Wiring

Lee

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Nov 21, 2009, 9:43:44 PM11/21/09

to ClayCraft

It just dawned on me looking at the wiring in the garage. I
may have 220 out there already: there is an end of the three wire
insulated cable coming from the house. Two wires taped and one
bare. If I took a photo, could anybody tell? Also, how could I
test to be sure?

Thanks,

--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a
faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant
and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein

Sherron & Jim Bowen

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Nov 21, 2009, 10:33:17 PM11/21/09

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I have one of these
http://www.licensedelectrician.com/Store/ID/Solenoid-Voltage-Testers.htm

If I were there I would put one lead on one of the taped wires and one on
the other and expect to get 220.
Odds are there is 110 in each and the bare is ground. Be careful my friend.
JB

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Louis Katz

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Nov 21, 2009, 10:39:28 PM11/21/09

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Lee,
Could be. Then again it could be 120 with a hot, common and ground.

First I would look at the breakers. See if you can find one that gives
clues.

Second you measure voltage with a voltmeter. These days they are
usually part of a multi-meter.

If you need instructions on how to use one, you probably need help. I
don't think it is wise to learn how to use a meter on live wires. To
me it sounds like a $100 bucks to an electrician is a good investment.
We would hate to lose you.

Also you need to turn the power off to get the ends unwrapped. If I
was not sure of the breaker and you are not, I would suggest killing
all the power to the house at the main.

There are good do it yourself books on home wiring at the lumber yards.

On another front, ramble,

I am fooling with an Arduino these days. Its a little programable
controller chip. It can run servos, stepper motors and other things. I
got mine working tonight. I am still not sure what I will do with
them, but they are aimed at amatuers like me. My arduino was made in
Europe (Italy) and it is soldered with lead free solder. We still
allow leaded solder here but I think its days are numbered. I still
have several pound rolls and plan to use it up, but I won't buy any
more unless I find it at a garage sale or the like.

I have been looking at sources of metals on the web and am considering
making leadless pewter teakettles, although I am also considering
tinned fabricated steel and cast iron as well. We have an iron foundry
here. I think I can tin coat the iron which appeals to me. Its a
beautiful surface.
I need a kettle to brew with when away from my studio. I use an unused
coffee thingy as a source of relatively constant temp water, but would
rather use a kettle and hobo stove.
As I know them a hobo stove is a large can with holes in the bottom
for air. We used to use one with a Turkish coffee pot (16 oz. size) to
make hot water when camping. It is a pretty efficient combination as
compared to an open fire.

Hope you all are well. We have lots of water for the first time in a
long spell. There is standing water in the backyard. This after noon
there was a front across the bay, rain clouds very dark grey sky. Off
in the distance were several flocks of birds in the sunlight. It was
so idyllic it was almost like a joke. Lots of shore birds right now
and the curlews seem to be coming back.

The rain will help cool things and the lower temps will hopefully put
an end to this years red tide, which is killing fish, and causing lots
of asthma and allergy-like stuff.

Louis
SoHo Texas

Sherron & Jim Bowen

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Nov 21, 2009, 11:38:37 PM11/21/09

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Red tide, ouch. My son and I camped on North Padre many years back on the
ocean side opposite Bird Island basin . We pulled in late at night and by
morning our eyes were red and our mucous membranes inflamed and there dead
fish everywhere on the beach mostly gaff topsails. We moved over to the
basin and it wasn't there.

JB

----- Original Message -----

Louis Katz

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Nov 22, 2009, 5:58:27 PM11/22/09

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On Nov 21, 2009, at 10:38 PM, Sherron & Jim Bowen wrote:

> gaff topsails

Must be a fish or maybe one of those jelly s with a sail.
Gaff rigged is like a sunfish sailboat. Topsail I think is at the top
of a mast. rather than the bottom. Out of my price range.

We have a couple of buckets (100 gallons) of the clay they dug up from
under our foundation for our new loading dock area. It is highly
flocculated and thixotropic. Its shrinkage rate is off the charts, If
it turns out that its bentonite, it would fit what it is doing, but
this does not seem to make sense to me geologically.

Anyhow it makes a nice cone ten slip glaze except it falls off
everything including wet clay. Anyone got any ideas how to help it
other than blend it with non plastics? If it was dry and powdered I
would calcine most of it.

Louis

Des & Jan Howard

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Nov 22, 2009, 7:06:07 PM11/22/09

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Louis
Sounds like a clay-like material in our area.
Very, very hard to crush when dry. Screen dry through
garden sieve, ~3/16", reserve some finest sievings,
calcine remainder to biscuit, ball mill hour or so,
add ~5% of fine reserved raw material as suspender
for use on biscuit.
Des

Louis Katz wrote:
> We have a couple of buckets (100 gallons) of the clay they dug up from
> under our foundation for our new loading dock area. It is highly
> flocculated and thixotropic. Its shrinkage rate is off the charts, If
> it turns out that its bentonite, it would fit what it is doing, but
> this does not seem to make sense to me geologically.
>
> Anyhow it makes a nice cone ten slip glaze except it falls off
> everything including wet clay. Anyone got any ideas how to help it
> other than blend it with non plastics? If it was dry and powdered I
> would calcine most of it.

--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850

02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624

Sherron & Jim Bowen

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Nov 22, 2009, 7:07:16 PM11/22/09

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gaff-topsail catfish-noun a sea catfish, Bagre marinus, occurring in the
Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico from Cape Cod to Panama, and having the
spine of the dorsal fin greatly prolonged and flattened.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Louis Katz" <loui...@yahoo.com>
To: <clay...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2009 3:58 PM
Subject: Re: *ClayCraft* Wiring

>

Neon-Cat

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Nov 22, 2009, 9:02:30 PM11/22/09

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Louis Katz wrote:
> We have a couple of buckets (100 gallons) of the clay they
> dug up from under our foundation for our new loading dock area. It is
> highly flocculated and thixotropic. Its shrinkage rate is off the
> charts, If it turns out that its bentonite, it would fit what it is
> doing, but this does not seem to make sense to me geologically.
>
> Anyhow it makes a nice cone ten slip glaze except it falls
> off everything including wet clay. Anyone got any ideas how to
> help it other than blend it with non plastics? If it was dry and
> powdered I would calcine most of it.

Hi Louis, maybe you’ve collected some halloysite mixed with montmorillonite (bentonite). Montmorillonite can weather to Halloysite under some conditions.

Halloysite can be in amorphous forms, or in platy, rolled, and tubular structures (the tubed versions are worth some bucks). Some hydrated forms are real water hogs. That, along with a bit of montmorillonite would give you the high shrinkage. It may be plastic, non-plastic, or in between. The plasticity and shrink-swell potential increases with increasing content of any amorphous form present. Air drying and calcining will not significantly change the plasticity of amorphous halloysite.

M. S. Taggart and L. H. Simons, Clay Mineral Content of Gulf Coast Outcrop Samples, 1953
http://www.clays.org/journal/archive/volume%202/2-1-104.pdf

ELECTRON MICROGRAPHIC STUDIES OF CLAYS
M. S. TAGGART, JR., W. O. MILLIGAN, AND H. P. STUDER
http://www.clays.org/journal/archive/volume%203/3-1-31.pdf

Some mechanisms of halloysite formation (there are others):
http://www.clays.org/journal/archive/volume%2044/44-6-843.pdf

For the Taggart references he describes some samples that might be halloysite. It was not much known in Texas when he wrote these papers and testing was not as good as it is now. We now know we have halloysite here and there throughout most all of Texas.

I add a dash (1%) of boric acid (or sometimes 0.5% boric acid and 0.5% borax) to my slips of native white clay that I suspect might be or contain halloysite -- then it sticks to everything, sometimes too well. One percent boric acid doesn't seem to much affect melting at high temps -- it's pretty much done what it's going to do at much lower temps so just serves to get things started a few degrees sooner.

Smectite is the group name of clay minerals under which we have the montmorillonite species of clays some of which are bentonites. In Texas we have both Ca-bentonite (Ca-montmorillonite) and Na-bentonite (Na-montmorillonite, like our potter bentonite). The montmorillonite in my Fort Worth clay (north central Texas) is the low or no-shrink calcium version. Being further south you may have the sodium shrinking-swelling version due to greater ancient sea influences. Sea water, due primarily to it's salt content (NaCl), is a flocculant. Your stuff got flocced many years ago and although residual sodium may have leached away the original sodium ions are still adsorbed on the clay giving it its unique character and mineralogy that is reflected in its structure today.

[thinking of flocced -- Gary, how'd it go with the waitress??]

Happy experimenting, Louis!
Report back, OK?

Marian

Ric Swenson

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Nov 22, 2009, 10:14:52 PM11/22/09

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I think bentonite is used in the process of making foundations for buildings...could it be the bentonite material was used by the builder of the foundation to stabilize the earth under the foundation?

Just a thought.

Ric

"...then fiery expedition be my wing, ..."

-Wm. Shakespeare, RICHARD III, Act IV Scene III

Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher,
Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute,
TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
JiangXi Province, P.R. of China.
Postal code 333001.

Mobile/cellular phone : 86 13767818872

< RicSwen...@hotmail.com>

http://www.jci.jx.cn/
http://www.ricswenson.com

> Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:02:30 -0800
> From: neo...@flash.net
> Subject: Re: *ClayCraft* Wiring
> To: clay...@googlegroups.com

>
>
> Louis Katz wrote:
> > We have a couple of buckets (100 gallons) of the clay they
> > dug up from under our foundation for our new loading dock area. It is
> > highly flocculated and thixotropic. Its shrinkage rate is off the
> > charts, If it turns out that its bentonite, it would fit what it is
> > doing, but this does not seem to make sense to me geologically.
> >
> > Anyhow it makes a nice cone ten slip glaze except it falls
> > off everything including wet clay. Anyone got any ideas how to
> > help it other than blend it with non plastics? If it was dry and
> > powdered I would calcine most of it.
>

> Hi Louis, maybe you锟斤拷ve collected some halloysite mixed with montmorillonite (bentonite). Montmorillonite can weather to Halloysite under some conditions.

>
> Halloysite can be in amorphous forms, or in platy, rolled, and tubular structures (the tubed versions are worth some bucks). Some hydrated forms are real water hogs. That, along with a bit of montmorillonite would give you the high shrinkage. It may be plastic, non-plastic, or in between. The plasticity and shrink-swell potential increases with increasing content of any amorphous form present. Air drying and calcining will not significantly change the plasticity of amorphous halloysite.
>
> M. S. Taggart and L. H. Simons, Clay Mineral Content of Gulf Coast Outcrop Samples, 1953
> http://www.clays.org/journal/archive/volume%202/2-1-104.pdf
>
> ELECTRON MICROGRAPHIC STUDIES OF CLAYS
> M. S. TAGGART, JR., W. O. MILLIGAN, AND H. P. STUDER
> http://www.clays.org/journal/archive/volume%203/3-1-31.pdf
>
> Some mechanisms of halloysite formation (there are others):
> http://www.clays.org/journal/archive/volume%2044/44-6-843.pdf
>
> For the Taggart references he describes some samples that might be halloysite. It was not much known in Texas when he wrote these papers and testing was not as good as it is now. We now know we have halloysite here and there throughout most all of Texas.
>
> I add a dash (1%) of boric acid (or sometimes 0.5% boric acid and 0.5% borax) to my slips of native white clay that I suspect might be or contain halloysite -- then it sticks to everything, sometimes too well. One percent boric acid doesn't seem to much affect melting at high temps -- it's pretty much done what it's going to do at much lower temps so just serves to get things started a few degrees sooner.
>
> Smectite is the group name of clay minerals under which we have the montmorillonite species of clays some of which are bentonites. In Texas we have both Ca-bentonite (Ca-montmorillonite) and Na-bentonite (Na-montmorillonite, like our potter bentonite). The montmorillonite in my Fort Worth clay (north central Texas) is the low or no-shrink calcium version. Being further south you may have the sodium shrinking-swelling version due to greater ancient sea influences. Sea water, due primarily to it's salt content (NaCl), is a flocculant. Your stuff got flocced many years ago and although residual sodium may have leached away the original sodium ions are still adsorbed on the clay giving it its unique character and mineralogy that is reflected in its structure today.
>
> [thinking of flocced -- Gary, how'd it go with the waitress??]
>
> Happy experimenting, Louis!
> Report back, OK?
>
> Marian
>

> --
> Photo log at: http://claycraft.blogspot.com/
> To unsubscribe send email to Claycraft-...@googlegroups.com

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Louis Katz

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Nov 22, 2009, 10:39:52 PM11/22/09

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I will try the boric acid.
Thanks for the mineralogy lesson.
Will report when I get something.

Louis

Louis Katz

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Nov 22, 2009, 10:41:20 PM11/22/09

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Nope this stuff is from about 20 feet down.

Thanks

> Hi Louis, maybe you’ve collected some halloysite mixed with montmorillonite (bentonite). Montmorillonite can weather to Halloysite under some conditions.

Ric Swenson

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Nov 22, 2009, 11:01:03 PM11/22/09

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Louis Katz

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Nov 23, 2009, 12:41:43 AM11/23/09

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I work on an Island. During WWII it was used to train radar electricians. It was a local secret. Everything was one story barracks.

After the war the buildings and Island were sold to a Baptist College , University of Corpus Christi,

Hurricane in the 60's ?70's? damaged the buildings, was bought by state.

Became Corpus Christi State. Just had Juniors and Seniors. Art Building was built around 1980? ...

1992 became A&M-CC .1994 It became a four year school

The drill is into pristine soil, The local geologists have said it blew in. Bentoniteish stuff fits lots of things about this. Big swelling problem with local soils.

I have far more to learn. But right now I am playing with an Arduino, a programable controller board. Have to order some servos and stepper motors.

Louis

Neon-Cat

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Nov 23, 2009, 12:42:39 AM11/23/09

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Lee, does the wire cable covering have small printed words and numbers -- a label? With the wire size? Are the wires fatter than others you've seen? Are breakers labeled on their face with a 20 or 15 or some other number?

Ric Swenson

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Nov 23, 2009, 1:40:03 AM11/23/09

to clay...@googlegroups.com

so tennis courts....foundations do not use benontite?

ric

"...then fiery expedition be my wing, ..."

-Wm. Shakespeare, RICHARD III, Act IV Scene III

Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher,
Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute,
TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
JiangXi Province, P.R. of China.
Postal code 333001.

Mobile/cellular phone : 86 13767818872

< RicSwen...@hotmail.com>

http://www.jci.jx.cn/
http://www.ricswenson.com

> Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:37:19 -0800
> From: neo...@flash.net

> > you锟斤拷re up to on Facebook.

> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Photo log at: http://claycraft.blogspot.com/
> >
> > To unsubscribe send email to
> > Claycraft-...@googlegroups.com
>

> --
> Photo log at: http://claycraft.blogspot.com/
> To unsubscribe send email to Claycraft-...@googlegroups.com

gary navarre

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Nov 23, 2009, 3:46:28 AM11/23/09

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Here's what ya do Lee, take ahold of two of the wires at a time. If you feel something between a good tickle to a poke it is 110, if it sets ya on your butt its 220, and if it blows y'er ass across the room it's 440.

Gary Navarre
Navarre Pottery
Navarre Enterprises
Norway, Michigan, USA
http://www.youtube.com/GindaUP
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/

--- On Sun, 11/22/09, Lee <tog...@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Lee <tog...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: *ClayCraft* Wiring
> To: clay...@googlegroups.com
> Date: Sunday, November 22, 2009, 11:23 PM

Neon-Cat

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Nov 23, 2009, 8:31:00 AM11/23/09

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I dont know, Ric, I suppose some folks use it or got stuck with it or have to use it for lack of anything else. Drainage has to be good. In Texas and other SW states bentonite is sort of the enemy.
You can maybe Goggle for more info, you got about all I know on this and I don't want to research it.

M.

Lee

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Nov 23, 2009, 9:00:01 AM11/23/09

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On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 11:42 PM, Neon-Cat <neo...@flash.net> wrote:
> Lee, does the wire cable covering have small printed words and numbers >-- a label? With the wire size? Are the wires fatter than others you've seen? >Are breakers labeled on their face with a 20 or 15 or some other number?

That's the problem: there is only a breaker box for part of
the house. Some of the lines seem to come out of a main box that
only has those cylindrical pullout breakers. I think all the 220
come directly out of there. The electric dryer 220 is just a terminal
sticking out of that box. I think the line going to the garage comes
right out of there.

Two lines are underground and come out of the conduit in the
garage. Only one is being used. They both look as heavy as the
line I used to wire my kiln when we lived in the cooperative
--

Lee

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Nov 23, 2009, 11:53:41 AM11/23/09

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The wires are one bare, one green and one white. Writing says
600Volt M/N 12/2 with ground.

rickma...@comcast.net

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Nov 23, 2009, 11:49:45 AM11/23/09

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Louis, calcine a good portion of it to destroy the plasticity and thus the shrinkage. You need take it to at leasat 1200 F.

Rick

----- Original Message -----
From: "Louis Katz" <loui...@yahoo.com>
To: clay...@googlegroups.com

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Nov 23, 2009, 1:58:51 PM11/23/09

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Yes, that would require wiring adequate to handle the demand. If the 12/3 is
all you have then that won't do it. My question is: What would be the
purpose of another meter if all you need is a branch circuit?
JB

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee" <tog...@gmail.com>
To: <clay...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 11:51 AM
Subject: Re: *ClayCraft* Wiring

Irakusa

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Nov 23, 2009, 2:23:59 PM11/23/09

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I like having the kilns on a separate meter - I can tell exactly what a firing costs. I haven't been in such a lucky situation long enough to know what the time would be to pay for the cost of an upgrade, as the house came with a second meter for the kiln room/barn.

From: Sherron & Jim Bowen <jbow...@prairienetworks.com>
To: clay...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Mon, November 23, 2009 11:58:51 AM
Subject: Re: *ClayCraft* Wiring

Lee

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Nov 23, 2009, 2:24:32 PM11/23/09

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On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 12:58 PM, Sherron & Jim Bowen
<jbow...@prairienetworks.com> wrote:
> Yes, that would require wiring adequate to handle the demand. If the 12/3 is
> all you have then that won't do it. My question is: What would be the
> purpose of another meter if all you need is a branch circuit?

To separate the business from the household. I just need to get an
electrician over here.

Louis Katz

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:19:20 PM11/23/09

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Several things.
12/2 is 12 gauge 2 wires if the third wire is bare it is 12/2 with ground.12/3 has three insulated wires. This might be used on a lighting circuit where you need a light that can be turned on or off from either location.

12 gauge can certainly be used for 220 V just not at the amperage a kiln requires. Essentially the gauge (size) of the wire determines the amperage capacity of the wire. There is also however a drop in voltage over a distance. The larger the wire, the smaller the drop. As the amperage goes up the voltage drop increases. Consequently a very long thin wire will not "bring" enough volts to the kiln. As the distance increases you need larger gauges.

The reasons for using 220 (Lots of industrial uses use 440) is that 220 at 40 amps is the same power as 110V at 80 amps. It requires cheaper wire and there is less power lost from resistance. This is especially important over long distances as the weight of the wire adds up as does the loss in power. High Voltage lines are high voltage in order to minimize losses and decrease wire costs. The power lost in transmission from resistance (reactance too I believe) in the line is proportional to the square of the amps.

High voltages require better insulators, hence ceramic insulators. Also the surfaces must stay clean to keep voltages from traveling over the surface. Ceramic Insulators with gloss glazes shed water and dirt well.
The ridges built into the larger insulators are designed to keep part of the surface dry in most circumstances, and to increase the distance electricity would have to travel over the surface of the insulator.

Porcelain insulators are still used for all kinds of things including the insulators on amatuer radio antennas.

My gratitude to Mr. Gardner who taught at Oak Park High in Michigan. A great man.

Louis

--- On Mon, 11/23/09, Lee <tog...@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Lee <tog...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: *ClayCraft* Wiring

hambone

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:43:36 PM11/23/09

to ClayCraft

Lee: There are 3 separate issues: One is the gauge of the wire,
another is the amperage of the kiln, thirdly, what breaker does the
wire go to, and what amperage is it? The wire mentioned 12/2 gauge may
appropriate for several different breaker sizes, several different
kiln sizes (but small ones)

On a tight budget you can always build a 220 extension cord for the
kiln. But if it runs outside make sure it is insulated for outdoor.
Everything is available at the hardware store. I wired my kiln - 30
feet of wire - for well under $100
p e a c e
h a n s e n

On Nov 23, 11:53 am, Lee <toge...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The wires are one bare, one green and one white. Writing says
> 600Volt M/N 12/2 with ground.
>
> --

> Lee Love in Minneapolishttp://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

Lee

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:51:00 PM11/23/09

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On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 3:19 PM, Louis Katz <loui...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> My gratitude to Mr. Gardner who taught at Oak Park High in Michigan. A >great man.

Thanks Louis!

My father and step-father both attended technical H.S. in
Detroit. My stepfather was a master printer.

Lee

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:55:13 PM11/23/09

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On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 3:43 PM, hambone <kansas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Lee: There are 3 separate issues: One is the gauge of the wire,
> another is the amperage of the kiln, thirdly, what breaker does the
> wire go to, and what amperage is it? The wire mentioned 12/2 gauge may
> appropriate for several different breaker sizes, several different
> kiln sizes (but small ones)
>
> On a tight budget you can always build a 220 extension cord for the
> kiln. But if it runs outside make sure it is insulated for outdoor.
> Everything is available at the hardware store. I wired my kiln - 30
> feet of wire - for well under $100

I wired the kiln originally when we lived at the artists cooperative.
I used about 30 ft of wire to put the kiln over by the outside wall.
But that was all straight forward from a standard box. My wiring
in the basement is really screwy. Maybe an electrician would have
to redo it to get me 220 to the garage. I am guessing a new meter
(garage is right next to the pole) would be easier.

--
Lee Love in Minneapolis

hambone

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:58:09 PM11/23/09

to ClayCraft

Louis: Right - barrier islands are formed from wave and tidal action.
Clays get into the gulf via rivers and air. The parts of Mexico I
visited was full of volcanoes - and Western Kansas is covered with
volcanic loess from the Rockies - so airborne or waterborne either way
makes perfect sense. The other possibility is an prehistoric bay or
delta somewhere upland that has eroded into the gulf. Swelling clays
do cause construction problems, so that tells you is is a swelling
clay for sure. When volcanoes blow the amount of material expended
exceeds that by which the measurable land mass is reduced by. So if
most of it goes up in smoke, that means a whole mountain of material
has become airborne, the whole mountain plus whatever came out of the
ground. In volcanic regions this process can be repeated over and over
again. In the short span human history we have not seen the kind of
volcanic activity that geologists tell us certainly has happened in
the past.

h a n s e n

> > < RicSwenson0...@hotmail.com>
>
> >http://www.jci.jx.cn/
> >http://www.ricswenson.com

>
> > From: louisk...@yahoo.com
> > To: clay...@googlegroups.com
> > Subject: Re: *ClayCraft* Wiring
> > Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:41:20 -0600
>
> > Nope this stuff is from about 20 feet down.
> > Thanks
>
> > On Nov 22, 2009, at 9:14 PM, Ric Swenson wrote:
>
> > I think bentonite is used in the process of making foundations for
> > buildings...could it be the bentonite material was used by the
> > builder of the foundation to stabilize the earth under the foundation?
>
> > Just a thought.
>
> > Ric
>
> > "...then fiery expedition be my wing, ..."
>
> > -Wm. Shakespeare, RICHARD III, Act IV Scene III
>
> > Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher,
> > Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen
> > Ceramic Institute,
> > TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
> > JiangXi Province, P.R. of China.
> > Postal code 333001.
>
> > Mobile/cellular phone : 86 13767818872
>

> > < RicSwenson0...@hotmail.com>

>
> >http://www.jci.jx.cn/
> >http://www.ricswenson.com
>
> > > Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:02:30 -0800

> > > From: neon...@flash.net

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Sherron & Jim Bowen

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Nov 23, 2009, 5:11:38 PM11/23/09

to clay...@googlegroups.com

It might be good to have the electrician check out the house wiring even if
you decide on a new meter at the garage. All three of my daughter's old
houses have curious wiring layouts caused by numerous owner installed
upgrades.

JB

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee" <tog...@gmail.com>
To: <clay...@googlegroups.com>

Louis Katz

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Nov 23, 2009, 10:14:15 PM11/23/09

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When I moved into my house here there was a 220 outlet in the enclosed
former Florida room. It was up high near a window. I tested it at some
point and could not figure out what the problem was so I took the
cover off the fuse box. Both hot leads were attached to the same leg
of the 220. This gives 110 to the common from each of the hot leads,
but zero from leg to leg.

Years later , I woke up at three or four in the morning and got out of
bed. I had no idea what had gotten me up but I was awake. In the hall
I noticed a strange smell. It was a powerfull smell of natural gas.
Occasionally I deal with emergency situations really well and this was
one of them. I opened the front and back doors, then decided to turn
off the gas. I thought that if I woke the rest of the family it would
be hard to get them out and the smell was really something.

I got my adjustable and turned off the gas noticing a hissing sound as
I passed thew water heater.

I left the doors opened and opened some windows in the back of the
house. Somewhere in the mess I turned off the electricity to the house.

There was a nice breeze blowing and an hour or so latter I closed up
and went back to bed after resetting the alarm. In the morning I found
the leak. A 1/4 inch line had come loose from a flare fitting. Rather
than using a flaring tool it had been soldered, and the solder joint
was poorly done ( not that it should have been done at all). Since
then I have crawled under the entire house and checked all the gas
plumbing. I also have rewired the house except the two circuits I must
do over winter break. Electrical repair is not rocket science, but you
do have to do it right or not at all. I have learned the hard way to
by good quality outlets and switches. The 59 cent ones are fine if you
like repairing junk. I buy proper high quality tools for these jobs. I
am not a professional and scrimping causes troubles. Gas repair in my
opinion is much more critical. Fortunately the leak (gusher) in my
house was natural gas and not propane. We probably would not have
survived.

(I have been told that,"The average house fire results in a house that
is totaled in 15 minutes.")

In South County Rhode Island where I was a volunteer fire fighter for
a short time there had been two fatalities in the five year period
preceeding my joining it. Both were caused by propane fires from
faulty plumbing.

On the other front I was trained to smell gas leaks by my mother who
knows if there is a gas stove in a house when the door is opened. Good
training pays off.

I urge you to proceed with caution, care, knowledge/skill and good
craftsmanship.

Louis

Neon-Cat

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Nov 24, 2009, 1:27:27 AM11/24/09

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Lee, it sounds like you're getting good ideas and have a light & small appliance circuit in place.

When I had my kiln wired this spring I wanted it code approved in case my neighbors, guests, future students, insurance company, city code inspectors, or anyone else asked. For that I needed an electrician with a current masters license. My guy, recommended by potters and the place where I got my kiln, was super nice. All rates are by the book anyway for parts and labor once they are on premises. My guy knew all about kilns and the job needed no explaining to him. It was a short run (11.5 feet) from my 200 amp main house panel to a 50 amp breaker box using number 6 copper wire, single phase, 240 volts, 30 amps, 7200 watts, plug style 6-50R (Paragon TNF82-3, to cone 10). Wires are in a metal conduit and the plug is waterproof.

I had originally wanted it wired and metered separately from the house and the electric company was agreeable, dubbing my garage the "art building". They gave me a break as a long time customer at residential rates (beat our commercial rate by a mile). That scheme hung up on the city which dragged its feet getting over here to inspect the building for its separate "occupation" and metering (it was a short drop from utility pole to back of the garage). My house taxes would have gone up slightly with the "art building" designation and usage. My other options for getting to the garage were a rather long, masted, in-the-air pole-to-pole deal from house roof to garage roof or buried underground -- both expensive and somewhat problematic due to landscaping and existing large trees. So I opted for the kiln under my covered back porch. This is actually ideal, weather-wise, and the kiln fired perfectly even on a 110 degree summer day this year. In the un-air
conditioned garage the controller might have hung without supplemental fan cooling. Winter should not be a problem unless we hit one of our rare 20 degree days. I like the kiln location where I can keep an eye on it right from the back door and loading is easy. Cost was quoted as $300.00 for the electrical work, took little time (less than an hour), and when costs over-ran by about 30 bucks the electrician still honored the original quoted fee. My controller figures costs per firing if desired.

It would be good to have a professional give you an estimate. You could probably learn quite a bit about your wiring and options. Safe and worry free is never a bad way to go -- life often has enough distractions with which to undermine focus and peace of mind. Call and see about electric rates, too, before deciding which way to go.

Good luck!

Marian

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