Initial Kiln Inspection - Or OH MY GOD.... What Have I Done ?!?!?!? ;-)

Have you ever accepted a commission on a project or started an ambitious new project, when you all of a sudden you have the sudden feeling of OH MY GOD .... What have I done ? !  ? ! ? ! ? ! ?

:-)  Well after I did my Initial Kiln Inspection that was my feeling.

So I picked up the Kiln from my Aunt's farm. We moved it from the Barn, knocked off the cobwebs and the dust, and put it into my Truck.  She warned me that the bottom plate was rusted badly, and that the top element was not working, but I was optimistic ! :-)  I figured the bottom was a minor issue, and I could fix a single element.  The rest was cosmetic.  Plus She had the original manuals and wiring diagrams..... I was golden.

I arrived home and unloaded the kiln into my driveway.


 

The exterior is somewhat corroded ( yes even stainless steel can rust ) and its pretty dusty.  The original control panel looks to be in good shape though.  As you can see, the kiln sitter has broken away from the kiln exterior, but I am not too worried about that, because I am going to replace it with a digital temperature controller, a Type - K thermocouple, and a solid state relay (SSR).  
 

The Kiln lid is fairly battered but nothing major.  Just a factor of human nature that people tend to use them as handy shelves.  The hinges are badly rusted, but they can be cleaned up and painted.  It is evident that the lid became loose in its original mounting position at some point, and was moved to the next side of the kiln .

 






I am starting to get worried.  As I move the Kiln for inspection, I can feel major movement INSIDE the kiln.  Not good.


I then took a look at the bottom.  I was warned that the bottom was rusted, but I did not realize the extent of the damage.
 


The previous picture is a close up of the Kiln's bottom / edge.  See the gray fringe?  That is all that is left of the bottom panel of the Kiln that holds the weight of EVERYTHING else.  Remember when I previously said that even stainless steel rusts? This is a picture perfect example.  Under high temperatures or under corrosive conditions even stainless can have problems.  

 


That shot shows the Kiln bottom after I removed what was left from the rest of the Kiln.  It started out as around 22-24 gauge stainless steel ( my approximation ).  Now it is paper thin, and I literally tore it with my hands.

Without the Kiln baseplate, there are MAJOR structural problems.  It has allowed the firebricks, which are very fragile in a new kiln let alone a 40 year old kiln, to develop a major crack that goes entirely through the kiln bottom, and all the way across the bottom. 

 


 


The next couple of shots show the same problem from the inside.

 


 


At this point I am seriously worried about the viability of the Kiln.  Stabilizing the bottom has got to be the first priority, if this project is going to work and I don't want to end up with nothing more than more than a pile of gravel and dust.

My next post will cover the state of the electrical components and the elements.