Olympic Kiln - 3031HE

Olympic Kiln - 3031HE The Olympic Oval was created to fill many needs. First, to provide a kiln for large ceramic pieces and big commercial loads, while requiring little more floor space than the cylindrical kiln; and second, to offer an extremely energy efficient kiln for larger loads. Long the workhorse for the busy studio or ceramic factory, the Olympic Oval is designed for fast-firing requirements and ceramic production. Olympic Oval kilns are constructed of three-inch brick for added insulation and strength. The top section has an additional 2 inch blank row of bricks to protect the first row of elements. The top and bottom sections are connected to the center section by an interconnecting plug, allowing the sections to be easily separated and reducing the amperage carried by the interconnecting plug to just one element. Balanced heating elements insure even distribution of heat within the kiln regardless of the load being fired. The lid of the ovals has a lid lift assist for easy opening and closing of the kiln lid and the lid has a hole in the center for venting (lid wedges are not to be used with an oval lid). Each ring has handles for easy lifting and Olympic’s unique ring lock to prevent shifting of the kiln rings when in use. Solid State Relay A Solid State Relay is hands down the best investment you can make in your kiln! The relay is what controls the power cycling of the elements in the kiln and they need to be able to withstand a ton of power as they do so. The solid state relays are incredibly efficient compared to the standard mechanical relays and are able to operate at much faster speeds. What this equates to is incredibly tight temperature control for accurate firings, longer element life, and savings on your electrical bill! The standard mechanical relays have moving parts which cause wear and tear over the years and will eventually need to be replaced; however with a solid state relay it's likely to last the entire life of the kiln! You will save money and time by never needing to worry about this in the future! Controller Selection Olympic has close relationships with the manufacturers of a variety of digital controllers. This means you will have nothing but the best the best in terms of performance and accuracy in your firings. With a selection of multiple controllers available - you can choose exactly what fits your needs. Genesis by Barlett Instruments The Genesis is a touch screen option which has extended functionality over traditional button controllers! The Genesis has the ability to store up to 12 different programs - with up to 32 segments per program each! You'll have no trouble adding segments, skipping, or adding temperature along the way. This is a great choice for a controller if you want the features of a smart controller, but want the ease of straightforward programming and use. V6-CF by Barlett Instruments With a numerical keypad and multiple additional buttons to access the various features, it allows the operators to create up to 4 custom firing programs, each including up to 8 segments, and 2 custom firing programs with 16 segments! Need to make adjustments as you go? On-the-fly adjustments to offset the final temperature or skip a segment of the firing program are both available! How about preheating? Check! Cone Fire mode can hold at a temperature of 200F for a specified time before continuing with the firing program. This is quite useful for drying ware. This and many other menu functions are available to provide additional control and create your ideal firing profile. If you're choosing between the V6-CF and RTC-1000, the V6-CF is best used with ceramic firings. 3K-CF by Barlett Instruments The 3K-CF is our basic, no frills controller. It gets the job done, but does not offer nearly as much flexibility as the others. The 3K-CF has the ability to store up to 4 custom firing profiles with up to 8 segments each. While the 3K-CF controller is fantastic, and certainly will help you achieve your end goals - we always recommend an upgrade to one of the other available options. The controller is the heart and brain of your kiln and not something to skimp on! It's what you'll be working with day in and day out, and being able to take advantage of the expanded user interface on the other controllers as well as their overwhelming number of features - we've always found that users are happiest upgrading. This is a good choice if you're only planning to occasionally use your oven and do not want room to expand in the future. Orton Vent Master Downdraft Vent System With all ceramic and glass kilns, we highly recommend that they be vented to the outside. But why? First and foremost - is your safety! When heating various materials in your kiln, many have byproducts that burn off and are released into the air. These byproducts are toxic and you don't want that mixing with the air you're breathing. The Orton Vent Master has a patented process called "Downdraft Venting". By manufacturing the kiln with a hole in the bottom, we're able to attach the vent here and pull the fumes out and vent them outside through a duct or window. This process helps improve the air flow and produce more uniform temperatures throughout the chamber, ensuring that each of your pieces is accurately being heated. The additional oxygen will ensure your colors develop to their truest nature. In addition, with downdraft venting - you'll extend the life of the elements and other metals within our kiln, ensuring your kiln lasts longer and you have reduced repair costs down the road. We often hear from customers that they are confident that by utilizing their venting system their kiln will last much longer than it would have otherwise and that the investment has more than paid for itself. Stand with caster wheels The standard order of this kiln comes with a stationary stand built to handle the weight, heat, and shape of the kiln. While this works perfectly fine, attempting to move your kiln can be a difficult maneuver and could result in a damaged stand, or worse - a broken kiln! Ordering a stand with caster wheels ensures the whole process of moving your kiln for any reason is a smooth and simple process. No longer worry about if you're running out of room within your garage - you can tuck your kiln away in a corner when it's not in use! And of course - if you're one for moving the kiln around the studio or other rooms, this is essentially a necessity. When ordered with a vent system - make sure to detach first before moving the kiln. Depending on the model, the stand will vary in height. Its primary use is for mobility. Power Interrupt Switch / Automatic Lid Shutoff The power interrupt switch is a useful safety feature which removes power from the heating elements of your kiln once it is opened, and reapplies the power once the lid has been closed. If you believe you'd ever like to open the kiln during firing, the power interrupt switch is a highly recommended addition to your new purchase. Dual Media Lid Element With the dual media lid element, turn this kiln into a 1-2 punch champion! You'll be able to not only fire your ceramics pieces, but also use this kiln for all your glass fusing needs. Don't limit yourself and instead keep your options open for working with both mediums! We often find that our customers regularly come back to purchase a second kiln dedicated to glass - Save yourself some time and money by ensuring your kiln does it all! Multi-Zone Thermocouples The zone control gives the controller the ability to regulate the rates of rising temperature to be even between the different zones. Meaning if the top of the kiln is lagging behind the controller will alter the rate of the bottom two zones to keep things even. When the zone control is turned on in the controller it also allows the operator to see what the temperature is, during the firing, on each of the zones. All of this improves the evenness of the kiln temperature! We find that it is beneficial when firing a very tightly loaded kiln with lots of shelves stacked close together as a lot of potters do. It is also beneficial to those that fire sculptures that use the entire height of the kiln to ensure a nice even firing. Furniture Kit Furniture Kits are necessary accessories for any kiln owner as firing directly on the kiln floor is not only bad for the kiln, but your pieces as well. In addition to this, they're also useful! A furniture kit will allow you to stack multiple shelves on top of one another in order to maximize the useable space when firing smaller pieces. If you have one that will fit this kiln size already, then you're in luck! But if not, you'll want to ensure you add this to your order as well. Furniture Kit includes: 1x Oval Full Shelf 2x 26" x 13" x 1" rectangle shelves 4x 26" x 13" x 1" half round shelves 10x 4" small square posts 10x 6" small square posts 10x 8" small square posts 10x 10" small square posts 1x 1 lb bag kiln wash Kiln furniture can be special ordered separately, but if done so the cost is ~10-20% higher and will incur a separate shipping charge. It's best to include this on your initial order of the kiln. * Received shelves may contain surface imperfections such as scratches, discoloration or rough edge. These possible imperfections are understood and accepted by the buyer. Emergency Parts Kit The Emergency Parts Kit is an excellent resource to have on hand for when your kiln eventually needs a little maintenance after all your projects! Ensure you never need to slow down and can get right back to work. This kit includes: 7 Elements High Temp Connectors Element Pins Transformer Fuse Pint of Mortar Thermocouple 5 Relays Crimping Tool Lead Wires with Slip-on Connectors