Hive13 Heatmaster 6000 Kiln
| Ceramics |
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| Jewelry & Metalsmithing |
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| Hive13 Equipment |
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| List of All Documented Equipment |
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| Owner/Loaner: Hive13 |
| Hive13 Asset Tag: HV0359 |
| Make/Model: Thermolyne Type 6000 (google) |
| Arrival Date: December 2019 |
| Does it work?: yes |
| Certification Needed?: yes |
| Contact: Kevin M |
| Floorplan: Hot Crafts Area |
| Manual: Manual |
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About this Item
This kiln was donated to Hive13 by a gold and silversmith who used it for enameling and wanted to help spread the art to new people. It was in very poor condition on arrival, all fasteners were heavily rusted, the kiln floor and walls were heavily erroded and contaminated with enamel, and the case and electrical cabinet were covered in a thick layer of dirt, dust, and rust.
It was originally a Thermolyne Type 6000 Kiln (Model Number F6020C), with a very basic single-temperature temperature controller.
A member vote was passed in Summer 2021 to purchase a programable ramp/soak controller similar to the one on our Paragon SC2 kiln so that this kiln could be used for more activities that require programable function, like ceramics, glasswork, and wax burnout for casting.
While installing the new temperature controller (Fall 2021), Kevin decided the kiln really needed to be thoroughly cleaned and refurbished, and posted a vote for a budget of $300 for materials. It was fully disassembled, the case blasted and painted, all screws, washers, and nuts replaced with stainless steel hardware, and reassembled. The Rebuild was finished on November 16th, 2021.
From the Manufacturer: "Features an 860 cubic inch heating chamber, width 12 3/4 inches wide x 6 3/4 high x 10 inches deep. Embedded heating elements provide uniform chamber gradient. Maximum operating temperature is 1093°C."
The model we have is designed to draw 18.3 amps at 240vac (4400W). Real measurements put the actual current draw closer to 19.3 amps, with the receptacle in hot crafts measuring 246 vac, for a total power closer to 4750W.
Starting A Program
- Check if it is on already and if it is in a cycle. If cycling, let it finish. DO NOT OPEN THE ANNEALER IF IT IS CYCLING, ANNEALING GLASS. Opening the annealer at any time it is not holding the loading temperature for loading or cooled to below 200F will cause the glass in it to crack. If off, or cycle is complete and temperature has reached under 200F, empty the annealer of any annealed pieces.
- If off, flip switch up to turn on. wait for the temperature controller to boot up and the display to reach a stable rotation of information. If it says anything other than Idle/<Current Temp>, press the Program/Start/Stop button till it says Idle/<Current Temp>.
- Press the Program/Start/Stop button to enter the program group list.
- Press Up Arrow/Increase/option button to scroll through the program groups (USER has our custom programs in it, like for glass, read the controller manual for the others). Only the up arrow may be used to scroll through the list, if you go past the program group you need, just keep scrolling up till it comes back around.
- Press the Program/Start/Stop button to select the program group and view the list of programs in that group.
- Press Up Arrow/Increase/option button to scroll through the available programs till the display shows the program you want.
- USER/PR01 is programmed for Garaging and Annealing Soft Glass
- USER/PR02 is programmed for Garaging and Annealing Borosilicate Glass
- Once the desired program is located, press the Program/Start/Stop to enter the "Program" mode for that program. Continue to press Program/Start/Stop to step through all the steps of the program without changing the parameters. Once you have stepped through all the programmed steps of the program, the controller screen with show START.
- Press the Program/Start/Stop again and the controller will ask for the DELA (Delay) time to start the program, if you wish to delay the start (like for a wax burnout to be finished at a specific time), use the UP and DOWN arrows to set the delay time (time in HH:MM to starting the program).
- When you have set the desired delay (or zero delay), press Program/Start/Stop to start the program.
- The display should show “-ON-” and the run light should start blinking (if not, Press the Start/Stop/Enter/Program button again). In a few moments the red light below the controller should turn on indicating the annealer is heating.
- While running, the display will indicate the current temperature of the annealer.
- If loading torch glass - Do not load any glass in the annealer until it reaches at least 925F. Loading glass in the annealer at less than 925F can cause it to crack.
Starting Annealing For Glass Programs
When you are done making and loading glass pieces, and ready for the annealing to begin, you must skip the infinite hold that is programmed in for garaging/loading.
- Press the Up Arrow/Higher button till the "SStp" (Skip Step) option appears on the screen.
- Press the Start/Stop/Enter button to select the "SStp" (Skip Step) option.
- The screen will display "Hld1", press the Start/Stop/Enter button to confirm you want to skip step Hold 1
- The screen should now no longer be flashing between a temperature and "99:59" as it was during the infinite hold garaging step, instead it will display the temperature and begin to ramp up the temperature to the annealing temperature. Once the annealing temperature is reached, it will begin to flash between the current temp and the remaining hold time (starts at 1 hours and counts down).
- The full annealing cycle takes between <some number of> hours to run, and then an additional <number of> hours for the kiln to cool to unloading temperature (below 200f). Do not open the kiln till it reaches unloading temperature (below 200f).
Programs
SPD
These programs allow a quick firing at a predefined heating rate to a specified temperature, with a specified hold time at the firing temperature. The kiln turns off after holding the specified temperature for the specified time.
| Program | Heat Rate (°F/Hr) |
| SPD1 | 200 |
| SPD2 | 500 |
| SPD3 | 1000 |
| SPD4 | 1500 |
| SPD5 | FULL |
JWL
These programs are for Lost Wax Investment Burnout. Select the length of burnout you want (5 hr should work for the flasks we currently have, but 8 hr is less likely to have cracks), and then entering the final temperature (pouring temp, or flask temp to hold at end of burnout, generally 500-800F below the melting point of the metal being cast).
CLAY
These programs are for firing precious metal clay (metal powder mixed in a binder that the metal gets sintered together into a solid when fired). They are NOT for ceramic clay firing, for that use the CONE program set. Read the kiln controller manual if you have a need to use the programs.
CONE program set
These programs are used for firing Ceramics to a specified cone number. With the insulation and heating elements currently in this kiln, we can fire to Cone 6. The program for each cone number offers adjustable firing speeds (Fast, Standard, Slow) for thin or thick pieces or light/heavy kiln loads, as well as offering an optional hold time at the final cone temperature, and the option to set a controlled cooling rate (set to zero for cooling as fast as the kiln will cool).
When firing ceramics using these programs, please remove the floor pad from he kiln, as it's only good for up to ~1500F.
USER program set
These are user-input programs that can be modified to suit your needs. Please do not modify the programs listed here without consulting the warden and other users of the space first.
PR01 - Anneal Soft Glass up to 1" thick
| Step | Ramp (°F/Hr) | Temp (°F) | Time (HH:MM) |
| 1 | FULL | 950 | 99:59 |
| 2 | 400 | 970 | 1:00 |
| 3 | 155 | 860 | 0:20 |
| 4 | 120 | 700 | 0:00 |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
PR02 - Anneal Boro Glass up to 1" Thick
| Step | Ramp (°F/Hr) | Temp (°F) | Time (HH:MM) |
| 1 | FULL | 1040 | 99:59 |
| 2 | 400 | 1060 | 1:00 |
| 3 | 170 | 950 | 0:20 |
| 4 | 120 | 700 | 0:00 |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
PR03 - Wine/Beer Bottle Slump
Lay a glass bottle on it's side on a kiln washed kiln shelf, and run this cycle to slump the bottle into a tray. DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT A SHELF, it will ruin the kiln floor if done straight on the kiln floor or just using the liner.
| Step | Ramp (°F/Hr) | Temp (°F) | Time (HH:MM) |
| 1 | 500 | 500 | 00:15 |
| 2 | 500 | 1000 | 0:15 |
| 3 | 600 | 1250 | 0:20 |
| 4 | 500 | 1475 | 0:15 |
| 5 | FULL | 1100 | 0:30 |
| 6 | 150 | 970 | 0:30 |
| 7 | 110 | 750 | 0:10 |
PR04 - Unused
Currently Unused
PR05 - Soft Glass Sheet Fusing, 1/4" thick
1/4" thick is two sheets of standard 1/8" stained glass sheet. Make sure you use fusing compatible glass, must be rated and matched COE. DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT A SHELF, it will ruin the kiln floor/element if done straight on the kiln floor or just using the liner.
| Step | Ramp (°F/Hr) | Temp (°F) | Time (HH:MM) |
| 1 | 275 | 1000 | 00:10 |
| 2 | 275 | 1225 | 0:30 |
| 3 | 275 | 1300 | 0:10 |
| 4 | 275 | 1470 | 0:05 |
| 5 | FULL | 960 | 1:00 |
| 6 | 100 | 800 | 0:01 |
PR06 - Soft Glass Slumping/Draping, 1/4" Thick
1/4" thick is two sheets of standard 1/8" stained glass sheet. Make sure you use fusing compatible glass, must be rated and matched COE. Run fusing cycle to fully fuse pieces prior to drape/slump mold firing. DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT A SHELF, it will ruin the kiln floor/element if done straight on the kiln floor or just using the liner.
| Step | Ramp (°F/Hr) | Temp (°F) | Time (HH:MM) |
| 1 | 250 | 1000 | 00:20 |
| 2 | 200 | 1150 | 0:15 |
| 3 | 200 | 1250 | 0:15 |
| 4 | FULL | 960 | 1:30 |
| 5 | 100 | 825 | 0:05 |
| 6 | 100 | 500 | 0:05 |
PR07 - Soft Glass Fire Polish/ Medium Fuse
1/4" thick is two sheets of standard 1/8" stained glass sheet. Make sure you use fusing compatible glass, must be rated and matched COE. In between a tack and full fuse. DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT A SHELF, it will ruin the kiln floor/element if done straight on the kiln floor or just using the liner.
https://www.delphiglass.com/page/knowledgeBaseView?KBItemID=90
| Step | Ramp (°F/Hr) | Temp (°F) | Time (HH:MM) |
| 1 | 300 | 1000 | 00:10 |
| 2 | 300 | 1375 | 0:05 |
| 3 | FULL | 950 | 0:20 |
| 4 | 300 | 800 | 0:05 |
PR08 through PR25 - Unused
Additional custom programs may be programmed in these user spaces.
Maximum Heat & Cool Rates
The charts below show the maximum heating and cooling rates for different temperature ranges based on preliminary testing. Programed rates must fall within these limits or the controller will enter an alarm state for "Failure to Heat" (FTH) or "Failure to Cool" (FTC).
| Over | Under | Max Cool Rate |
| °F | °F | °F/Hr |
| 700 | 100 | |
| 700 | 800 | 110 |
| 800 | 900 | 130 |
| 900 | 1000 | 155 |
| 1000 | 1200 | 180 |
| 1200 | 1300 | 225 |
| 1300 | 1400 | 300 |
| 1400 | 1450 | 400 |
| Over | Under | Max Heat Rate |
| °F | °F | °F/Hr |
| 700 | 2000 | |
| 700 | 900 | 1700 |
| 900 | 1200 | 1500 |
| 1200 | 1450 | 1250 |
Programing References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwA82ZO0lKM&feature=emb_title
Controller Configuration
Configuration Options
The Configuration options below should not be changed without careful consideration and consulting the area warden. These configuration settings are accessed by holding all three buttons on the controller during it's power-up sequence.
| Setting | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SPD | YES | Enable Speed Fire Programs |
| JWL | YES | Enable Jewelry Casting Burnout Programs |
| CLAY | YES | Enable Precious Metal Clay Firing Programs |
| CONE | YES | Enable Cone Fire Programs |
| CLAY | ??? | In manual as duplicate, think is typo |
| USER | YES | Enable User Defined Programs |
| TC | K | K Type Thermocouple |
| F/C | F | Fahrenheit Temperature Units |
| PID | BRCK | PID Values for Brick Construction Kiln (Vs. Fiber; Invested Elements add enough mass to make it act like a brick kiln) |
| SPCL | OFF | OFF disables PID loop for FULL power heating ramps, heating faster |
| RCVR | 1799 | Not in Manual, 1799 is default, Max rate of temperature recovery during a hold step if the temperature drops for some reason, like if the lid is opened. Lowered if the kiln experiences significant temp overshoot on recovery, otherwise leave at max. (Per call to Orton) |
| SFTY | 2000 | Maximum Kiln Temperature |
| USR | 25 | Number of User Programs Available |
| AOP1 | SAFE | Sets Output 2 to control the Safety Relay |
| DELA | DFLt | Default, Manual does not clarify, something to do with Delay Start Mode |
Level 1 Options
| Setting | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SKIP | * | Skip the current hold step |
| HLDT | * | Add time to the current hold segment |
| CHGT | * | Change the current target temperature |
| DELA | DFLT | Resets the delay time setting to 0 after every firing |
| TC | K | K type thermocouple |
| ALAR | 032 | Threshold Alarm, rings buzzer when kiln reaches the set temperature, press up/down to clear, 032 means off |
| DIAG/TEST | * | View output amps or test outputs |
| F/C | F | Fahrenheit Temperature Units |
| LIM | 2000 | Sets temperature limit at which alarm is triggered and firing aborted |
| COST | * | View Calculated Firing Cost if KW and CENT are set |
Level 2 Options
| Setting | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OFST | 0 | Adjusts final ramp of conefire programs |
| TCOS | 0 | Thermocouple Offset |
| TEDE | 100 | Operating temperature deviation limit to trigger alarm |
| HTDE | 100 | High temperature deviation limit to trigger alarm |
| LOCK | PASS/3 | Allows cone fire programs and user programs to be locked with a passcode |
| AOP1 | * | Only shows up here if set to VENT or HEAT in config. Since we have set to SAFE in config, option is hidden here. (per call to Orton) |
| ELEC | * | View electronics temperature |
Level 3 Options
| Setting | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| COOL | OFF | Turn on to add a cooling ramp at the end of cone fire programs |
| RATE | HOUR | Ramp units are Degrees per Hour |
| CENT | 0 | Cost of electricity in Cents per KWH |
| KW | 4.750 | The power consumption of the kiln when heating in KW |
| LOCK | PASS/3 | Allows cone fire programs and user programs to be locked with a passcode |
| SFTY | * | View SFTY max temp setting |
| SOFT | * | View software version number |
| CFG | * | View Factory Configuration number (model of controller hardware) |
| RST | NO | Change to YES to reset the controller settings (please don't do this...) |
Pictures
Thermolyne Type 6000 Kiln at Arrival - Inside Hot
Thermolyne Type 6000 Kiln at Arrival - outside
Thermolyne Type 6000 Kiln at Arrival - rear
Thermolyne Type 6000 Kiln Rebuild - Enclosure Parts Painting
Thermolyne Type 6000 Kiln Rebuild - Electrical Enclosure Wiring
Hive13 Heatmaster 6000 Kiln After Rebuild - outside
Hive13 Heatmaster 6000 Kiln After Rebuild - inside
