how and where do you place your blade in your kiln's?

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chad2

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Sep 2, 2011
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i was thinking of getting a kiln knife rack so i can heat my blades in the center of the kiln but i was wondering what you guys do. do most of you have the rack or what?

i have heard it is a bad idea to lay them down. is this true or does it not matter?
 
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Edge up in a fire brick with slots sawed into it to hold the blade, and centered under the thermal sensor by just a couple of inches due to the fire brick.
 
I use a chunk of firebrick with a vertical slit in one side. I put the knife edge up, in the center of the oven with the end of the tang in the slot. Seems to work pretty good but I've only had an oven for a few weeks now so there are probably better ways to do it.
 
I center them the best I can, edge up and tip of the floor of the kiln. I use an Even Heat ceramic pegboard thingy but raised it up with a 1 inch firebrick to get the tip up on swepted blades. Also make sure your element coils are not visable. They can transmit infrared(radiant?) heat to the blades which will overshoot your temper. Conventional ovens are notorious for that.
 
Rick Marchand said:
...Also make sure your element coils are not visable. They can transmit infrared(radiant?) heat to the blades which will overshoot your temper. Conventional ovens are notorious for that.
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Have you covered your elements with something, or are you considering their being recessed in the refractory material as "not visible?"
 
Do you guys typically run one knife at a time, or have you done more than one in a heat?
 
Phil Dwyer said:
Have you covered your elements with something, or are you considering their being recessed in the refractory material as "not visible?"
Click to expand...

The Sugar Creek kilns have "J" slots so the element slips out of sight. Some folks use baffels to shield the blade from the direct view of the coils. It is a problem with exposed elements and not many people realize it. There can be a huge temperature jump in the steel from radiant/infra-red heat. Ever leave a wrench out on a Sunny day? It may be 90F outside but that wrench is MUCH hotter than 90degs..... same thing.
 
What do you suggest for those with an evenheat?

My best guess would be sticking something to the side edges of the rack, but I don't know what or how.

What about foil? Could you fold up some foil to make little "planks" to lean against the rack?

But now I'm really wondering if that affects the most delicate part, the point.

I've never heard of this before.

Wouldn't we be doing something about that if it makes a difference? Wouldn't the two knives closest to the elements get fried every time?

Dammit. The day started out so well too... :D
 
One might make a channel like arrangment from firebrick, or a similar material. I really don't believe the problem is all that serious. I run blades three at a time, about an inch apart, high in the middle of the oven. If there is a problem, I haven't noticed anything that would indicate that there was.
 
It would effect tempering the most.... and only on the ramp up. You can lessen the effect buy allowing your kiln to equalize BEFORE putting your blades in.(and most do) This way, the blade is still heating up as the kiln is intervalling to maintain temperature and it's never on long enough to do any harm.

It's not the kiln that's the problem... it's how you use it. That said, I really like the Sugar Creek's "J" Slots for eliminating the issue.
 
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