Jen-Ken Kilns AF4X Orton AutoFire Instruction Manual

Jen-Ken Kilns AF4X Orton AutoFire

Product Specifications

• Brand: Jen-Ken Kilns
• Model: AF3P Pre-programmed 3-Key Controller
• Version: AF4X
• Features:
  • CONE Ceramic Cones 022 to 8 max
  • LP Large Piece Glass Fuse Tack Slump Polish
  • SP Small Piece Glass Fuse Tack Slump Polish
  • BEAD Small Moretti Large Moretti Batch Annealing Borosilicate
  • CLAPMC Fast Fire PMC+ Slow Fire PMC+ Slow Fire PMC3 Firing PMC Standard Firing PMC Gold
  • USER25 User Defined Programs

Product Usage Instructions

Safety Precautions

Read and understand all operating instructions before operating your kiln. Follow these safety precautions:

1. Do not install the kiln closer than 12 inches from any surface.
2. Avoid placing the kiln on flammable surfaces like carpet, wood, or linoleum.
3. Ensure all electrical specifications are followed, including correct voltage, wire size, and breaker.
4. Always use the proper receptacle.
5. Install the kiln in a covered, well-ventilated area to vent fumes outside.

Quick Start Guide

Refer to the Quick Start Guide for easy setup and initial firing of the kiln.

AF4X 3-Key Controller Instructions

Learn how to operate the kiln with the pre-programmed 3-key controller. Follow the instructions provided in the manual for programming and setting up firing cycles.

Program Sets

Understand different program sets available for specific materials like glass, beads, and metal clays. Modify user-defined programs to match your firing needs.

Alarms

Familiarize yourself with the alarms on the kiln controller and how to troubleshoot common issues based on the alarm notifications.

Reference Section

For additional information, refer to the reference section for detailed explanations and troubleshooting tips related to kiln operation.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Can the kiln fire at extremely high temperatures?
  • A: The kiln cannot fire at very high temperatures. If it is a glass kiln, the CONE feature will be turned off to prevent damage to the kiln.
• Q: How many user-defined programs are available?
  • A: There are 25 user-defined programs that can be used for various firing requirements.
• Q: What should I do before operating the kiln?
  • A: Read and understand all safety precautions and operating instructions provided in the manual before using the kiln.

“`

Jen-Ken Kilns

AF3P Pre-programmed
3-Key Controller
Version AF4X

-CONECeramic Cones 022 to 8 max

-LPLarge Piece Glass
Fuse Tack Slump Polish

Operating Manual
-SPSmall Piece Glass
Fuse Tack Slump Polish

-BEADSmall Moretti Large Moretti Batch Annealing Borosilicate

-CLAPMC Fast Fire PMC+ Slow Fire PMC+ Slow Fire PMC3 Firing PMC Standard Firing PMC Gold

-USER25 User Defined Programs that can be used for anything

Jen-Ken Kilns and Orton have produced the most user friendly and powerful, kiln controller for artists. If the Jen-Ken Kiln can perform all the above tasks, then all of the above settings will been turned on. The Chilipepper is a low firing annealing kiln and will only have the ­BEAD- setting turned on. The AF4X Bead Annealer with flip door will have all of the above turned on except the Cone feature because the
kiln cannot fire that hot. If the kiln is a glass kiln then the CONE feature will be turned off as well.
PLEASE DO NOT PROOGRAM A JEN-KEN KILN FOR GLASS OVER 1700°F AS YOU WILL
DAMAGE THE KILN!
Jen-Ken Kilns 3615 Ventura Dr. W. ­ Lakeland, FL 33811
863-648-0585 www.jenkenkilns.com

AF4X Kiln Controller
This manual contains instructions on the operation of our JenKen Kilns with the AF4X Pre-programmed 3-Key Controller,
that was made for us by Orton, as well as a discussion of general fusing procedures. It is not intended to replace a fusing
class or comprehensive fusing instructional media. The products you put in the kiln to fire will come with or have
available firing schedules for these products. Jen-Ken Kilns wants you to have this manual to get you firing sooner and to see sample programs that you can use or modify the programs to match the one’s for the items you are firing.
AF4X Kiln Controller

SAFETY FIRST

Read and understand all operating instructions before operating your kiln.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: Kilns are as safe as any other electrical appliance when used under normal and proper operating conditions. All safety precautions throughout this manual should be observed.
1. Do Not install kiln closer than 12 inches from any surface. (Also, read first paragraph of page 2 “Choosing a Location”).
2. Do Not place the kiln on any flammable surface (i.e. Carpet, Wood, Linoleum, etc.) 3. Make sure all electrical specifications are followed. Use correct voltage, wire size and breaker. Make
sure all connections are tight. Avoid using aluminum wire. 4. Always use the proper receptacle. 5. Install in covered, well-ventilated area. Fumes from the ware have to be vented to the outside. Never
use your kiln outside! Avoid moisture. 6. Always keep children and unsupervised personnel away. Surface will get hot and a burn could result.
Be extremely careful when working near a kiln! 7. Do not operate kiln over maximum temperature rating. (Ceramic to 2300°F, Glass to 1700°F) 8. Fire clay, glaze, overglaze and glass only to the manufacturer’s recommended firing temperature.
Improper fire temperatures could result in damage to your kiln. 9. Replace any worn or defective parts with ONLY genuine JEN-KEN Kiln replacement parts. 10. Never place anything above or under the kiln for storage, nor should anything be propped up against
the kiln. 11. Do not store or use flammable products near your kiln such as gasoline, paint, aerosol cans, paper,
curtains, plastic, etc. 12. A qualified electrician or service person should be used for all electrical service or repairs. 13. If the kiln power cord becomes damaged or corroded, replace the cord immediately. 14. Unplug the kiln before servicing or vacuuming. 15. Always unplug the kiln when not in use or during a storm. 16. Do not touch or attempt to replace the elements while the kiln is plugged in. 17. Kiln must be properly grounded. 18. Never allow the power cord to touch the kiln. Never use an extension cord. 19. Do not drop or slam the lid shut. 20. Let the kiln cool to room temperature before opening the lid. 21. Make sure all switches are turned to “OFF” before opening the lid. 22. NEVER LEAVE THE KILN FIRING UNATTENDED. 23. Use common sense while installing and using.
NOTE: If you are in doubt about anything turn the kiln off, call your dealer or the factory at 863-648-0585 M-F 8-4 Eastern Time
NEVER LEAVE A FIRING KILN UNATTEND. THIS MEANS TO NEVER RUN A KILN AND GO TO BED or LEAVE THE PREMESIS. RUN THE KILN WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO CHECK ON THE KILN DURING THE FIRING AND AT COMPLETION OF THE FIRNG CYCLE. THEN TURN THE KILN OFF AND ALLOW TO COOL, VERIFY THAT IT IS COOLING AND NO LIGHTS ARE ON THE PANEL. UNPLUG IF NEEDED
SAFETY IS JOB ONE.
3

AF4X Kiln Controller

ABOUT YOUR KILN
CHOOSING A LOCATION:
The proper location is as important as choosing the right kiln. Below are some safety guidelines: · The best and safest place for your kiln is on a cement floor. (If not, some type of adequate fireproof
material should be used beneath the kiln to prevent a possible fire hazard or prevent discoloration of the floor. i.e. stone tile or drywall) · There must be an air space under all kilns. Concrete blocks may be used to raise the kiln or a metal stand that is available from JEN-KEN Kilns. · Proper electrical service must be available. Refer to the section on Electrical Specifications. · Area should be free from flammable or combustible materials such as gasoline, paper, paints, plastics, etc. · Area should be covered, dry and with good ventilation to the outside. Kilns do not produce foul odors and fumes, however some products (like glazes, china paints, glue, decals and glass) go through a chemical change in the kiln. They could release fumes in the air, that with ample cross-ventilation to the outside, can be kept to a minimum. If ventilation is a problem, then call to see if an Orton Vent System is applicable. · A minimum of 12 inches should be allowed between the kiln sides and the nearest non-combustible wall or object. If the kiln is for pottery or ceramics and the kiln is a 22″ more in height the kiln will need 18″ or more in wall distance for the additional heated area of the kiln. If the wall behind the kiln gets hot then the kiln is too close and should be moved. · Never place the kiln in a small enclosed area (such as a closet, cabinet or very small room). The room a kiln is in should have an open front to dissipate the heat. The room temperature will increase past a reasonable level quickly. Air circulation and ventilation are needed to remove heat and vapors that may be released in the firing. In a larger room, the exterior of the kiln will stay cooler than in a very small room. · Since the exterior of the kiln gets very hot, place the kiln out of the way of children, traffic and work areas. · Never install a kiln outside and avoid undue moisture. · Never let the power cord come in contact with the kiln. The kiln may need to be rotated a little for the cord not to touch the kiln. If the cord makes a right-angle cord to the plug, have the receptacle installed so that the cord goes down and not up. The cord should not make a loop in the air. · Level the kiln using a level across the top of the open kiln.
4

AF4X Kiln Controller

The kiln receptacle should be located to the back right of the kiln, about 1 to 2 feet from the ground. Review the diagram below

Installation Diagrams:

Store Nothing Above the Kiln

1218″
12-18″ From all Walls

Cement Floor Cord Not
Touching Kiln

A Minimum of 12″ Away From a Block Wall
A Minimum of 18″ for All Other Materials.

Kilns must also have an Air Space Under the Kiln. Kilns cannot sit directly on a floor or any surface. Use a kiln stand or concrete blocks with the holes up and down at a minimum. Small Table Top Kilns can be used with a kiln stand or the kiln bricks supplied, as long at the material under the kiln is not combustible. For kilns with base brick put a large smooth stepping stone on the table first, then the base
bricks under the kiln to the outside, then the kiln on top of the base brick.

This Location has the kilns out of the way with a vent hood to remove fumes and heat from the room. Around the alcove cement board has been placed with an air space in between to reduce heat from the
higher temperatures the ceramic kilns produce.
5

AF4X Kiln Controller
ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
To operate the kiln safely and efficiently, your kiln needs the proper electrical outlet with the correct electrical capacity and voltage. The kiln should be on its own breaker/outlet with nothing else running on it when in operation! The chart below will assist you with the selection of the proper wire and breaker size for your JEN-KEN Kiln. A licensed electrician or the local power company should determine if you have the proper voltage. A kiln that is manufactured for 240 volts of service will not run properly on 208 volts. This difference of 32 volts is about a 25% reduction in power, which hinders a kiln from reaching high temperatures. Likewise, if you have 240 volts and you install a kiln manufactured for 208 volts, it will heat so rapidly it will hurt the ware in the kiln. Improper elements can be dangerous. Be sure to have the proper elements in your kiln to match the electrical service.
If you have 208 volts of service, you NEED 208 volt coils. If you have 240 volts of service, you NEED 240 volt coils.
Any changes to your kiln or improper electrical installation will void the warranty.
ELEMENTS: Elements are the coils of wire that produce heat inside the kiln. They are made from a high quality, high-temperature wire. During the firing, they become very soft and when cool become brittle. Life expectancy of the elements will depend on the number of firings, the firing temperatures, and the products being fired. At lower temperatures, the elements will last longer than firing at higher temperatures. Long high firings such as pot melts and glass casting can shorten the element life and are best perform in a side firing style kiln. Care should be taken to make sure that no foreign matter (such as glass, glazes, clay or kiln wash) come in contact with the elements. This will greatly reduce their life expectancy. Regular vacuuming of the kiln lid, bottom and the element grooves is recommended.
In a digital kiln, the coils as a group turn on and off during firing. You will hear the clicking of the relays. It will click more if a slow rate of rise in temperature is used and less if the kiln is told to fire quickly. Your Jen-Ken Kiln has one relay in the single coil kilns and separate relays for the top and side elements models to increase the life of the relays.
Glass kilns that are small have one side coil that will fire the piece well because small pieces of glass do not care where the heat comes from. Larger glass kilns have coils in the lid and side walls. The lid coils do most of the work in the kiln and get the hottest to put an even blast of heat evenly across the shelf. Without the lid coil the piece would have to absorb the heat from the outside and pass it to the center that could cause it to thermal shock. Side coils are supplemental heat and help bring the kiln to temperature. It takes the side and the lid coils to bring the kiln to fusing temperatures.
6

AF4X Kiln Controller

JEN-KEN CERAMIC KILNS

Models

Amperage Wire Size

Fuse

JK, FR & AF

Voltage

Draw Required Required

Receptacle

&AF3C

11/9

120

15

12

20

5-20R

11/9 17a

120

17

12

20

5-20R

Dedicated Circuit

1513 (Emerge)

240

22

10

30

6-30R

1811

240

20

10

30

6-30R

1822

240

26

10

30

6-30R

1829

240

39

6

50

6-50R

2122

240

30

8

40

6-50R

2422

240

36

6

50

6-50R

2431

240

45

6

50

6-50R

2829*

240

45 OR 55

6

50 OR 60 6-50R OR DW

Oval 27

240

55

6

60

Direct Wire

(JK)² 22

240

40

6

50

6-50R

(JK)² 29

240

45 OR 55

6

50 OR 60 6-50R OR DW

Ceram-a-Glass 1513

240

20

6

30

6-30R

Ceram-a-Glass 1815

240

26

6

30

6-30R

Ceram-a-Glass 2422

240

45

6

50

6-50R

Ceram-a-Glass 2822

240

45

6

50

6-50R

Ceram-a-Glass (JK)² 22

240

45

6

50

6-50R

Ceram-a-Glass Oval 18

240

48

6

50

6-50R

Mega Coil 1822 3″

240

30

6

40

6-50R

Mega Coil 2422 3″ Mega Coil 2431 3″ Mega Coil 2822 3″ Mega Coil 2829 3″

240

36

6

240

45 or 55

6

240

42

6

240

55

6

50 50 or 60
50 60

6-50R 6-50R OR DW
6-50R 6-50R OR DW

IF YOUR KILN IS OVER 40 FEET FROM THE BREAKER YOU MAY HAVE TO GO TO THE

NEXT HEAVY GAUGE OF WIRE, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR ELECTRICIAN.

THE FARTHER THE ELECTRICAL RUN THE HEAVIER THE WIRE HAS TO BE!!!!

• The 2829, Oval, JK Squared Series can be ordered as a 45-amp kiln or a high-fire 55-amp kiln, requiring

direct wire installation. The higher amperage means the kiln con fire to higher cone numbers more times

with the added power.

For kilns ordered with the 208-volt elements, the same amperages, wire size, breaker and receptacle should be followed as the 240 chart above.
7

AF4X Kiln Controller
JEN-KEN Glass Kilns

MODELS GS & Digitals
Chilipepper Fuse Box
Cre-8 Fuse-It Cube Vitri Graph or Vitri Barrel Cube 2 w/ 2″ Flip Door Cube 4 w/ 4″ Flip Door Bead Annealer 11/4.5 w/ or w/o 2″ Flip Door Bead Annealer 11/9 w/ or w/o 4″ Flip Door
11/6 11-E Bonnie Glo Bonnie Glo Tilt Bonnie Glo Tall 15/6 15/6 Glass Casting 15/9 Glass Casting Profusion 16 18-E 18-E 15″ 1815 Glass Casting 24-E 24-E 15″ 2415 Glass Casting 28-E 28-E 15″ 2815 Glass Casting
(JK)²
(JK)² 15″
(JK)² Glass Casting
OVAL 9 OVAL 13 OVAL 13 Glass Casting OVAL 18″ OVAL 18″ Glass Casting Crucible 11 Crucible 1813 DW Crucible Pro Fusion 26

Voltage
120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120

Amperage Draw
8 8 13 13 15 15 13 13 13

Wire Size Required
14 14 14 14 14 12 14 14 14

Fuse Required
15 15 15 15 20 20 15 15 15

AF4X Kiln Controller

Pro Fusion 26 Deep

240

36

6

50

6-50R

Pro Fusion 38

240

36

6

50

6-50R

Pro Fusion 38 Deep

240

36

6

50

6-50R

Pro Fusion 52

240

45

6

50

6-50R

Pro Fusion 52 Deep

240

45

6

50

6-50R

Wall Remote 120-15a

120

20

14

20

5-15R

Wall Remote 120-20a

120

20

12

20

5-20R

Wall Remote 240-20a

240

20

12

20

6-20R

Wall Remote 240-30a

240

30

10

30

6-30R

Wall Remote 240-50a

240

50

6

50

6-50R

IF YOUR KILN IS OVER 40 FEET FROM THE BREAKER YOU MAY HAVE TO GO TO THE

NEXT HEAVY GAUGE OF WIRE, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR ELECTRICIAN.

THE FARTHER THE ELECTRICAL RUN THE HEAVIER THE WIRE HAS TO BE!!!!

If your kiln in not listed call the factory and we will be glad to help you. 863-648-0585
Some kilns are special orders, some are over 30 to 60 years old or limited runs of a unique type of kiln.
So, if in doubt about anything, please call.

KILN BRICK:

All JEN-KEN KILNS are made of hand selected 2300°F refractory brick. This brick is an insulating fire brick that has holes inside and throughout the brick to give it an insulating value. If it was solid brick it would not hold the heat inside the kiln but transfer the heat through the solid material to the outside. The brick is strong as a whole as has a very long life. The brick can chip easily, and care should be taken to avoid bumps while loading and unloading shelves. Frequently vacuum the brick lid, the grooves that the elements are in and the bottom of the kiln. This will remove the dust, sand and loose kiln wash from the kiln.
KILN JACKET:

Your JEN-KEN KILN is encased in a stainless-steel jacket and is also equipped with handles for easy moving. Due to the high temperatures, discoloration may appear on the stainless. A good metal polish can remove this discoloration, but most do not worry about the looks of the kiln after years of use.

ACCESSORIES:

SHELVES: Shelves help you make the most of the inside of your kiln. Shelves are sized a few inches smaller than the inside diameter of the kiln so that they can be placed in and out of the kiln easier. They are made of refractory material so that they should be handled carefully. Shelves come in full and half sizes. Half shelves enable you to fire tall pieces on one side of the kiln and smaller ones on the other side. Should a crack appear in a shelf, break the shelf along the crack and use it as two separate pieces. A good coat of kiln wash should ALWAYS be maintained on top of the shelves. Ceramics use ceramic kiln wash with silica in it and glass requires glass kiln wash with no silica in it to stick to your glass. Store shelves upright on edge leaning on a sturdy structure. Shelves stacked flat can put too much pressure on the bottom shelf and cause it to stress and crack. It usually breaks in the kiln during the next heating.

9

AF4X Kiln Controller
POSTS: Posts are also made from refractory material and should be handled carefully. Post sizes range in heights from ½” to 14″. They are used to support the shelves in your kiln at different levels depending upon the height of the ware you are firing. Usually, three posts will allow you to level the shelf easier (though some prefer four). Glass kilns with lid elements usually only use one shelf at a time. The lid element does most of the work heating the one shelf and would not provide the direct radiant heat to a lower shelf. The top shelf would fire fine with the bottom shelf lagging behind by a large temperature differentiation. Posts do not need to be to the outer edge of the shelf. Move the posts in several inches so that the posts help support more of the middle of the shelf. This will help keep the middle of the shelf supported from underneath without a post there. For large shelves this is required so that the shelf is not supported at the edges, but more towards the center.
RECOMMENED ACCESSORIES:
CERAMIC KILN WASH: Ceramic kiln wash is a protective coating used to keep glazes and porcelain from sticking to the kiln shelf and the kiln floor. Mix the desired amount of dry, high fire kiln wash with water to the consistency of a thick cream and stir thoroughly. Apply several thin coats of kiln wash with a haike brush to the kiln floor and the tops of the shelves, alternating directions. Let dry. When areas wear thin they may be re-coated. If glazes have dripped onto the shelves or the kiln floor, chip the glazes off, sand and smooth the area then reapply the kiln wash. To test kiln wash, slide your hand over the surface of the kiln washed shelf. If you hand is white and powdery, the kiln wash is satisfactory. Perform this test periodically. When the palm of your hand is clean, then re-apply kiln wash to the shelf to prevent the ware from sticking.
Apply a thin coat of kiln wash to the cone supports on the kiln sitter and to the bottom of the sensing rod (where they come in contact with the cone). However, do NOT apply kiln wash to the cone or to the side of the porcelain tube.
GLASS KILN WASH: Glass kiln wash is a coat that keeps glass from adhering to the kiln shelf and the kiln floor in the event of a glass run. It is best to wear a dust mask while cleaning and working with the kiln wash.
First stir the dry kiln wash powder with a spoon to mix the clays. The add the kiln wash to water in a separate sealable container. The most common mixture is 4-5 cups of water to 1 cup of kiln wash powder. Stir well to get all the lumps out. Apply kiln wash using a soft bristled brush to the kiln shelf. Flow the first coat on in one long brush stroke. Repeat this with parallel brush strokes. Allow the shelf to absorb most of the moisture then apply another coat in a cross direction to the first. Between coats be sure to stir the kiln wash in a mixing container with the brush as this will keep the clays from settling. Repeat this for 8-10 THIN coats. If the kiln wash layers are too thick, it will crack when fired and will then need to be removed and reapplied.
Let the shelf stand for several days to dry or place it in the kiln and heat it up to 500°F with the lid propped open a few inches. If the shelf surface is not smooth when dried, use the palm of your hand and rub the kiln washed shelf gently in a circular motion till smooth. Also apply a protective coating of kiln wash to the floor of the kiln, as hot glass can create holes in the fire brick of the kiln. Store the unused kiln wash (liquid or powder) in a sealed container.
Over time the wash may begin to chip or crack, or if applied too thick then then you need to scrape the old kiln wash off with a putty knife and reapply another 8-10 layers.
10

AF4X Kiln Controller
Always wear Safety Glasses whenever you look into a hot kiln to protect your eyes from infrared and ultraviolet light. Hot gloves made of Kevlar and a Lid Lifter: An operating kiln is very hot. These items can help preclude burns. Caution: A hot handle looks like a cold handle and if the kiln is hot inside the handle is hot also.

SETTING UP YOUR KILN

o Assemble the kiln stand and place it on the floor

in your work space. The round top carriage bolts are on top and the

8 hex head bolts are used on the side of the stand. Tighten all bolts

and make sure the stand is sturdy before putting the kiln on top of the

stand.

o Remove all packaging from the kiln and place it on the stand. Do

not plug it in yet.

o Make sure that your kiln sits completely level. It may be necessary

to use a level to determine

o Open the lid of the kiln and inspect the interior looking for anything Make sure your kiln sits level.

unusual like broken brick.

o Carefully inspect both the side and top heating element coils to make

sure that they are seated back in the grooves. Try to avoid touching

the coils with your fingers, as oil from your skin may cause

premature element failure.

o Vacuum out the interior of your kiln and along the

grooves in the lid to remove any debris that may

come loose when you close the lid or during firing. o Carefully brush kiln wash on the floor of your kiln. This is

Vacuum any loose debris

preventive maintenance in case glass ends up the floor of the kiln.

Do not brush kiln wash on either the sides or lid of the kiln. Do not

get kiln wash on any heating elements.

o Position the ½” kiln posts on the bottom of the kiln

spaced out evenly to support the kiln shelf.

o Your kiln has been pre-fired at the Jen-Ken factory and should not

require a pre-firing prior to its first use. However, should you choose

to do one anyway, you may select any of the built-in programs. One of Brush kiln wash on the floor.

the PMC firing programs would offer the fastest firing schedule.

(Such as P-FS, page 39, 40)

o You’re now almost ready to plug in the kiln and fire it for the first

time. Before we go there, however, it’s important for you to get

acquainted with your AF4X controller.

Position posts on the bottom.

11

AF4X Kiln Controller

QUICK START GUIDE
Enough of this reading stuff ­ I want to fire something!
For those of you who can’t wait, here is a brief guide to get you up and running. It is strongly recommended that you do take time to look over the controller instructions as soon a possible.
Quick Start Guide:
Plug the Kiln in to an appropriate outlet and turn it on using the toggle switch on the side of the control box.
The display will first indicate 88.88 for about five seconds, then —-, then alternates between the internal kiln temperature and IdLE.

Programming and Changing the Firing Mode:

o Press the (Program) button once to see the current mode.

o Press the (Increase) button to see the available modes for this kiln.

o Press the (Program) button to choose to the desired firing configuration,

o

Examples: (-LP-. -SP-, bEAd, CLA, or USR)

o Press the (Increase) button to view the Options under the configuration.

o

Examples for -90- will be Fuse, TAC, Slump, & Polish.

o Press the (Program) button to select to the desired firing configuration.

o Then Press the Program button slowly and repeatedly to scroll through the program. (This is the

time to alter the numbers if needed in the program, to tweak them). RATE, TEMP, HOLD and

RATE, TEMP, HOLD and so on until STRT and then once to –ON–. The Controller will then

pause and start cycling on and off to run the schedule. To Stop the firing press the (Program)

Button to Abort and again to return to the Idle resting mode.

Kilns with Mechanical Relays will click on and off as the kiln heats.

Kilns with Solid State Relays usually will flash quickly and with no noise as the kiln heats.

When the firing is complete, turn off the kiln with the toggle switch and let cool. Then turn on the kiln hours later to see IDLE and the current temperate in the kiln. Do not open the kiln until it has reached below 100 degrees F.

DON’T BE TEMPTED ­ DO NOT open the kiln until the display indicates that the kiln has reached room temperature!

12

AF4X Kiln Controller
NEVER FIRE A KILN UNATTENDED NO MATTER WHAT BRAND KILN, MAKE, OR
MODEL
LET THE KILN FIRE AND SHUT-OFF. IF THE KILN CANNOT BE MONITORED WHILE ON, THEN IT IS FAR BETTER TO TURN THE KILN OFF AND REFIRE AT A LATER TIME. THE ONCE THE KILN
HAS SHUT DOWN AND IS COOLING AND POWER HAS BEEN SWITCHED OFF, THEN AND ONLY THEN, CAN THE KILN BE
CONSIDERED READY TO BE UNMONITORED. DO NOT LET ANYONE NEAR A HOT OR COOLING KILN.
KEEP ALL CHILDREN AWAY!
13

AF4X Kiln Controller
AF4X 3-Key Controller Instructions
Keypad Overview
This key is for selecting a firing program and advancing through the programming steps. After programming is complete, use this button to Start and Stop the firing.
This key is used to step forward the display values for specific program settings Also use this button for access to the option menu. This key is used to step backwards the display values for specific program settings. It is also used to activate the Program Review feature. When using the Increase and Decrease keys to program number values, the values will change more rapidly if the key is held in. In general, the user interface is very simple. Use the increase and decrease keys to change the display prompt, when you see what you want on the display, press the Program key. Display Lights The controller uses (4) numerical displays and 3 indicator lights. The bottom light tells when the controller is turning on the relays to power the heating elements. The top is lit when the controller is in programming mode, the middle light is lit when the controller is in Program review mode.
Two of the four decimal points on the display are also used as indicators. The decimal point on the far right is used to indicate if the controller is displaying temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (F) or Centigrade (C). If this decimal point is lit, the controller is set to display temperatures in C.
14

AF4X Kiln Controller
The center decimal point (between the second and third digit) lights whenever the display is showing a time value. The decimal point separates Hours (on the left) from Minutes (on the right).
When the Controller is first turned on
The controller runs a brief self-diagnostic test. The display will light up and the audible alarm should beep. After a few seconds, the display will alternate between the kiln temperature and IDLE. IDLE is the mode where the controller is not actively firing the kiln or being programmed for a firing. Starting a Firing
The display shows -ON- for 5 seconds when the firing begins. The display will show kiln temperature throughout the firing. The temperature display will alternate with alarm messages if any alarms occur. If the controller is programmed to hold at a specific temperature, the remaining Hold Time will alternate with the temperature during the active hold period.
Stopping a Firing
When the controller completes the firing, the display alternates 4 messages: CPLT (Firing Complete); Firing Time (hrs.mins); Final Firing Temperature and Current Kiln Temperature. Press any key to return to IDLE. If you stop the firing before completion with the Stop key, the display will indicate ABRT (abort) in place of CPLT. Press Stop again to return to IDLE
Programming values
Whenever a change is made from the keys, you must press the Program/Start key to load the changes. If the key is not pressed, the controller will simply wait for your next selection. Pressing the Program/Start key will advance you to the next option if you are setting up a program or changing settings.
Note: If you are programming the controller options and no keys are pressed for 90 seconds, the controller will exit the options menu automatically.
Program Review
To review the current program in the controller memory before or during a firing, press the Decrease/Review key. The entire program will automatically scroll through the display and then return to normal operation. Delay time is included in the review.
Repeating a firing
If power is not cycled off to the controller, you can repeat a firing without viewing the entire program, simply press the Decrease/review key when the controller display is showing the desired program group. The controller will scroll through the program review and advance directly to the Start prompt. Press the Program/Start key to set a delay time and again to begin the firing.
Program Sets
The AF4X controller allows the operator to select 1 of 6 program modes for different glass art or craft applications.
The program mode is prompted on the controller display when the controller is turned on. The 6 available modes are:
-LP- For larger glass projects for the kiln (full shelf size and/or 3 or more layers) -SP- For smaller glass projects (small pieces on the same shelf and/or 2 layers) bEAd For bead annealing projects
15

AF4X Kiln Controller
CONE For Cone Firing of Ceramics (Only if kiln is rated for over 1800ºF and is not top firing)
CLA For Metal Clay projects USr For custom firings
-LP- Large Piece Program Mode For pieces that are large in size for the shelf of the kiln (over
2/3 the shelf area and/or 3 or more layers thick). This is a good place to start for that large project knowing that you can speed up the rates (Ra) later if the piece turns out well.

The Large Piece mode provides 4 preset firing schedules for glass forming and 4 optional User Programs for creating custom firing schedules. The 4 preset programs are recommended firing schedules that can also be customized if necessary. These programs provide the various heating and cooling steps for easy selection.

Full Fuse Displayed as FUSE

This program heats at 200ºF/hour to 1000ºF and holds this temperature for 30 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 1350ºF and holds this temperature for 30 minutes. Then heats at 500ºF/hour to 1425ºF and holds this temperature for 20 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 950ºF and holds this temperature for 1.00 hour. Then cools at 150ºF/hour to 700ºF with 0 hold and shuts off.

Tack Fuse Displayed as tAC

This program heats at 200ºF/hour to 1000ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. Then heats at 500ºF/hour to 1250ºF and holds this temperature for 10 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 950F and holds this temperature for 1.00 hour. Then cools at 100ºF/hour to 700ºF with 0 hold and shuts off.

Slump

Displayed as SLP

This program heats at 200ºF/hour to 1000ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. Then heats at 500ºF/hour to 1280ºF and holds this temperature for 20 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 950ºF and holds this temperature for 1.00 hour. Then cools at 100ºF/hour to 700ºF with 0 hold and shuts off.

Fire Polish Displayed as POL

This program heats at 200ºF/hour to 1000ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. Then heats at 500ºF/hour to 1200ºF and holds this temperature for 15 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 950F and holds this temperature for 1.00 hour. Then cools at 100ºF/hour to 700ºF with 0 hold and shuts off.

16

AF4X Kiln Controller

-LP- Program FUSE Full Fuse

TAC

Tack Fuse

SLP

Slump

POL

Fire Polish

-LP- Programs

Rate 200.0F(111.1C)/hour
FULL 500.0F(277.7C)/hour
FULL 100.0F(55.5C)/hour 200.0F(111.1C)/hour 500.0F(277.7C)/hour
FULL 100.0F(55.5C)/hour 200.0F(111.1C)/hour 500.0F(277.7C)/hour
FULL 100.0F(55.5C)/hour 200.0F(111.1C)/hour 500.0F(277.7C)/hour
FULL 100.0F(55.5C)/hour *

Target 1000.0F(537.7C) 1350.0F(732.2C) 1425.0F(773.8C) 950.0F(510.0C) 700.0F(371.1C) 1000.0F(537.7C) 1250.0F(676.6C) 950.0F(510.0C) 700.0F(371.1C) 1000.0F(537.7C) 1280.0F(693.3C) 950.0F(510.0C) 700.0F(371.1C) 1000.0F(537.7C) 1200.0F(648.8C) 950.0F(510.0C) 700.0F(371.1C)

Hold 00.30 00.30 00.20 01.00 00.00 00.00 00.10 01.00 00.00 00.00 00.20 01.00 00.00 00.00 00.15 01.00 00.00 *

The preset Large Piece programs can be edited. Each program segment can be changed by the operator. To restore the factory values, enter a zero value for the first rA1 segment of each program and press the Program button.
LP Program Example
To fire Full Fuse.

Follow these steps: starting with the controller displaying IDLE

Press

Display Shows

……………………………………. a program group

…………………………………….. LP ……………………………………. a program number

…………………………………… FUSE
17

AF4X Kiln Controller

……… …………………………………… STRT

……………………………………. DELA / 00.00

…………………………………….. -ON-

-SP- (Small Piece) Program Mode For pieces that are smaller in size for the shelf of the kiln (less
than 1/2 the shelf area and/or 2 layers thick). This is a good place to start for that large project knowing that you can speed up the rates (Ra) later if the piece turns out well.
The Small Piece mode provides 4 preset firing schedules for glass forming and 4 optional User Programs for creating custom firing schedules. The 4 preset programs are recommended firing schedules that can also be customized if necessary. These programs provide the various heating and cooling steps for easy selection.

Full Fuse Displayed as FUSE

This program heats at 300ºF/hour to 1000ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 1350ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. Then heats at 500ºF/hour to 1425ºF and holds this temperature for 10 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 950ºF and holds this temperature for 30 minutes.

Tack Fuse Displayed as tAC

This program heats at 300ºF/hour to 1000ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. Then heats at 500ºF/hour to 1250ºF and holds this temperature for 10 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 950ºF and holds this temperature for 30 minutes.

Slump

Displayed as SLP

This program heats at 300ºF/hour to 1000ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. Then heats at 500ºF/hour to 1280ºF and holds this temperature for 20 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 950ºF and holds this temperature for 30 minutes. .

Fire Polish Displayed as POL

This program heats at 300ºF/hour to 1000ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. Then heats at 500ºF/hour to 1200ºF and holds this temperature for 15 minutes. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 950ºF and holds this temperature for 30 minutes.
18

AF4X Kiln Controller

-SP- Program FUSE Full Fuse

TAC Tack Fuse

SLP

Slump

POL Fire Polish

-SP- Programs

Rate 300.0F(166.6C)/hour
FULL 500.0F(277.7C)/hour
FULL 300.0F(166.6C)/hour 500.0F(277.7C)/hour
FULL 300.0F(166.6C)/hour 500.0F(277.7C)/hour
FULL 300.0F(166.6C)/hour 500.0F(277.7C)/hour
FULL *

Target 1000.0F(537.7C) 1350.0F(732.2C) 1425.0F(773.8C) 950.0F(510.0C) 1000.0F(537.7C) 1250.0F(676.6C) 950.0F(510.0C) 1000.0F(537.7C) 1280.0F(693.3C) 950.0F(510.0C) 1000.0F(537.7C) 1200.0F(648.8C) 950.0F(510.0C) *

Hold 00.00 00.00 00.10 00.30 00.00 00.10 00.30 00.00 00.20 00.30 00.00 00.15 00.30 *

The preset Small Piece programs can be edited. Each program segment can be changed by the operator. To restore the factory values, enter a zero value for the first rA1 segment of each program and press the Program button.

SP Program Example To fire TAC Fuse.

Follow these steps: starting with the controller displaying IDLE

Press

Display Shows

……………………………………. a program group

…………………………………….. SP …………………………………….. a program number …………………………………….. TAC

19

AF4X Kiln Controller
……… ……………………………………… STRT
………………………………………. DELA / 00.00
……………………………………….. -ON-
FUSED GLASS PROJECTS
Working with Tested Compatible Glasses
To ensure success when fusing glass, use glass that has been pre-tested by the manufacturer
How to prepare your glass project
· Select glass that is “tested compatible” and has the same COE (Coefficient of Expansion) for the entire project.
· Glass projects should be comprised of two or more layers of glass from edge to edge because at a full fuse, glass likes to be approximately ¼” (6mm) thick. The best designs are constructed using a single piece of glass for the base piece, with a cut design as the second layer. If you’d like you can add more detail to your design with frit, stringers, and confetti. During assembly, take the time to make sure your glass pieces fit well together. If necessary, use a glass grinder to aid with the fit. A helpful tip to reducing and eliminating grinder marks from showing up in your fused pieces is to use an extra fine grit grinder bit.
· Oil from your glass cutter, as well as oil from your fingers while handling the pieces, is left on the surface of the glass. Thoroughly clean your glass pieces with either a light detergent, like Dawn dishwashing detergent, and water or with denatured alcohol. If you did any heavy grinding, also use a soft bristled brush, like an old toothbrush, to scrub the edges and remove any residual ground glass debris. After the glass had been cleaned and dried well, only handle it by the edges when assembling your project.
· To make transporting your project between your workspace and the kiln easier, you can use water soluble glue. Use glue very sparingly on the backside of the glass. Allow the glue to completely dry before you try to move your piece.
· Before setting up your glass projects on the kiln shelf, first place the kiln shelf in the kiln. If you are planning to fire more than one piece at a time, make sure to position your glass projects no closer than ¾” to 1″ to each other and also no closer to the edge than ¾”.
20

AF4X Kiln Controller

Firing your Glass Project

When you first start fusing, the entire process may seem to be complicated, but it’s really simpler than it may have originally sounded. Fusing is all about controlled heating and cooling of glasses in a kiln. As glass is being fired in a kiln it goes through many physical changes based on the temperature zone that it’s in.

· Below 1000°F (538°C), glass is very rigid and is very susceptible to thermal shock, or breaking, if heated or cooled too quickly. Visually, the glass appears to be very rigid and it will look the same as if it were room temperature. Resist the temptation to open the kiln and peek inside, because glass is very fragile at this point and large temperature swings in the kiln will cause the glass to break.
· Between 1000°F and 1250°F (538°C ­ 677°C), the glass is softening, becoming more pliable, and starting to act more like a liquid and less like a solid. At the top end of this temperature range, glass will slump if held for a period of time. Visually the top layer of the glass will begin to soften and round over on the edges and the sides will start to become wet and glossy looking, or fire polished. At this point, the layers of glass haven’t begun to stick together yet.
· Between 1250°F and 1350°F (577°C – 732°C), the glass is becoming even softer, and at the top end of this range will be fully slumped. It’s not recommended to exceed 1350 F if you are slumping because at higher temperatures, there is a loss of control of the glass and it may slide down too far or unevenly into the mold. Visually the edges have softened and rounded even more and the surface is very glossy. If your project is held for an extended period of time in this temperature zone, it will be more prone to devitrify. Devitrification is the compositional change of the glass from an amorphous material to a more crystalline structure. As the molecules crystallize, devitrification appears to cloud the surface of the glass.
· Between 1350°F and 1400°F (732°C ­ 760°C), the glass will have very round edges on the surface and will stick together and become fully tack fused.
· Between 1400°F and 1500°F (760°C ­ 816°C) the glass becomes more fluid and fully melts together at the higher end of this temperature range, which is a full fuse.

Firing Process

In fusing, the fired appearance of the glass is referred to as the firing process for the purpose of a selecting a firing schedule.

Full Fuse:

The glass has been completely melted together into one solid piece of glass that is smooth on the surface and all of the edges are well rounded.

Tack Fuse: Glass has a textural feel on the surface. All the edges of the surface pieces are well rounded and fully attached to the base glass.

21

Slumping:

AF4X Kiln Controller
The glass has been placed onto a mold and bent to shape and conform to the mold.

Fire polish: All surfaces of the glass have been fired to a glossy finish, yet the outside edges of the piece are crisp, clean, and somewhat square.

Firing stages
Initial Heating from Room Temperature (room temperature to 1200°F range): During the initial heating, the glass is very brittle and susceptible to breaking (thermal shock) if it’s heated up too quickly. During this stage, it’s best to take a conservative approach and slowly heat up the glass. At the end of this range, it’s a good idea to add a heat soaking period to allow the project to equalize to the same temperature throughout. Never peek in the kiln during this stage, or you risk thermal shock breakage.
Process Heating (1200°F to 1500°F range): The glass becomes softer and more fluid. During the process heating stage, the glass can be fired more quickly to the target temperature and soaked only long enough to achieve the desired look. It’s important not to hold the project at these temperatures for a long period of time, or you run the risk of devitrification (a visible clouding of the glass surface due to crystallization).
Fast Cooling (1500°F to 1100°F range): After the finished look has been achieved, it’s important to cool the inside of the kiln and the glass as quickly as possible to stop the firing action so that it “freezes”. During the fast cooling stage, the surface of the glass is cooler and it has contracted more than the heated center which remains expanded, thus introducing stress into the glass piece.
Annealing (1100°F to 700°F range): At the beginning of the annealing stage, it’s necessary to heat soak the glass for an extended period of time to allow the glass to equalize in temperature throughout and release the stress that’s in the glass. This makes the glass more stable. Then the glass is slowly cooled through the annealing temperature range to better ensure the glass piece is free of internal stresses and is physically stronger. NEVER OPEN THE KILN DURING THIS STAGE!
Cooling to Room Temperature (700°F to room temperature range): After the glass temperature has cooled below the annealing temperature zone, the kiln can be turned off to allow it to cool at it’s own pace to around 150°F ­ 200°F. Again, to avoid thermal shock, do not open the kiln until it has cooled down to at least 200°F. Even at this temperature, the glass is very hot, so do not attempt to pick it up in your bare hands. Simply open up the lid of your kiln and allow the glass and the kiln shelf to cool down to room temperature.
Factors to consider before selecting a firing schedule
First envision what you want your finished piece to look like and ask yourself the following questions:
22

AF4X Kiln Controller
· What is the size (diameter) of the piece? How many layers thick will it be? · What is the desired finished look? · Will it be a full fuse, a more textural tack fuse, a combination of both? · Will it be slumped or draped to become a more 3 dimensional and possibly functional piece? · Will it be embellished with any surface decorations like enamels or metallic paints?

The size of your project is defined by both the diameter of the piece as well as the number of layers of glass. Glass as a material is a very poor heat conductor. The larger or thicker your project is, the more slowly it needs be fired so that the glass has more time to heat or cool evenly all of the way through.

Imagine that you are going to bake a cake. You have set your oven on preheat to heat it up quickly, put the cake into the oven to bake, and forgot to change the dial setting to bake. When the timer goes off, you look in the oven and discover that the cake is overcooked and possibly burned on the edges, yet the center is still sunken and uncooked.

It’s just the same for glass. If you heat the glass too quickly, the edges may be fused to the desired finish you like, but the center hasn’t finished fusing. One solution would be to soak the piece at the process temperature for a longer period of time, but you are also taking the risk that devitrification (visible
clouding due to crystallization) on the surface or that the edges will over fire and have an unusual
appearance.

Another possible scenario is that the edges of the glass have melted more quickly, trapping a large amount of air in the center of the piece which expands into large bubbles within the glass, thus distorting the design.

Both scenarios could have been avoided simply by slowing down the firing program.

Think about your finished piece again. You are creating a 10″ bowl that will have a full fused appearance with some added textural design elements that will be added using liquid stringer. The finished appearance will also have Hanovia gold added as accents and be slumped into a 10″ bowl mold.

Seldom can a fused piece be finished in one firing. It’s usually necessary to fire your piece multiple times in order to achieve the finished look that you have envisioned. With this in mind, make a list of the steps that you will need to do to create this piece, then organize them in order by process temperature from the hottest to the coolest.

Process Full Fuse Liquid Stringer Slumping Hanovia Gold

Process Temperature ~ 1470°F ~ 1350°F ~ 1250-1275°F ~ 1180-1200°F

Program FUSE tAC SLP POL

By order of process, the full fuse is the hottest process and will be the first firing, followed by 3 different firings to create your original glass art piece.

BEADS for Chilipepper Kilns and Kilns with Flip Door
23

AF4X Kiln Controller
Never put a Metal Mandrel into a kiln from the top.

bEAd Program Mode
The bEAd mode provides 4 preset firing schedules for bead annealing and 4 optional User Programs for creating custom firing schedules. The 4 preset programs are recommended firing schedules that can also be customized if necessary. These programs provide the various heating and cooling steps for easy selection.

Ramp and Holding Working Programs are useful while beading and lampworking. When the program is started the kiln heats fast and then holds at an annealing temperature for the longest amount of time that is planned to work. In this case 4 hours and if the time to work suddenly becomes less, then use skip step feature (sstp) (the middle button once and the left button twice) to advance the segment of the program. This segment has the same annealing temperature to hold so that the last couple beads have a chance to anneal for a time before the kiln proceeds to lower in temperature at 100 degrees.

RECAP: If you plan on working for 8 hours making beads and you need to stop after 5 hours, then skip step will advance you to the next segment so that the last few beads inserted into the kiln will have a chance to anneal before the kiln starts to cool.

½” Beads Small Moretti Displayed as bd 1 Ramp and Hold Working Program

This program heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 960ºF and holds this temperature for 4 hours. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 96º0F and holds this temperature for 30 minutes. Then heats at 100ºF/hour to 500ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes.

1″ Beads Large Moretti

Displayed as bd 2 Ramp and Hold Working Program

This program heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 960ºF and holds this temperature for 4 hours.

Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 960F and holds this temperature for 1 hour.

Then heats at 100ºF/hour to 500ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes.

.

Batch Anneal Moretti Displayed as bd 3

Batch Annealing From a Cold Start

This program heats at 300ºF/hour to 960ºF and holds this temperature for 1 hour. Then cools at 100ºF/hour to 670ºF and shuts off.

Borosilicate Ramp and Hold Displayed as bd 4 Ramp and Hold Working Program

This program heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 1050ºF and holds this temperature for 4 hours. Then heats at Full Power (fast as it can) to 940F and holds this temperature for 30 minutes. Then heats at 100ºF/hour to 500ºF and holds this temperature for 0 minutes. . . **This program should only be used in kilns with a properly installed bead door to `garage’ hot projects.

bEAd Programs

bEAd bd 1

Program Small Moretti

Rate FULL FULL
24

Target 960.0F(515.5C) 960.0F(515.5C)

Hold 04.00 00.30

AF4X Kiln Controller

100.0F(55.5C)/hour *

500.0F(260.0C) 00.00

FULL*

960.0F(515.5C) 04.00

bd 2 Large Moretti

FULL*

960.0F(515.5C) 01.00

100.0F(55.5C)/hour *

500.0F(260.0C) 00.00

bd 3 Batch Anneal 300.0F(166.6C)/hour 960.0F(515.5C) 01.00 *

FULL*

1050.0F(565.5C) 04.00

bd 4

Borosilicate

FULL*

940.0F(504.4C) 00.30

100.0F(55.5C)/hour *

500.0F(260.0C) 00.00

The preset bead programs can be edited. Each program segment can be changed by the operator. To restore the factory values, enter a zero value for the first rA1 segment of each program and press the Program button.

bEAd Program Example To fire Small Moretti.

Follow these steps: starting with the controller displaying IDLE

Press

Display Shows

……………………………………. a program group

……………………………………. bEAd ……………………………………. a program number …………………………………… bd1 ……………………………………. STRT

……………………………………. DELA / 00.00 ……………………………………… -ON-

25

PMC Programs

AF4X Kiln Controller

5 preset firing schedules are available for Precious Metal Clay. The heating steps are preprogrammed. You can fire to a preset PMC schedule by simply selecting the PMC Program. These programs are not adjustable.

The 5 programs are;

Display code CLA1 CLA2 CLA3 CLA4 CLA5

Program PMC+ Fast PMC+ Slow PMC3 Slow
PMC PMC Gold

Rate FULL 1500°F(833°C)/hour 1500°F(833°C)/hour FULL FULL

Target 1650°F(899°C) 1470°F(799°C) 1110°F(599°C) 1650°F(899°C) 1290° F(699°C)

Hold 00.10 00.30 00.45 02.00 01.30

PMC Program Example To fire PMC+ at a slow rate.

Follow these steps: starting with the controller displaying IDLE

Press

Display Shows

…………………………………….. a program group

……………………………………… CLAY ……………………………………… a program number …………………………………….. CLA2 ……………………………………… STRT

………………………………………. DELA / 00.00 ……………………………………….. -ON-

26

AF4X Kiln Controller

FIRING METAL CLAY

Drying Time
Allow your pieces to be completely dried before firing them in the kiln to ensure that they don’t warp.
Loading the kiln
If you fire both glass and metal clay in your kiln, it is recommended that you invest in a second shelf so that you can fire only glass on the glass kiln shelf, and only metal clay silver on the other kiln shelf. After firing your PMC piece, some of the metal particulates impregnate the kiln shelf and leave stains on the shelf’s surface. If you fire glass on the very same shelf, there is a chance that glass and metal may have a reaction that will result in silver stains left permanently on the glass. Pieces that have a flat side can be placed directly onto the kiln shelf. They can be positioned closely together, but they shouldn’t touch. Pieces that are rounded, hollow or very delicate in composition will need support while firing so they don’t collapse. Pour alumina hydrate or vermiculite into an unglazed ceramic bisque bowl and carefully place the metal clay pieces onto the alumina hydrate/vermiculite. Again, they can be positioned closely together, but they shouldn’t touch. Begin in the IDLE mode To begin programming the kiln, it must be in the IdLE mode. This can be determined by viewing the LED display. The display will alternately display both the current temperature and the IdLE message. When the kiln controller is first turned on, it will display the current firing configuration that it is in. Press (Program) button to return to the IdLE mode.
Select the firing configuration To determine the current firing configuration Press (Increase) button and hold until the LED display shows CFG
27

AF4X Kiln Controller
Press (Program) button to display the current firing configuration.
To select the correct firing configuration:
Press (Increase) button to scroll to the correct configuration,
CLAY Metal Clay
Press (Program) button to select this configuration.
Once completed the LED display will return to the IdLE mode. Select firing program
To select the correct firing program,
Press (Program) button to display the current firing program
Press (Increase) button to scroll to the correct program for your project
CLA1 Fast Fire PMC+ CLA2 Slow Fire PMC+ CLA3 Slow Fire PMC3 CLA4 Firing PMC Standard CLA5 Firing PMC Gold
Press (Decrease) button to select the firing program and once selected the LED light beside “Review” will light up. Additionally, the firing program selected will begin to display on the LED display beginning with rA 1. Once the review has been completed, the display will show Strt.
Press (Program) button and the display will show ­On- and begin firing. Note: If you accidentally selected the wrong program or would like to stop the program, press (Program) button again and the display will show Stop.
Once the kiln has completed firing, the display will show CPLt and this message will alternate with the temperature display and the total firing time from start to finish. DO NOT open the kiln until it has completely cooled and the temperature shows room temperature.
User Programs
25 User Programs are available. The User Program mode allows you to customize your firing schedule and specify how fast the kiln heats or cools to any temperature. All Programs allow 20 ramp steps. Each ramp step consists of a heating rate (or cooling rate), a target temperature and a hold time. Temperature Units If your controller is configured to display temperature values in F, heating rates will be programmed as Degrees Fahrenheit per hour and target temperatures will be programmed as Degrees Fahrenheit. If your controller is configured to display temperature values in C, heating rates will be programmed as Degrees Centigrade per hour and target temperatures will be programmed as Degrees Centigrade. To change the temperature units, see the F/C option.
28

Heating/Cooling Rates

AF4X Kiln Controller

Each program step requires you to program the desired rate value.

Rate is the speed of the ramp step. Rate is programmed as Degrees per Hour if the RATE option is set to HOUR. Some calculations may be required to determine your desired heating rate.

Example; if you know that you want to heat the kiln from room temperature (75F) to 212F over a 2-hour period, First determine the amount of temperature rise:

212 – 75

=

137 degrees

Then divide the amount of temperature rise (or drop) by the number of hours you would like it to take to get there. (For Example, 2 hours)

137 2

=

68.5 degrees per hour

Round the calculated rate to the nearest whole number and your heating rate would be 69 degrees/hour.

If you prefer to program heating and cooling rates in degrees per minute’, adjust the RATE option in the options menu to MIN. If you prefer to program heating and cooling rates inHours and Minutes’, adjust the RATE option in the option menu to TIME.

RA is the controller display for rate. Each rate segment will have its own number. The rate for the first ramp step
will be displayed as RA 1, the rate for the second ramp as RA 2 and so on. Maximum Ramp Rate for User Programs The range of values available for a controlled ramp rate setting is 0-1798F per hour or 0-29.97F per minute. To program a rate that heats or cools as fast as possible, Set the rate to FULL. FULL appears as a selection for 1799F/hour or 29.98F/min. Just above the maximum ramp rate. You can also find the FULL setting by pressing the decrease/review button one time when the display shows zero for the rate setting. When the RATE option is set for TIME, the maximum ramp rate or FULL setting is 00.00, the range of controlled rates is 00.01 (1minute) to 99.58 (99hours.58minutes) When the Ramp Rate is set to FULL the controller will interpret this as full power for a heating ramp. This will allow the kiln to heat as fast as possible to the target temperature without rate control. If the ramp is a cooling step, the controller will interpret the same values as no power and allow the kiln to cool as fast as possible without rate control.
A Program Review will show the message FULL to indicate the uncontrolled rate. Deviation alarms will not be active during the heating/cooling ramp.
Caution: Overshoot in temperature may occur when a kiln is heating at full power, especially at lower temperatures.
Target Temperatures Each program step requires you to program a desired target temperature.
F or C is the controller display for target temperature. Like rate, each temperature segment will have its own
number. The temperature for the first ramp step will be displayed as F 1 or C 1, the temperature for the second ramp step as F 2 or C 2 and so on.
29

AF4X Kiln Controller
Caution: Do not program target temperatures that exceed the temperature rating for your kiln. The maximum programmable value for target temperatures can be viewed in the SFTY option.
Cooling Ramps
Cooling ramps are programmed the same as heating ramps. You must program the Rate for the cooling and the target temperature. The criteria for a cooling ramp is the target temperature must be lower than the preceding target temperature.

If you program a target temperature at the end of the firing that is below your room temperature, the controller will never be able to complete the firing. This may result in an FTL alarm. To avoid this alarm, manually stop the firing by pressing the Program/Stop key or program a higher temperature to complete the firing
Changing a Target Temperature During a Firing
If the kiln is firing and you need to modify the current ramp target temperature, use CHGT option. The controller will display the current setting and allow you to change it. See the Option menu section of this manual for more details.
Hold Time
Each program step requires you to program a desired hold time.
Hold time refers to the amount of time you want the kiln to remain at the target temperature. Hold Time is often referred to as Soak or Dwell Time. Each ramp allows the option of programming a hold time. Hold time is programmed in Hours and Minutes. The decimal point light in the center of the controller display separates hours from minutes. The two digits to the left of the decimal point indicate hours while the right side indicates minutes.

Example;

A 1 hour hold time should be programmed as

01.00

or A 30-minute hold time would be

00.30

During a Hold time, the controller will count-down the remaining time of the Hold on the display.

HD is the controller display for hold time. Each Hold segment will have its own number. The hold time for the
first ramp step will be displayed as HD 1, the hold time for the second ramp step as HD 2 and so on.
Set-Point Hold You can program the controller to hold at a temperature indefinitely by programming a Hold Time of 99.59. The controller will hold the kiln temperature until the Program/Stop key is pressed.
Adding Time to a Hold If the kiln is firing and you need to increase the hold time, use the HLDT option. The controller will display the current setting and allow you to change it. See the Option menu section of this manual for more details.

Shortening a Hold To end a hold before the time has expired, use the SKIP option to advance to the next ramp. See the Option menu section of this manual for more details.
30

Vent Fan (Optional)

AF4X Kiln Controller

If your controller has been configured to control an auxiliary vent fan, each ramp step will allow the fan to be turned on or off during the specified ramp. Refer to the Options section for additional details on the AOP1 output.

FN is the controller display for vent fan. Each ramp will have its own fan setting. The fan setting for the first
ramp step will be displayed as FN 1, the fan setting for the second ramp step as FN 2 and so on.

Programming User Programs
During programming, default values may appear in the display. If the controller was previously programmed, the last settings will appear.

1. Press the Program/Start key. A program group will show on the display.

2. Press the Increase/Option key until the display shows USER, then press the Program/Start key.

3. Using the Increase or Decrease key, select the desired program number (PR01-PR25) then press the Program/Start key.

4. RA 1 shows in the display indicating the rate value for the first ramp step. Use the Increase or Decrease keys to enter the desired heating rate. Then press Program/Start key.

5. F 1 or C 1 shows in the display indicating the target temperature for the first ramp step. Use the Increase or Decrease keys to enter the desired temperature. Then press Program/Start key.

6. HD 1 shows in the display indicating the Hold time for the first ramp step. Use the Increase or Decrease keys to enter the desired time for the kiln to hold at the first target temperature. Time is entered as (Hours. Minutes). Then press Program/Start key.

7. FN 1 shows in the display (if available). Use the Increase or Decrease key to select a fan setting; either OFF or ON for the first ramp. Then press Program/Start key. The Fan option will not appear unless the auxiliary output option for the controller has been configured.

8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 to program additional ramp rates, temperatures and hold times. After you have programmed your final ramp, the controller should be displaying the next available RA number. If the value for the next available ramp rate is set to zero degrees per Hour or Minute, press Enter. The controller will end the programming mode. For Time mode, the value should be set to 99.59.

The controller will advance to STRT. The programmed firing schedule is automatically stored and ready to START the firing.

9. If the Delay Start feature is active, the display will show DELA alternating with a Time value. use the Increase or Decrease key to set a time for the kiln firing to begin. Time is shown as (Hours. Minutes). If no Delay is needed, set zero hours and zero minutes (00.00). Then press the Program/Start key.

10. Press the Program/Start key to begin the firing.

31

AF4X Kiln Controller

USER Program Example To Contour a piece smaller than 10 x 10.

Follow these steps: starting with the controller displaying IDLE

Press

Display Shows

…………………………………….. a program group ………………………………………. USER

………………………………………. a program number

………………………………………. PR03

……… ……………………………………….. RA1 ………………………………………… 400 ………………………………………….F 1 or C 1 …………………………………………. 1170 (632C) ………………………………………… HD1 ………………………………………….. 0.40
32

AF4X Kiln Controller
………………………………………… RA2 ………………………………………….. 500 ……………………………………………F 2 or C 2
………………………………………….. 1400 (760C)
…………………………………………. HD2
………………………………………….. 0.10 ………………………………………….. RA3 …………………………………………… FULL
………………………………………….. F 3 or C 3 ……………. …………………………. 900 (482C) …………………………………………. HD3 ………………………………………….. 0.30
…………………………………………. DELA / 00.00
33

AF4X Kiln Controller
………………………………………… -ON-
Erasing A User Program
If you enter a zero value for a rate (RA #), all settings beyond that point will be erased. This feature can be used to erase an entire user program by entering a zero rate at RA 1.

Test Firing with Witness Cones

A test firing will help in learning the operation and features of the controller. Place a series of Orton SelfSupporting Cones on the middle shelf of your kiln so that they can be seen through a kiln peephole. Use a series of cones close to the final firing temperature (see Appendix C). For example, if firing to 1945F (Cone 04), use a Cone 03, Cone 04, and Cone 05 for the test firing.
To evaluate heat distribution, place a set of cones on each shelf during the test firing. Most kilns fire more uniformly at Cone 06 than they do below Cone 06. Provide ventilation for the kiln in accordance with the kiln manual or Vent Master® instruction manual.
After the firing, examine the fired cones. Some variation in the bending of the cones may occur, depending on how the kiln was loaded and the location of the cones.
Cone-Fire ­ How it works
When firing to a cone number, the controller constantly monitors the actual heating rate of the kiln. If the kiln does not fire as rapidly as programmed, the controller re-calculates and adjusts the top firing temperature to compensate for the slower firing rate. This process more accurately fires to the cone number selected. When the heating rate slows, cones deform at slightly lower temperatures. At faster heating rates, cones deform at slightly higher temperatures. This ability to recalculate and to fire to a cone value is a unique, patented feature of all Orton controllers.

Orton Controllers contain three preset program groups for firing to a cone number ­ Low Fire, Mid Fire, and High Fire. Each of the programs can be adjusted for speed, hold time and cooling rate. The standard programs are designed to fire normal loads of thin ware ceramics. When a kiln is more heavily loaded or when thick ware is fired, additional firing time is needed. Experiment to determine the best firing conditions. The preset firing programs in the controller are:

Program Low Fire Mid Fire High Fire

Product Fired Decal, Luster, China Glaze, Bisque, Earthenware Stoneware, Porcelain

Cone Range Cones 022 ­ 011 Cones 010 – 01 Cones 1 ­ 10

Firing Time 3 – 5 hours 6 – 8 hours 9 – 11 hours

34

LO FIRE PROGRAM

AF4X Kiln Controller
MID FIRE PROGRAM

HI FIRE PROGRAM

TEMPERATURE
TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE

0

100

200

TIME

0

200

400

TIME

0

200

400

600

TIME

Note: the Cone fire Programs can be removed from the controller selections. To disable a program set, see the configuration appendix of this manual.
Cone-Fire Programs
During programming, default values may appear in the display. If the controller was previously programmed, the last settings will appear.
1. Press the Program/Start key. A program group will show on the display.
2. 2Press the Increase/Option key until the display shows CONE, then press the Program/Start key.
3. 3Using the Increase or Decrease key, select the desired Cone number then press the Program/Start key.
4. SPD shows in the display indicating the Speed setting, use the Increase or Decrease key to select Fast, Standard or Slow then press the Program/Start key.
5. HOLD shows in the display indicating the optional Hold time at the end of the firing, HOLD will be alternating with a Time value. use the Increase or Decrease key to set a time for the kiln to hold at the top cone temperature. Time is shown as (Hours. Minutes). If no Hold is needed, set zero hours and zero minutes (00.00). Then press the Program/Start key.
6. COOL shows in the display indicating the optional Cooling ramp at the end of the firing, COOL will be alternating with a rate value. use the Increase or Decrease key to set a cooling rate for the kiln to cool to 392ºF(200ºC). The maximum cooling rate is limited to 180ºF(100ºC)/hour. If no controlled cooling is needed, set the rate value as zero. Then press the Program/Start key.
The controller will advance to STRT. The programmed firing schedule is automatically stored and ready to START the firing.
7. 7.If the Delay Start feature is active, the display will show DELA alternating with a Time value. use the Increase or Decrease key to set a time for the kiln firing to begin. Time is shown as (Hours. Minutes). If no Delay is needed, set zero hours and zero minutes (00.00). Then press the Program/Start key.
8. Press the Program/Start key to begin the firing.
35

AF4X Kiln Controller
Cone Fire Advanced Options
There is one Advanced Option available for Cone Fire programs only. It is Cone Offset.
Cone Offset – OFST
This offset feature allows you to adjust the final heating step of the Cone programs. This is useful when the kiln does not quite bend witness cones to the desired angle. Cone Offset is a calibration feature that allows a temperature offset for the final heating ramp of the cone program.
First, start a CONE program to make the OFST option appear in the option menu. Press the Increase/Option key until OPT2 appears, then press Program/Start key, Press Increase/Option until OFST appears. Press Program/Start to see the setting. Use the Increase or Decrease key to edit the setting, then press Program/Start to exit the option menu. OFST settings are stored in memory and will apply to all future Cone fire programs.

Settings (F) Settings (C)

-20

-11

-15

-8

-10

-6

-5

-3

0

0

+5

+3

+10

+6

+15

+8

+20

+11

Meaning Decreases final ramp temperatures Decreases final ramp temperatures Decreases final ramp temperatures Decreases final ramp temperatures No adjustment in temperatures Increases final ramp temperatures Increases final ramp temperatures Increases final ramp temperatures Increases final ramp temperatures

Cone Fire Example
To fire to Cone 06, Fast firing speed (20% faster), 15-minute hold at cone temperature, No controlled cooling

Follow these steps: starting with the controller displaying IDLE

Press

Display Shows

…………………………………….. A program group

……………………………………… CONE
36

AF4X Kiln Controller
…………………………………….. A cone number …………………………………….. 06 …………………………………… SPD / STD ……………………………………. FAST ……………………………………. HOLD / 00.00 …………………………………….. 00.15 ……………………………………… COOL / 0 ……………………………………… STRT ………………………………………. DELA / 00.00 ……………………………………….. -ON-
37

Keeping a log

AF4X Kiln Controller

There is no “one program fits all” firing schedule for kilns. Even supposedly identical kilns behave slightly differently. Plugging the same kiln into different outlets in your house may also alter the firing schedule you need. Additionally, different size projects or different colors of glass will react differently, necessitating changes to your firing schedules. It is therefore very important for you to keep detailed firing logs whenever you do a new project or change any parameter in an existing project.

As you gain experience using your kiln, you may find that you need to use the “add hold time” or the “skip step” sequences to get exactly the results you want. If this is consistently the case for your particular project, you may want to generate a user program, written to your desired specifications or modify one of
the pre-programmed firing schedules.

Alarm Display Codes

Alarms are used to notify the operator of problems with the kiln performance or controller performance. Some alarms will terminate the kiln firing while others allow the firing to continue with the alarm condition on the display. Some alarms have no effect on the outcome of the kiln firing.

Thermocouple Alarms

– – – –
FAIL TC 2 TCR LAG OTL FTL

Thermocouple not detected during power up. Thermocouple failed during a firing, firing stopped Thermocouple failed while controller Idle Thermocouple polarity reversed , firing stopped Thermocouple temperature is lagging, firing stopped (kiln not heating) Over Temperature Limit detected ­ firing stopped (check LIMIT option) Firing too Long ­ kiln temperature has stalled, firing stopped

Deviation Alarms (See TEDE option to adjust Deviation)

FTH FTC LTDE HTDE

Fail to Heat – kiln is heating too slow, firing continues Fail to Cool – kiln is cooling to slow, firing continues Low Temp Deviation – kiln is losing temperature, firing continues High Temp Deviation – kiln is overheating, firing stopped

Power Interruption Alarms

PF

Power failed, and firing was resumed

PF 1

Power failed during cooling and firing was stopped because cooling temperature exceeded

PF 2

Power failed during heating and firing was stopped because temperature was below 212°F

PF 3

Power failed during heating or hold, and firing was stopped because temperature dropped by 72°F

Diagnostic Alarms

BADP ETH FE 1 FE 4

Invalid User Program. Check current kiln temperature is below program temperature.
Electronics too Hot ­ controller temperature above 80C, firing stopped Failed to read or write to memory device Errors detecting thermocouple input signal

38

Reference Section

AF4X Kiln Controller

Appendix A ­ Low Fire Cone Programs

Cones O22 to O11
The low fire range is typically used to fire decals or decorations. Some decals, lusters, and gold have a limited firing range and may need to be fired more slowly.
The complete firing schedules for Cones O22 to O11 are shown below. The standard firing time is about 3-5 hours.

39

AF4X Kiln Controller

Low Fire Ramp 1 Cone # Degrees/hour

022

396

021

396

020

396

019

396

018

396

Degrees F

Target F

Ramp 2 Degrees/hour

979

108

1004

108

1051

108

1144

Target F
1087 1112 1159 1252 1319 1360 1422 1456 1485 1539 1582 1607

Low Fire Ramp 1 Cone # Degrees/hour

022

220

021

220

020

220

019

220

018

220

017

220

016

220

015

220

014

220

013

220

012

220

011

220

Degrees C

Target C

Ramp 2 Degrees/hour

526

60

540

60

566

Target C
586 600 626 678 715 738 772 791 807 837 861 875

40

AF4X Kiln Controller

Appendix B ­ Mid Fire Cone Programs
Cones O10 to O1
This firing range is used to fire earthenware and low temperature glazes. If the ware is not thoroughly dried, a preheat cycle can be added. With lead-free glazes, a 10 to 20-minute hold is beneficial.
Earthenware or other bodies containing ball clays, talc, and kaolin contain compounds such as water, carbon, and sulfur that are burned-off during the firing. The body will lose about 10% of its weight. In addition, a physical change in any silica present can cause cracking of ware unless the heating rate is slowed near 1063F (573C). This change occurs during both heating and cooling.
The complete firing schedules for Cones O10 to O1 are shown below. The standard firing time is about 7-9 hours.

Mid Fire Ramp 1 Cone # Degrees/ hour

Target F

Ramp 2 Degrees/
hour

010

324

1022

153

09

324

1022

153

08

1022

153

04

324

1022

153

03

324

1022

153

02

324

1022

153

01

324

1022

153

Degrees F

Target F

Ramp 3 Degrees/
hour

Target F

Ramp 4 Degrees/
hour

1112 1112 1112 1112 1112 1112 1112 1112 1112 1112

180

1549

180

1908

108

180

1938

108

Target F
1657 1688 1728 1789 1828 1888 1945 1987 2016 2046

Mid Fire Ramp 1 Cone # Degrees/
hour

Target C

Ramp 2 Degrees/
hour

010

180

550

85

01

180

550

85

Degrees C

Target C

Ramp 3 Degrees/
hour

Target C

Ramp 4 Degrees/
hour

600

100

843

60

600

100

860

60

600

60

600

100

1042

60

600

100

1059

60

Target C
903 920 942 976 998 1031 1063 1086 1102 1119

41

AF4X Kiln Controller

Appendix C ­ High Fire Cone Programs

Cones 1 to 10

The firing range of higher temperature bodies, such as stoneware and porcelain vary between Cone 4 and Cone 10. These bodies are fired nearly to vitrification and can shrink up to 16%. As with earthenware bodies, water, carbon, and sulfur are potential burnout materials and venting is important to remove gases generated. With the presence of silica, the firing needs to be slowed near 1063F (573C) to prevent cracking.

Typical porcelain bodies are formulated from kaolin, feldspars, silica, and ball clays. The weight loss during firing can be around 10 to 12% and shrinkage can approach 20%.

Porcelain bodies require good temperature uniformity at their final firing temperature. If slightly overfired, the body may warp or blister. On maturing, the body becomes its own “glaze.” A hold time is usually desirable for best fired results.

The complete firing schedules for Cones 1 to 12 are shown below. The standard firing time is about 1012 hours.

Degrees F

Hi Fire Ramp 1 Cone # Degrees/
hour

Target F

Ramp 2 Degrees/
hour

Target F

Ramp 3 Degrees/
hour

Target F

Ramp 4 Degrees/
hour

Target F

1

324

1022

153

1112

162

1863

108

2079 2088 2106 2124 2167 2232 2262 2280 2300 2345

Hi Fire Ramp 1
Cone # Degrees/ hour

Target C

Ramp 2
Degrees/ hour

Degrees C

Target Ramp 3

C

Degrees/

hour

Target C

Ramp 4
Degrees/ hour

Target C

1

180

550

85

600

90

1017

60

2

180

550

85

600

90

1022

60

3

180

550

85

600

90

1032

60

4

180

550

85

600

90

1042

60

5

180

550

85

600

90

1066

60

6

180

550

85

600

90

1102

60

7

180

550

85

600

90

1119

60

8

180

550

85

600

90

1129

60

9

180

550

85

600

90

1140

60

10

180

550

85

600

90

1165

60

1137 1142 1152 1162 1186 1222 1239 1249 1260 1285

42

AF4X Kiln Controller

Appendix D ­ User Program Charts

User Program # 1
Ramp # Rate: /hr
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Temperature

User Program # 2
Ramp # Rate: /hr
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Temperature

Hold Time Vent Fan: on/off Hold Time Vent Fan: on/off

43

AF4X Kiln Controller
Appendix E ­ Connecting Thermocouples
For thermocouples, the color-coded wires should always include a red wire. The red wire is the negative leg. For Type K, the positive leg is yellow. For Type N, the positive leg is orange. For Type S and Type R, the positive leg is black.
Appendix F ­ Typical Wiring Diagram, 2 Heaters
44

AF4X Kiln Controller
Appendix G ­ Typical Wiring Diagram, 1 Heater, 1 safety relay
45

AF4X Kiln Controller
The JEN-KEN SAMPLE PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN ADD IN THE USER MADE AS NEEDED.
The new AF4X controller software has undergone a major software update! The controller contains several sets of preset programs. Jen-Ken Kilns and Orton have produced the most user friendly and powerful, kiln controller for artists. If the Jen-Ken Kiln can perform all the above tasks then all of the above settings will be turned on. The Chilipepper is a low firing annealing kiln and will only have the ­BEAD- setting turned on. The AF3P Bead Annealer with flip door will have all of the above turned on except the Clay and Cone feature because the kiln cannot fire that hot. Program sets include: LP (Large Pieces) ­ SP (Small Pieces) ­ CLAY (PMC) ­ CONE (Ceramic) ­ BEAD – USER (custom) There are 25 User Programs available if you switch modes to the USER program set. The User Program mode allows you to customize your firing schedule and specify how fast the kiln heats or cools to any temperature. All 25 programs allow 20 ramp steps. Each ramp step consists of a heating rate (or cooling rate), a target temperature and a hold time. Once programmed they remain in the controller memory until you chose to change them. Here is a list of 25 programs created by us to assist you as you learn and grow as an artist! You can alter and change these programs as you progress as an artist. Once you program these schedules, they will remain in the USER program set of the controller memory until you chose to alter them.
Program 01 is a full fuse for pieces smaller than 10 x 10 and program 02 is a full fuse for pieces larger than 10 x 10.
Program 03 is a contour fuse for pieces smaller than 10 x 10 and program 04 is a contour fuse for pieces larger than 10 x 10.
Program 05 is a tack fuse for pieces smaller than 10 x 10 and program 06 is a tack fuse for pieces larger than 10 x 10.
Program 07 is a fire polish for pieces smaller than 10 x 10 and program 08 is a fire polish for pieces larger than 10 x 10.
Program 09 is a slump program for pieces smaller than 10 x10 and program 10 is a slump program for pieces larger than 10 x 10.
Program 11 is a program for draping 2 layers of glass. Be sure to keep an eye on your glass when using this schedule!
Program 12 is a program for deep slumping or texture.
Program 13 is a fast fuse program for brick pieces smaller than 10 x 10 and program 14 is a fast fuse for brick pieces larger than 10 x 10.
Program 15 is a fiber contour for small pieces and program 16 is a fiber contour for large pieces. Program 17 is a fast tack program. Program 18 is for large fiber tack fusing. ­ This when using an all fiber kiln with a fiber shelf. For example: the JenKen Profusion 26.
Program 19 is for pot melts.
46

AF4X Kiln Controller

Programs 20 and 21 are for screen drips.
Program 22 is for fusing and annealing dammed thick slabs of glass.
Program 23 is for flatting bottles on the kiln shelf. Program 24 is for then slumping bottles on a mold.
Finally, program 25 is for open face mold casting.
We hope that you will find these programs useful in your journey into the fired arts! If you have any questions, please call us.
Note: Firing schedules may need to be adjusted as you learn how your kiln fires. These schedules are meant to be a starting point for you to learn from and adjust as you advance and your kiln ages

Program 01 Full Fuse < 10×10 Brick

Brick

RAMP

°F

Hold

400

1170° (632C)

0.40

500

1480° (804C)

0.10

Full

900° (482C)

0.30

OFF

Program 03 ­ Contour < 10×10 Brick

Brick

RAMP

°F

Hold

400

1170° (632C)

0.40

500

1400° (760C)

0.10

Full

900° (482C)

0.30

OFF

Program 05 ­ Tack < 10×10 Brick

RAMP

°F

Hold

400

1170° (632C)

0.40

500

1350° (732C)

0.10

Full

900° (482C)

0.30

OFF

Program 02 ­ Full Fuse > 10×10

RAMP 300 400 Full 100

°F 1170° (632C) 1480° (804C) 900° (482C) 700° (371C)
OFF

Hold 1.00 0.10 1.00 0.00

Program 04 ­ Contour > 10×10

RAMP 300 400 Full 100

°F 1170° (632C) 1400° (760C) 900° (482C) 700° (371C)
OFF

Hold 1.00 0.10 1.00 0.00

Program 06 ­ Tack > 10×10 Brick

RAMP

°F

Hold

300

1170° (632C)

1.00

400

1350° (732C)

0.10

Full

900° (482C)

1.00

100

700° (371C)

0.00

OFF

47

AF4X Kiln Controller

Program 07 ­ Fire Polish < 10×10 Brick

Brick

RAMP

°F

Hold

300

1000° (538C)

0.00

500

1325° (718C)

0.05

Full

900° (482C)

0.30

OFF

Program 09 ­ Slump < 10×10 Brick Brick

RAMP

°F

Hold

300

1000° (583C)

0.00

400

1220° (660C)

0.20

Full

900° (482C)

0.30

OFF

Program 08 ­ Fire Polish > 10×10

RAMP 250 400 Full 100

°F 1000° (583C) 1325° (718C) 900° (482C) 700° (371C)
OFF

Hold 0.00 .05 1.00 0.00

Program 10 ­ Slump > 10×10

RAMP 250 400 Full 100

°F 1000° (583C) 1220° (660C) 900° (482C) 700° (371C)
OFF

Hold 0.00 .20 1.00 0.00

Program 11 ­ Drape 2 Layers

RAMP

°F

Hold

300

1000° (583C)

0.00

400

1170° (632C)

.15

Full

900° (482C)

1.00

100

700° (371C)

0.00

OFF

Program 13 ­ Fast Fuse < 10×10 Brick

RAMP

°F

Hold

500

1170° (632C)

0.20

Full

1480° (804C)

0.10

Full

900° (482C)

0.30

OFF

Program 12 ­ Deep Slump / Texture

RAMP

°F

Hold

300

1000° (583C)

0.00

400

1260° (682C)

0.30

Full

900° (482C)

1.00

100

700° (371C)

0.00

OFF

Program 14 ­ Fast Fuse > 10×10

RAMP 400 500 Full 100

°F 1170° (632C) 1480° (804C) 900° (482C) 700° (371C)
OFF

Hold 0.40 0.10 1.00 0.00

48

AF4X Kiln Controller

Program 15 ­ Fiber Contour Small Pieces Pieces

RAMP

°F

Hold

500

1170° (632C)

0.20

Full

1400° (760C)

0.10

Full

900° (482C)

0.40

OFF

Program 16 ­ Fiber Contour Large

RAMP 400 500 Full 100

°F 1170° (632C) 1400° (760C) 900° (482C) 700° (371C)
OFF

Hold 0.40 0.10 1.00 0.00

Program 17 ­ Fast Tack

RAMP

°F

500

1350° (732C)

Full

900° (482C)

OFF

Hold 0.10 0.30

Program 19 ­ Pot Melt

RAMP 500 Full Full Full 100

°F 1000° (538C) 1600° (871C) 1475° (802C) 900° (482C) 600°(316C)
OFF

Hold 0.00 1.30 0.30 1.00 0.00

Program 18 ­ Large Fiber Tack

RAMP

°F

Hold

400

1350° (732C)

0.10

Full

900° (482C)

1.00

100

700° (371C)

0.00

OFF

Program 20 ­ Screen 1st to Drip

RAMP

°F

Hold

500

1000° (538C)

0.00

Full

1600° (871C)

1.30

Full

1475° (802C)

0.30

Full

900° (482C)

1.00

100

600° (316C)

0.00

OFF

49

AF4X Kiln Controller

Program 21 ­ Screen 2 to Clean Edges

RAMP 200 500 Full 100

°F 1000° (538C) 1475° (802C) 900° (482C) 600° (316C)
OFF

Hold 0.20 0.30 0.60 0.00

Program 23 ­ Bottles Flat on a Shelf

RAMP

°F

Hold

300

1000° (538C)

0.00

500

1475° (802C)

0.15

Full

900° (482C)

0.40

OFF

Program 22 ­ Fusing/Annealing Dammed Thick Slabs < 1.25

RAMP 300 400 Full 24 48

°F 1175° (635C) 1500° (816C) 900° (482C) 700° (371C)
100° (38C) OFF

Hold 1.00 0.10 3.50 0.00 0.00

Program 24 ­ Bottles in a Mold

RAMP

°F

Hold

300

1000° (538C)

0.00

500

1400° (706C)

0.15

Full

900° (482C)

0.40

OFF

Program 25 ­ Open Face Mold Casting

RAMP

°F

Hold

300

1000° (538C)

0.20

300

1400° (706C)

1.20

Full

900° (482C)

1.30

100

600 (316C)

0.00

OFF

50

AF4X Kiln Controller

JEN-KEN KILN LIMITED WARRANTY

JEN-KEN KILNS are warranted to the original purchaser to be free from defects in materials and workmanship when used under normal and proper conditions for the periods specified below. The warranty period begins at the date of original purchase from JEN-KEN KILNS, a JEN-KEN KILN authorized distributor or dealer.
Brick Kilns are warranted for 2 years from the date of purchase. All 120v fiber kilns are warranted for 1 year from the date of purchase. (chilipepper, bonnie glo, profusion16, etc.) Orton AF4X panels are warranted by a separate 1-year plan from the manufacturer, Orton Ceramics. Orton AutoFire4000 are warranted by a separate 2-year plan by the manufacturer, Orton Ceramics. TAP Touch Screen controllers are warranted by a separate 1-year warranty by the manufacturer, SDS Industries.
To Claim under the Warranty, the purchaser must: 1) Provide written proof of the date of purchase. 2) Notify JEN-KEN KILN (or the distributor/dealer) from whom the kiln was purchased. 3) Make the kiln immediately available for inspection. Photos may be required!
FOR WARRANTY REPAIRS: 1) Warranty repairs should be handled from where you purchased the kiln and they will arrange for any repairs or replacement of parts under
the terms of the warranty and upon receipt of the kiln or defective part(s). Warranty work, other than that performed at the factory, DOES NOT include labor, just parts. The defective parts may be returned to JEN-KEN KILNS (postage prepaid) 3615 Ventura Drive West, Lakeland, Florida USA 33811. Include your name and address, a letter of explanation and the name and address from where you purchased the kiln. If, after factory examination the part is found to be defective, a new or repaired part will be sent prepaid by JEN-KEN KILNS. 2) If the entire kiln is to be returned to the factory, all transportation costs are the responsibility of the purchaser. The purchaser should notify JEN-KEN KILNS 863-648-0585 prior to shipping. We will advise the best shipping method and if it is necessary to return the whole kiln or only certain parts. Factory warranty work will be performed within 30 days after the defective part is returned to the factory. 3) JEN-KEN KILN reserves the right, as its option, to replace the entire kiln or any part of it in order to fulfill its obligation under this warranty.
This Warranty DOES NOT Cover:

1. Freight damage. If kiln or crating is damaged in shipping to do not sign for it. Refuse shipment and have it returned. Then contact the distributor/dealer and Jen-Ken regarding the issue.
2. Kilns altered in any way after leaving our factory, without our explicit instruction. 3) Abuse or neglect, moisture damage, or damage due to improper storage. 4) Improper installation. 5) Kiln Overfires (exceeding the melting temperatures of the materials being fired) regardless of the cause of the overfire. (This does not occur
   in kiln that are monitored while firing. If in doubt during a firing, turn the kiln off and unplug. Do not operate again until kiln has been serviced!) 6) Dawson Kiln Sitter or Limit Timer. 7) Kilns operated on incorrect voltage. 8) Improper electrical installation. 9) Kiln furniture or wares. 10) Kiln used for reduction or salt firing. 11) Kilns used for purposes other than firing ceramic or glass materials. 12) Kilns operated in excess of the temperature rating of the kiln. 13) Damage that may occur to property or personal injury from kilns that are fired on or near combustible materials (i.e.: wood floors). 14) Damage that may occur to property or personal injury due to improper ventilation of the work area or building.
   Warranty coverage extends only to the original purchaser and does not cover replacement of parts that are, by their nature expendable. This warranty is voided if the product is adversely affected by attaching any feature or device to it, is in any way tampered with, modified or used in any manner not intended without the express written permission from JEN-KEN KILN.
   This Warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied. JEN- KEN KILN neither assumes nor authorizes any distributor, dealer, retailer or employee to assume for it any other obligation of liabilities in connection with JEN-KEN KILNS.
   This warranty is limited, as specified above and excludes incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific rights and you may also have other rights why vary from state to state.
   JEN-KEN KILNS Manufactured by Sir Ramic Porcelain, Inc. 3615 Ventura Drive West Lakeland, Florida USA 33811 863-648-0585
   51

AF4X Kiln Controller
AF4X CONTROLLER Limited Warranty
This limited warranty is given only to the immediate purchaser (“Buyer”) of the Autofire® Kiln Controller (“AF4X”). This limited warranty is not transferable. The Edward Orton Jr. Ceramic Foundation (“Orton”) warrants the controller motherboard and keypad installed on the Autofire® Kiln Controller (“Warranted Components”) to be in good working order under normal operating conditions for a period of two (2) year from the date of purchase. Should the Warranted Components fail to be in good working order at any time during the stated two (2) year period, Orton will, at its option, repair or replace the Warranted Components as set forth below. The liability of Orton is limited to replacement and/or repair at its factory of the Warranted Components that does not remain in good working order. Repair parts or replacement products will be furnished on an exchange basis and will be either reconditioned or new. All replaced parts or products become the property of Orton. Following receipt of notice from Buyer of a valid warranty claim and the Autofire® Kiln Controller containing the Warranted Components, Orton will perform its obligations under this limited warranty within 10 business days.
Limited warranty service may be obtained by delivering the Autofire® Kiln Controller during the warranty period to your Orton Autofire® Supplier or to The Edward Orton Jr. Ceramic Foundation, 6991 Old 3C Highway, Westerville, Ohio 43082 and providing written proof of purchase and a description of the defect or problem. Buyer must insure the shipment of the Autofire® Kiln Controller or assume the risk of loss or damage in transit, prepay shipping charges to the service location, and use the original shipping container or equivalent. Buyer will be responsible for shipping and handling charges in excess of US $50.00 incurred by Orton in returning the Autofire® Kiln Controller to the Buyer after completion of limited warranty service. This warranty does not apply to any damage to the Autofire® Kiln Controller resulting from:
1. Operation beyond electrical rating. 2. External sources including, but not limited to, chemicals, heat abuse and improper care. 3. Improper or inadequate maintenance by Buyer. 4. Parts or equipment not supplied by Orton. 5. Unauthorized modification or misuse. 6. Operation outside environmental specifications. 7. Improper installation. 8. Over firing (melting of materials being fired) regardless of the cause of the over firing.
Warranted Components returned for service where no warranted defect is found will be subject to service, and shipping and handling fees. If the Warranted Components are not in good working order as warranted above, Buyer’s sole remedy shall be repair or replacement of the Warranted Components as provided above. To the extent permitted by law, ALL EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARANTIES FOR THE WARRANTED COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE LIMITED TO THE TWO YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD COMMENCING ON THE DATE OF PURCHASE, AND NO OTHER WARRANTY WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WILL APPLY TO THIS PERIOD. To the extent permitted by law, ORTON’S REMEDY AND BUYER’S SOLE REMEDY IS LIMITED SOLELY AND EXCLUSIVELY TO REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS SET FORTH HEREIN. ORTON SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR, AND BUYER’S REMEDY SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, WHETHER A CLAIM IS BASED UPON THEORY OF CONTRACT, NEGLIENCE OR TORT. Buyer shall determine suitability of the Autofire® Kiln Controller for the intended use and assume all risk and liability therewith. Some states do not allow this exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from State to State.
The above limitation does not apply in the event that any Warranted Components are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be defective and to have directly caused bodily injury, death or property damage; provided that in no event shall Orton’s liability exceed the greater of $1,000.00 or the purchase price of the specific Autofire® Kiln Controller that caused such damage.
Service may also be obtained on Warranted Components no longer under warranty by returning the Autofire® Kiln Controller prepaid to Orton with a description of the problem and Buyer’s name and contact information. Buyer will be contacted with an estimate of services charges before any work is performed.
Customer Satisfaction Policy
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with the performance of the Orton Autofire® Kiln Controller or the conditions of this warranty, return the Autofire® Kiln Controller in good working condition, transportation and insurance prepaid, within 30 days of purchase date to your Orton Autofire® Kiln Controller supplier or The Edward Orton Jr. Ceramic Foundation, 6991 Old 3C Highway, Westerville, Ohio 43082 and your purchase price will be refunded. Prior to returning your Autofire® Kiln Controller contact Orton for an authorization number and include with your shipment. For Autofire® Kiln Controllers ordered in error, a restocking charge will apply.
Customer Support
Orton technicians are available by phone for support and troubleshooting. If you have questions regarding the performance or operation of the kiln controller. Contact your kiln supplier, kiln manufacturer or Orton directly at 614-895-2663. Tech Support hours are Monday-Friday 8:00AM ­ 4:30PM EST
The Edward Orton Jr. Ceramic Foundation 6991 Old 3C Highway
Westerville, Ohio 43082-9026 Telephone: 614-895-2663 Fax: 614-895-5610
52

References

• Jen-Ken Kilns

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)  >>

Download This Manual (PDF format)

Download this manual  >>