Anyone building their own kilns?

hi byrd
do you have Kijiji where you are? There are lots of free stuff for
stained glass,and articals no longer needed for crafts,there is even a
section as skills trade.where you could do something for someone
else,and get them to build the kiln for you.worth a try.

Steve Ackman wrote:
In , on Thu, 10 May 2007 16:45:44
-0600, nJb wrote:

Rob Morley wrote:

If the computer freezes you're running Microsoft Windows[1] - stop it.
:-)


[1] or the computer's too close to the kiln - move it somewhere cool.

Do whatever you like. My firings are much to valuable to even consider
using a PC to control the kiln.


I've had PCs running hundreds of days without a
reboot. Of course, by PC, I mean an x86 machine, not
the common misuse of the term meaning a machine running
some flavor of Windows.

My computers are far more reliable than my present
electric company. We've had at least a half dozen power
outages since January already, ranging from half-second
blips to 23 hours... Computers: Not a single reboot
that wasn't a planned upgrade, or due to one of the
aforementioned blips (only 2 machines are on UPS) - the
other is at the mercy of the power company.


One of those blips can cause a reboot, my controller will continue where
it left off if I so choose. I'll take the controller any day.

Basic computer with kiln software... $700

Dedicated kiln controller..... $200

Not worrying about power bumps.... Priceless


Jack

What's Kijiji? I live in a very rural community. Not much in the way of any
sort of resource, training, store, etc. within 150 mi and then just a very
expensive university in a town with @ 15K population. its at least 200 mi to
the nearest city and much available as far as glass goes, except windshield
repair and window / door companies.

What I do have is several old 286, 386, 486 pcs that should be suitable
enough to run a kiln controller after all what is a kiln controller but a
self-contained PC with some sort of interface modules.

I thought I read an article someplace about a company in New Zealand or
Australia that built modules that could be plugged directly in to a PC with
Linux, but I can't find the info now.

Byrd



"dr.klump" wrote in message
oups.com...
hi byrd
do you have Kijiji where you are? There are lots of free stuff for
stained glass,and articals no longer needed for crafts,there is even a
section as skills trade.where you could do something for someone
else,and get them to build the kiln for you.worth a try.

In , on Fri, 11 May 2007 16:54:38
-0600, nJb wrote:

One of those blips can cause a reboot, my controller will continue where
it left off if I so choose. I'll take the controller any day.

Basic computer with kiln software... $700
Dedicated kiln controller..... $200
Not worrying about power bumps.... Priceless

I like this version better.

Dedicated kiln controller... $200
UPS... $29
Using hardware that would otherwise go to the landfill...
priceless.

In , on Sat, 12 May 2007
12:25:48 -0700, Byrd wrote:
What's Kijiji?

Basically, craigslist outside the US.
http://www.kijiji.com/

I thought I read an article someplace about a company in New Zealand or
Australia that built modules that could be plugged directly in to a PC with
Linux, but I can't find the info now.

Google will find a few options for using a Linux PC
as temperature controller. Don't necessarily limit your
search terms to glass/pottery, as they're used for
coffee roasting, climate control, and just about
anything where temperature needs controlling.

Steve Ackman wrote:
In , on Fri, 11 May 2007 16:54:38
-0600, nJb wrote:


One of those blips can cause a reboot, my controller will continue where
it left off if I so choose. I'll take the controller any day.


Basic computer with kiln software... $700
Dedicated kiln controller..... $200
Not worrying about power bumps.... Priceless


I like this version better.

Dedicated kiln controller... $200
UPS... $29
Using hardware that would otherwise go to the landfill...
priceless.

You still haven't dealt with the power bumps and freeze ups.

Nah, priceless is sending a 300 pound, 2" thick counter top to the
landfill because the hardware failed. I don't know what most of you use
kilns for but to me $200 is peanuts compared to trashing a load while
trying to reinvent the wheel.

I use two dedicated controllers on each kiln. Each with their own TC.
Haven't needed the safety yet but I've also never been in a serious
accident. I still have auto insurance.

Somebody asked for advice, I put in my two cents. The great thing about
advice is that a wise man doesn't need it and a fool won't heed it.

The strangest thing is that the original poster hasn't checked back in.
Maybe that's not so strange.

Jack

In article , nJb
says...

You still haven't dealt with the power bumps and freeze ups.

A UPS will deal with an unreliable power supply, but the right software
will recover gracefully from a power failure anyway. Only Windows users
think that machines lock up regularly. DOS would work fine for this
sort of application, and has been used for process control in science
and industry for many years. The open-source UNIX derivatives are also
used for critical real-time control. The PC hardware required to run
this sort of thing is minimal: I have some old 486 machines that would
be more than adequate, and have proved their reliability over many
years, NASA still uses Intel 386 based hardware because it works - but
you can bet it doesn't run Windows.
You may not be interested in using a PC to control your kiln, and I
wouldn't try to persuade you otherwise, but you said "A PC is not
reliable for controlling a kiln" and that's just not true. It's
probably only going to appeal to people who have an interest in
programming and DIY electronics, but it's potentially a very workable
solution.

Rob Morley wrote:
In article , nJb
says...


You still haven't dealt with the power bumps and freeze ups.


A UPS will deal with an unreliable power supply, but the right software
will recover gracefully from a power failure anyway. Only Windows users
think that machines lock up regularly. DOS would work fine for this
sort of application, and has been used for process control in science
and industry for many years. The open-source UNIX derivatives are also
used for critical real-time control. The PC hardware required to run
this sort of thing is minimal: I have some old 486 machines that would
be more than adequate, and have proved their reliability over many
years, NASA still uses Intel 386 based hardware because it works - but
you can bet it doesn't run Windows.
You may not be interested in using a PC to control your kiln, and I
wouldn't try to persuade you otherwise, but you said "A PC is not
reliable for controlling a kiln" and that's just not true. It's
probably only going to appeal to people who have an interest in
programming and DIY electronics, but it's potentially a very workable
solution.

Go for it. I prefer to spend my time melting glass, which I do everyday.
You sound like your expertise is in computers. Mine is in glass, kilns,
and building controllers that are inexpensive and the least computer
literate person can use.

Jack

http://www.glasterpiece.com

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/xmissionbobo/

"nJb" wrote in message
...
Rob Morley wrote:
In article , nJb says...


You still haven't dealt with the power bumps and freeze ups.


A UPS will deal with an unreliable power supply, but the right software
will recover gracefully from a power failure anyway. Only Windows users
think that machines lock up regularly. DOS would work fine for this sort
of application, and has been used for process control in science and
industry for many years. The open-source UNIX derivatives are also used
for critical real-time control. The PC hardware required to run this
sort of thing is minimal: I have some old 486 machines that would be
more than adequate, and have proved their reliability over many years,
NASA still uses Intel 386 based hardware because it works - but you can
bet it doesn't run Windows.
You may not be interested in using a PC to control your kiln, and I
wouldn't try to persuade you otherwise, but you said "A PC is not
reliable for controlling a kiln" and that's just not true. It's probably
only going to appeal to people who have an interest in programming and
DIY electronics, but it's potentially a very workable solution.

Go for it. I prefer to spend my time melting glass, which I do everyday.
You sound like your expertise is in computers. Mine is in glass, kilns,
and building controllers that are inexpensive and the least computer
literate person can use.

Jack

http://www.glasterpiece.com

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/xmissionbobo/

Beautiful work. Why so judgmental about others using computers as a
controller? The population of potters is large enough that you are going to
have plenty of potters who are computer literate. We soon won't have
computers that are easily adaptable to run kilns but right now you still
have old computers that are probably far more stable than the new ones and
when run on DOS are the perfect kiln controller. Why pottery is such a
great 'job' is that there are so many dimensions to it. It isn't standing
at the conveyor belt packing widgets. There are as many ways to do the
trade as there are individuals to do it.

making clay
recycling clay
making glazes
making tools
inventing tools
writing a program to analyze glazes
analyzing glazes
creating glazes
making functional pieces
making sculpture
combining sculpture and functional
making monster pots (I have made some really ugly/cute things)
making a wedging board
making shelves
designing a studio
making a kiln
making oxide pencils/crayons/etc.
making stamps (does that fall under making tools?)
researching, reading, writing, ....... so little damn time

DKat wrote:
"nJb" wrote in message
...

Rob Morley wrote:

In article , nJb says...



You still haven't dealt with the power bumps and freeze ups.


A UPS will deal with an unreliable power supply, but the right software
will recover gracefully from a power failure anyway. Only Windows users
think that machines lock up regularly. DOS would work fine for this sort
of application, and has been used for process control in science and
industry for many years. The open-source UNIX derivatives are also used
for critical real-time control. The PC hardware required to run this
sort of thing is minimal: I have some old 486 machines that would be
more than adequate, and have proved their reliability over many years,
NASA still uses Intel 386 based hardware because it works - but you can
bet it doesn't run Windows.
You may not be interested in using a PC to control your kiln, and I
wouldn't try to persuade you otherwise, but you said "A PC is not
reliable for controlling a kiln" and that's just not true. It's probably
only going to appeal to people who have an interest in programming and
DIY electronics, but it's potentially a very workable solution.

Go for it. I prefer to spend my time melting glass, which I do everyday.
You sound like your expertise is in computers. Mine is in glass, kilns,
and building controllers that are inexpensive and the least computer
literate person can use.

Jack

http://www.glasterpiece.com

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/xmissionbobo/


Beautiful work. Why so judgmental about others using computers as a
controller? The population of potters is large enough that you are going to
have plenty of potters who are computer literate. We soon won't have
computers that are easily adaptable to run kilns but right now you still
have old computers that are probably far more stable than the new ones and
when run on DOS are the perfect kiln controller. Why pottery is such a
great 'job' is that there are so many dimensions to it. It isn't standing
at the conveyor belt packing widgets. There are as many ways to do the
trade as there are individuals to do it.


Thank you.

Not judgmental at all. Somebody asked a question about building kilns
and controllers and I answered to the best of my knowledge. A few people
took it as if I said they "can't" use a PC. I pointed out some of the
pitfalls. What I didn't point out is that the part I use instead of a PC
is 2"x2"x4". There are many ways to get any job done. Hey, I don't own
an electric mixer.

Jack