mixing bowl was awesome 😂

You inspired me. I made several improvements. First, your electrical box will get very hot because it is mounted directly to the kiln. I mounted mine with an aluminum heat shield and double air space between the box and the kiln and also added a small fan. I added a timer to shut down the unit after the desired soak time. I got rid of all the old hardware on the kiln control and added riveted plates under the cutouts in the housing. I removed one bus bar and added switches to each bank of elements to allow high (100%) or low (50%) operation of each bank. I also used three separate SCR's after the controller so that I can select which banks are in use and to reduce the current in each SCR. Although the SCR's are rated for 40 amps, I feel more comfortable with only 12 amps per SCR. My wife is an amateur potter and she is delighted. I can also use the kiln for heat treatment of steel.

Very cool. I liked the plywood layout idea. Made for a very clear presentation of what goes where and why.

I'm picking up a old Duncan this weekend and this is exactly the video I was looking for.

Watched a guy on youtube tear apart one of those inkbird 40 amp SSR's and he said it was really much less capable then 40 amps something like 16 amps. I built a 120 volt controller with the inkbird PID and SSR and I must say the accuracy of the box is amazing. I am getting +/- .3 degree f accuracy in a cheap toaster oven. Took me awhile to really understand the pid and get the settings right to get it so dialed in. I keep looking for a substitute for the cheap Chinese SSR with the same footprint, the SSR is what usually melts and burns up when these control boxes fail. I bought a old Duncan kiln today so I will wire up another PID box for it. Thanks for sharing this video it will be a great help.

This guy is a legit electrician.

You should use high temp wire that is insulated with fiber glass. Regular romex insulation can melt and short on the kiln body.

Thank you for making this video!!! I just purchased an old Paragon kiln that's similar to yours for $75 and need to add the PID and SSR's. I had no idea of how to do it until I watched your video. Thank you!!!

Oh man...i've been wanting a video like this so i can wire up my wife kiln [the same as yours actually just with the the third element option] to a PID for more accurate/programmable control instead of the old kiln sitter......awesome...i'm stocked...thanks so much for taking the time!!

Just finished up my kiln into a HT oven, ty for the video and part's list on Amazon. Made life easy.

This is as "how to" as it gets! Thank you Brian for always putting out such quality content

EMT Conduit for the raceway between the two boxes instead of flex is a indication of quality electrical work, I like it. Reminds me of my IBEW apprenticeship contest exam over 40 years ago.

I just picked one up , I'm really glad , no more forge heat treats. Hehe thx bro 4 making the way , peace

Thanks. This is exactly what was looking to do for my kiln/heat treating/smelting furnace.

Mixing bowl was funny!!!!! I have a similar kiln ready to do this also. I have the temp controllers and will have at it.

About to do the same for fusing telescope glass. Thanks for the video!!

If you add a cooling fan and some thermal paste to this recipe, you probably have perfection.

Great work. I'm not a sparky but can do most of the preliminary work and get my mate to final test. I'm also going to put a safety cut out switch on the door of my kiln.

Ive been waiting on a quality how to for this conversion for some time. Many things.

Your a great person this is an amazing video

thanks very much bro that video helped me alot figure out the wiring im just waiting on the rest of my bricks so i can make my heat treat oven well done also just liked and subbed thanks again Mark i dont know why but the electrical is intimidating but in reaility its not that hard when you research it ,but you made it alot easier to understand

Thank you. Very nice demonstration.

I love the OSHA approved flippy floppies!👍

Genial tu video, lo intentaré en mi horno cerámico, espero quede bien. Saludos.

8:27 was awesome!

Extremely clean work sir! Thanks for sharing this. How long did it take you to get up to temp? Seems like a big guy to heat up.

Very insightful presentation.....👍

Hey fellow Floridian; just finished the 2x72 gen4 grinder and am on to my next issue, precision heat treating and forge build… And look who I find executing the same idea I had, Mr House. Another solid build sir. I found a similar kiln on FB marketplace for 100, and thought if I can precision control this thing I can do a lot of production at a fraction of the cost of a smaller either new or dyi oven. Lol, honestly was hoping it would be a touch more simple and affordable, wishful thinking does not make for quality projects though does it…

Hey. AWESOME video as everyone agrees. Problem is supply list link gives me a 404 ( not found). Just watched close and wrote all I saw. Thanks guy for this and the old programming lesson. I SERIOUSLY appreciate it. Thanks again.

I've been mixing my wires for 3 hours now and they are still not done. Do I need to compensate for sea level?

Dude, Not fare when you make it look easy and its daunting for the rest of us.. Good Video I want to try it but Ima skeard.

I have the chance to get an older kiln like this for a good price. I only want it for tempering though. Still I’d like to have an accurate reading if only for 400F or so. Thanks for the clear details👍👊

Your video is best one on this subject and very helpful. I have a technical question, why wire the SSRs in series? Wouldn't it be better to divide up the SSR loads to the two element sets. This way the current is divided and prolongs the SSRs' life!

Not sure about crimping connectors onto solid core copper wire...

On your amazon list you have 2 PID controllers, the AUBER one in the video and another MYPIN one. I only need one of these for this conversion correct. I am converting the identical kiln.

So kick ass..I think I hate you a little now..lol. J/K Great job as usual Brian!

Just came across this today... Have a kiln in storage that I would love to do this to. It appears your project page is no longer online.... Anyway to get a Part Number for the Relays and the PID?

My dads got one of these old kilns sittting in the garage ...I’m doing this

You should use a definite purpose contactor on the lines feeding the SSRs use the alarm output relay on the PID to control that as a fail safe you have extra room in your box for it

I have passed up a kiln like this one to many times frick. Gonna be on the look out cause that little paragon one I picked up is not big enough for much of anything.

So if I wanted to eliminate my switches I would just wire the 10 gauge wires directly to the coils?

This may sound dumb but I watch a guys channel Blacktail studio he builds Giant wood tables. He does this thing where for a small charge he consults with you on a project over zoom. Do you do anything similar? He only does a couple a week so he is not overwhelmed but was looking for something like that.

Am I wrong that the DC side is actually wired in parallel?

If I follow this design, but have a 4 wire 240v power source, where do I connect the neutral?

The video does not say what kind of cable the yellow one is. Can anybody tell me? Think i have all the cables becides that one now

Very cool video, can I wire it directly to the heating element and bypass the 2 switches....thanks

I see low voltage wire in the video that wasn't on the list. Can you recommend what to buy?

Excellent!!

Impressive. Looks real nice but one might want to allow for better venting on the SSR box. Solid State Relays fail closed (on) from over heat and if used for high fire ceramics (several hrs. @ high temp). Heat sinks are good but holes in the box and even a fan would cover your ass. Computer type DC 12v 8 or 10 cm would do ya. The stock coil type relays don't heat up so much yet their box was drilled for venting. Cool project but keep it cool.

Link to the parts is gone, but I'd be interested in doing this conversion myself.

Great video! But, I have a question. My kiln has 3 layers and 3 plugins to the control panel. What would be the difference in wiring/ parts needed? Thanks

Hi, Great video. Can the controller be programmed to create a temperature curve in relation to time. Say the objective is to reach 1250 degrees in 12 hours with specific settings in between? Best regards

Can you ramp the heat rate with that pod controller?

Ok, maybe I'm stupid but why did you drill the holes in the kiln lid? Thanks for a nice video.

Did you measure the temp inside your electronics box? Also, what were your initial PID settings? Thanks a bunch. Good video!

What size of wires did you use at min mark 8:23?

Great video! I am doing the exact same conversion. That being said, I measured the resistance of both my coils. The first coil read 5040 ohms (21 ~ 23 amps), second coil read 4400 ohms (18~ 20 amps). If ran in series, this would draw 39~43 amps total. I’m wondering if the original cone circuit alternated the two different coils (since it’s only rated a 24 amp circuit) Have you experienced any issue with breakers or wires getting too hot?

Do you have to leave the control knobs from the original panel in tact and use them for wiring in the wires from the ssr’s and pid or can they be run directly to the wires from the kiln?

I need help i need make same wiring but with 3 SSR with 3 heaters. I am building my own kiln got everything build. Just wiring is problem for me. Would You help me with explaining how to add 3 SSR. Regards

if you don’t have the coil switches can you wire straight to coils? i gather you would lose the function of being able to turn off half the coils but could you still control temp the same?

Hello. I have an old pottery kiln that works with kiln sitter cones. This convertion works for to keep using the kiln for pottery? Thanks

im building a heat treat oven that will run off of 240 my question is how do i connect the 2 elements? in series or in parralell and whats the difference between the 2 thanks hope you can help

Awesome video! just a quick question could this be wired to 120v instead of 220?

Did he just use his calipers to score a circle in ceramic metal abrasive material.... did that just happen??!!?? Why Brian... why!!

Nice video. I have a very similar kiln. Wall thickness is about 3 inches, as I think your’s is also. How long is your thermocouple? How far does it reach into the kiln? Is it working well? Thanks much.

Does it switch off and stay off once it reaches temp?

Some of the items you listed are sold out. The thermocouple mainly. There isn't much specific info as far as how do I choose the length and thickness of thermocouple I need? My kiln is a bit different than yours so I'm not sure where I'm going to put my thermocouple either. Do I need some sort of shielding for it? Or just drill a hole and stick it in? It is the type of kiln that uses Pyro metric cones so it doesn't have a thermocouple already in it. Any help would be awesome!

Would you have the time to talk with me about the relays and or if the setup will run on one? I am pulling 15 amp top and bottom wired like your box..ive run it up to 500deg a few times but the last time bottom relay melted and cought fire..at 200deg..i took thermal readings bottom relay was a good 75 deg hotter than the top i had a feeling of doom..yep and my relay box is mounted away from the side of the kiln 5 inches..any help would be great thanks

Very cool. What's the max temp you can reach and hold on this unit. I want to get into stainless a d the steel I'm looking at requires a temp of 1900 for a soak. Thanks in advance

I have an econo kiln with 3 zones, will I need to buy 3 of thos relays?

Hello! I purchased the parts/equipment you listed. A friend converted my old Skutt Kiln using the Auber Instruments PID Temperature Controller W/ 30 RAMP/SOAK,SSR Output, SYL-2352P. Initially, it was showing the output of the kiln on the temp reading as a negative number, so I switched the thermocouple attachments (which by color appeared to be wired correctly). This took care of the error, and temps appeared to be read and shown correctly on the PID controller. Fast forward three kiln loads later that all over fired (I have the PID programming down). The PID is reading the temp in the kiln and running the programming (including the ramps and soaks), but not controlling the temp in the kiln. Any trouble shooting tips or instructions you can give for me to try?

Cam this be 110v? If so do you use one relay or one relay is power one neutral for 110?

I noticed the parts list link is no longer available. do you still have that information?

This is fantastic. Hoping you can answer a few questions. My kiln is single zone 240v, 60hz, 1 Phase, 5,760w, 24amp. Currently heats with 1pole 35amp NO mercury relay. Using your setup, would I use just one 40amp solid state relay? Also, will I maybe need to upgrade the gage size of elements? The kiln reaches and fires cone 6 2250F. Thank you for the video.

Would you be willing to share a parts list with me. Not that great at electrical but i can weld the heck out of anything. Just picked up an old modular Kiln it has 3 manual controllers on it now and i'd like to wire up the 3 coils just like you have done here. Thanks, Mike

Why the DC conversion and not apply AC to elements, a cost savings or are there other benefits to be had? I was contemplating using contactors and a programmable controller on mine.

What gauge wire did you use to run from the SSR to the PID? What volt/amps is your wall outlet? My old kiln didn’t have the switches your did so I am running 10 AWG from the heating coil directly to the SSR.

What gauge are the yellow and green wire?

At time 8:45 why are you stirring up the wires and connectors in a bowl?

I am considering doing this to my ceramic kiln, I fire it to around 2200 degrees f. Think it can handle it? Can you have multiple program presets into this controller?

Is there any reason you put the white wires (instead of the black) on the SSR with the main 120v black line?

Any issues with the SSR have read in the Amazon reviews lots of posts about those SSR being poor quality and overrated

Hi would you recommend the syl-2352 by auber for the cheaper P.I.N. Thanks

Loved your video, thanks for sharing....I had a question when your wiring the 2 switches in the cover for the heating coils i noticed you had the red and black wire that go to the heating coils on the top and bottom switch, then later in the video when you hooking the wires up to the coils you show red red wire on the top switch and black black on the bottom....which is correct...I hope I'm explaining this correctly...lol...thank you for any help.

Anyone know of a good troubleshooting guide for this set-up? Kiln not heating. Output light for PID is on, which I assume means i programmed it correctly and its running a program. Light on the SSRs comes on. Good continuity to coils. Any thoughts or resources?

where did you get the ceramic heat shield for the thermocoupler? if i donny use that will i run into trouble? thanks

Hi, I looking for someone who can do that in Ireland? Anyone?

DO NOT WIRE THE SSR DIRECTLY TO THE COIL! yOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO BREAK THE CONNECTION - FAST!

An informative video with lots of good ideas. I was working on converting a kiln to PID a few minutes ago before I came in to do some RU-vid research. My preference is to have the a relay break both sides of the power to the element as in the U.S. both legs of 240v are hot but 180 degrees out of phase with each other. (i.e., each is 120 volts to ground but 240 volts when measured across them.) With only a single pole relay, one side of the element is always hot when the switch is on. Although I believe it can be done with an SSR on each leg of the incoming power, I'm using a 240v DPST contactor (relay) for my conversion. If you use a contactor, you have to get a PID designed for use with the relay rather than one for SSRs. If you want to control two 240v sections of the element, use two contactors, one for each element. A SPST switch between the PID and each contactor will allow you to select which element you want to heat and also allow you to ensure the elements don't get power when you just want to program the PID. The switch between the PID and contactor can be relatively low current. One suggestion if you are using SSRs. Heat sink compound between the SSR and heat sink with help dissipate the heat. I fact, I also use it between the heat sink and metal enclosure as that my conduct slightly more heat away. On an earlier PID controlled kiln conversion that I did my SSR was still getting hot. I found a low cost fan that accepted a wide range of voltages to ventilate the enclosure. Pull air in one hole, out another. (i.e., don't use an enclosed box with the fan just stirring up the air inside of the box.)

Hey bro I'm really trying to convert my shed what's that little mixing s*** you did was it the same thing you did with the black and white wires Jesus Christ

I’m pretty disappointed in this build. You left one SIGNIFICANT part of this tutorial out where you’re mixing the wires in the bowl! You didn’t even tell us what dressing you used! Ugh!

I have the same kiln. This will be a great project to follow.

On mine, I ended up putting a switch between the PID & the SSR, that way I can cut off the elements any time need to(but I only have the 1 element). It took me a minute to figure out why you were drilling the holes in the top... Nice touch... Can't wait to see some heat treating... take it easy...