Fallonator Add on Kit

Fallonator^tm Add on Kit

Zinc Silicate Crystalline Glaze Pottery

A chronicle of my recent progress and a way for me to keep it straight in my head!

2-5-11

Fallonator^tm Add On Kit
Convert your electric kiln to include reduction firing.

I’ve been asked to make some Gas Add-On-Kits. Thanks to those that have used the prototypes over the last few years, I feel confident the design is ready for more people to try reduction firings in their electric kilns.

Is there enough interest to make building them worthwhile? If you are interested in one of these kits please let me know. I am hopeful to fine 10 people wanting to give it a try.

The Fallonator Gas-Add-On-Kit.....It’s design is to be installed without any modifications to the kiln.

The gas feed and the O2 sensor connect to the controller and, you are ready to do your first reduction firings.

For complete automation the Add-On-kit can be controlled by a Special Bartlett Kiln Controller made for Fallonator, some existing V6-CF Kiln Controller can be updated with Fallonator software.

I use a Skutt KM1227 (rated to ^8) with a custom controller modified by Terry Fallon (blue box). The controller has:
· 3 Zone control
· Type S thermocouples
· Solid state/variable power relays
· Custom programming to turn the custom made gas controller (grey box) or fan on and off by segment. The gas controller was also made by Terry Fallon.

The gas controller works in the following manner:

1. The gas controller is turned on and off by program segment by the white power cord which is connected to the blue kiln controller.
2. The gas controller is fed propane from a 5 gallon tank through the grey line at the bottom of the box.
3. The gas is split out to the high and low pressure valves (red and black knobs) used to control the amount of gas needed for reduction.
4. The Gas gauge displays the amount of gas going into the kiln at the high and low settings.
5. Gas enters the kiln through the gas/air mixer in the bottom peephole. The gas/air mixer is attached to a burner assembly inside the kiln.
6. The black display in the center of the box is the computer that controls the amount of gas that is fed into the kiln. The desired level of reduction is entered onto the display. The actual reduction level is also displayed.
7. The computer reads the O2 sensor (white and gold device in the top peephole). If the reduction level is lower than the desired it activates the high pressure gas valve which sends gas out the black pipe on the bottom of the box to the gas/air mixer. If the reduction level is higher than the desired reduction level the low pressure valve is activated. As the firing proceeds the reduction level evens out and is automatically maintained at the desired level.

At the Symposium I only brought the grey gas controller and turned it on and off manually. I only did post fire reductions (1500º - 1200º) at the symposium. In our studio we do both high-fire and post fire reductions. I have done many Post Fire and Hi-Fire firings as well as my "normal" ^11 oxidation firings. I am a Happy Camper.

This is the master model of the “Fallonator Gas-Add-On-Kit” Model: G-AOK (The label states) serial number... #1. It will be used to make all the other G-AOK units.

Soon, I will but it up for auction on EBay to the highest bidder. It will include documents, as to its authenticity, that this unit is serial number 1. It is the “Master model #1” of all G-AOK units.