Here is a quick video I made to help out a view who had questions about figuring out microwave kiln temperatures. Comments and suggestions are lways welcome. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for your time to make this video! Just gave me an idea to make my own ceramic disk kinda like a thin coaster to place things to protect my microwave kiln. 😊
Hi Capt. Mike! I just found your channel today, but I am so glad I did. Thank you so much for making these videos and trying these experiments. You really add true value to our creative lives by doing this work! There are not many videos out there trying and explaining the things you are doing!
I just got my microwave kiln to pass cone five. Maybe even higher but I just had a cone 5 cone in there. The heating elements started to melt and the kiln insulation it self stated to mature 😂 i only had it in there for 13 minute in my beast microwave haha
your supposed to stand them up and if they bend to the point where the tip points down (90 degrees) theyve reached that temp. i just found that out 2seconds ago. great vid.
one way to further refine the temps you can achieve, would be to try and melt a small amount of metal with a known melting point. For instance copper melts at 1084C/1984F, silver melts at 961C/1763F. If you set a small amount(a few grams) of each of those in the kiln in your test and it comes out molten at the end, you know you've reached that temperature.
@@beccar0ze It is reportedly perfectly ok. It is routinely done with PMC (metallic) clays. My microwave came with a metal rack. As long as it doesn't make contact with the sides, isn't a thin foil or coating, and isn't a sheet large enough to deflect energy back into the magnetron, metal is actually ok to have in the microwave.
@@beccar0ze My science microwave looks like a powder keg went off in it, and I've done a number of metals in mine. Aluminum is really easy, though perhaps most satisfying is using a cast iron skillet as a base for carbonizing powders. The skillet will get warm but not arc unless it catches debris from a previous experiment.
when these are placed in a kiln they are standing upright. not sure if that matters. there is usually a diagram on the box. but I still appreciate the video as I am learning about raku microwave and their is not much info out there and I don't want to build a larger scale one.
Hi Capt. Mike, Thanks so much for your videos, you explain things so well. I just found this cone video so will do this next. I am really new to ceramics and while saving for a big kiln, saw your bisque and Raku microwave videos. I tried some small pieces for fun, in two stages bisque then glazed. They worked well, the glaze fired and was clear and shiny, so I guess the temp was right enough, but the following day my cat jumped on the bench and knocked the piece off. It chipped really easily so I tried breaking the remainder in my hands to see how strong the finished piece was. What I am wondering about is even though the temperature is good for firing, in you experience with both types of kiln, will the pieces get as strong as say a 8 + hour duration in a conventional kiln? I gave them about 18 minutes per firing and checked to see them glowing etc before thinking they were done but maybe they needed longer?
I have never thought about whether or not the added time in a large kiln would make a stronger piece. I will have to run some tests to check that out. Thanks for the comment. It's always good to hear from someone with an inqusitive mind.
@@CaptMike Thanks Capt. Mike, i'm probably doing too much thinking and not enough doing at this stage, but with your help I have at least managed to fire a few test pieces for fun. I live too far away from anywhere who can fire my pieces, so just doing some research before leaping in and buying a big kiln. I have a little Paragon SC2 for metal clay and enameling but I don't think it would be wise to use for 8 hours + and it's not really designed for the temps over 1000c
hi ! that's interesting ! i've learn that in order to get sturdy ceramics when bisqued, they have to be fired following a precise curve, with a slow rise of température to evaporate the water of cristalisation (always present in non-fired clay even really dry) and then go through a landing at high temp (for aprox. 30-40 minutes in a classic kiln) witch allow vitrification and thus, sturdiness. The kiln is as well set to cool by itself. Then maybe we can mimic such cuves and heigten gradually the microwave's power, as you run successive shorts firings. You have to know the temperture for each adjustment of the microwave ... sorry for the wobbly english, and thank you for this discution !
Thank you so much! Also I fired my 700w for a total of 24min (3min bursts) but the roof inside the kiln has cracked a little do you have any cracking on the white in your kiln at 30 mins? Thank you
Anyone tested out the same cones on a half as powerful microwave in the 700-800w range. Would be interested to find out if it only took double the time(40min), to reach cone 006 or the temp of 1000 degrees celsius...
Hi. After watching your videos, I have a MWK coming soon. What I want to know is, should I get a microwave just for using the kiln, or can I use the one I use in the kitchen. I'm planning on getting another one, but until I do, I can't wait to have a go. It should be 1000 watts or higher, shouldn't it?
It is "suggested" that you do not use the same MW oven for the kiln and for cooking. However, I use mine to make popcorm all the time. A 1000W MW is nice, but any of them will work. The times may have to be longer.
@@CaptMike I think glazing won´t be possible because I remember the horsehair had to be done straight on the ´naked´ chamotta clay after taking it out of the oven at about 900 degrees C. I´ve got one item with glazing, but the fusing process couldn´t be done as it can´t go into the fire after coming out of the oven. I´ve done it only once a couple of years ago in the big raku at a workshop and now it is my challange to do it on my own: big raku ánd micro both with horsehair. Oh dear..... a bit scared but results are very interesting.
@@practicasinternacionales6692 Thanks for the comments. I completed a "horse hair & feather" tesyt today and will post the video as soon as I can. Interesting results.
Hi, Captain Mike I need to buy a dedicated Microwave Oven to Raku in a microwave kiln. Your microwave in this video was 1500Watts. Do you think it is likely an 1800Watt microwave oven would be suitable for firing 1 or 2 large microwave kilns?? I appreciate your thoughts!
Actually anny of the microwaves will work. You will just have to experiment a little to get the times right. The nice thing about these small kilns is if you have a failure it is reall no big deal as far as time and materials go. Good luck!
Hello, I am new to microwave kiln firing and I have a question. I started heating my clay (some covered with BOTZ Engobes) and after just a minute there was a quite strong icky smell coming out of the microwave. Is this normal? I am not sure where the smell was from, the pieces or the microwave or the fiber paper underneath them or the kiln. Any advice? Ill make sure to wear a mask from now on… thank you so much!
If you were using cermaic clay that would not be it. Sometimes with the firsst firing using fiber paper there will be an order. I think that was most likely it.
In the video I mentioned that these Orton cones were not the proper cones for this type of test...but they were what I have and they work similar to the temp testing cones. The whole idea was to get a ball bark idea of the temps in a MW kiln. Temps, hold and soak and things that are almost impossible to do in a MW kiln. I think I came close to what you can achieve in the MW kiln. As always, thanks for your comments. You never know when I will completely screw up (and I will do a video on that later). Thanks for watching.