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UPDATE ON NEEDED COMPONENTS:
1) I just received all the firebricks I'll need from my nephew.
2) I also received a nice used LOVE brand Self Tune Plus PID controller (1998 vintage 1600 series model #16153 ) which has manual and auto sets and a ramp & soak feature, fuzzy logic and two alarm outputs. It is a very nice unit and is 1/16 DIN in size. I really lucked out and I am very happy and fortunate. This will save me approx. $85 bucks since I was planning on getting the better unit from Auber Controls. This LOVE controller was about $265 dollars new and hopefully still works. Unfortunately I looked at the instructions online (downloaded) and I will DEFINITELY need help programming this thing. If my nephew can't help enough, my son the engineer will...... as long as he has time!
3) I also received from my nephew some Kaowool blanket material for around the outside of bricks and some various high temp square and round rope material to use on my door bricks to help seal it better.
4) He also sent me some other misc. stuff including some hardness testing files.
Receiving this stuff from my nephew will greatly help me cost wise and really help get this project off to a good start. Of course, I will still have to purchase everything else such as angle iron, misc. hdw., wire, heating element, Type K TC, controls mounting box, switches, SSR and heat sink, connectors, etc. The cost of these items isn't too terrible and I should end up with a very nice knife blade kiln. It should reach temp. very quickly using the right size element for chamber size and also because it will be well insulated using 3" thick fire bricks and possibly a Kaowool wrap over the outside of them under the sheet metal.
My good fortune doesn't help you guys out any and I'm sorry for that, but I do plan on informing you guys about my build as I go along which hopefully will help you out.
I'm not sure exactly when I will be starting this project, but hopefully soon. I am in the process of setting up shop in my pole shed which will also take time and some money!
Have a nice Christmas and I wish you the best.
I will keep you informed on my kiln build and try to help out as much as I can.
DAVID
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