Restore or Replace? $1000 Kiln and $150 Forge Rebuild!

[@htme]

Thank you again to Skillshare for sponsoring today's episode! The first 1,000 people to use my code HOWTOMAKEEVERYTHING or use this link to sign up will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/howtomakeeverything07211

[@jammehrmann1871]

no

[@tychopolak4961]

@@jammehrmann1871 be nice, they need all the support they can get, tou would do the same in their situation

[@mr_rock4353]

Wow I’m early

[@sarchlalaith8836]

Hey HTME will you be releasing the code we need for the Pi? Because we could be making our own kilns if you did, that would be cool... Metaphorically.

[@kevingrubb9835]

Hey Andy you need to use Teflon tape for those brass connectors otherwise you'll leak propane everywhere

[@gamingenius]

Hey guys, the ultrasonic cleaner is more efficient if you don't let the item touch the bottom. If you suspend your item in the liquid, the transducers aren't dampened by the item and cavitations in the water can more effectively clean things off. Glad to see you guys are recovering!

[@pawel8365]

This guy sonicates!

[@BrigadierPickles]

This is great advice, typically we use wire coat hangers to hang them in the solution.

[@Bit-while_going]

Why would you want your tool to vibrate? Isn't that like moving your dishes around in the sink instead of holding them still while you scrub them?

[@MGSLurmey]

@@Bit-while_going Sort of, but automatically, and at a much, much higher frequency with many times better results. So no, it's not like just haphazardly pushing your dishes around in the sink. The ultrasonic cleaner works by using high frequency vibrations to create cavitation bubbles in the water. Cavitation bubbles are kind of like tiny implosions when gases come out of and then go back into the water, so the force of all these tiny implosions helps to remove rust and other residue much quicker and more easily. Imagine it sort of like how a boiling pot violently shakes the food around (be it vegetables, pasta, whatever) and helps to break it up and stop it sticking. The evaporust/vinegar also helps to speed this along by dissolving the rust into the water at the same time. Ultrasonic breaks the rust off to expose the underlayers, acid dissolves the exposed rust.

[@Sinaeb]

@@Bit-while_going that's exactly the goal not having to do manual scrubbing for an hour

[@Silent002]

That Kiln rebuild is an absolute win in my opinion. Half the price of a replacement, looks brand new and has better functionality than the original. Plus it made an interesting video. Can't go wrong with that!

[@akhasshativeritsol1950]

AND he's gained valuable programming experience for when he inevitably builds his own computer from scratch!

[@KainYusanagi]

Far less than half the price; paying yourself to learn an entirely new skillset from scratch is pretty off-base, IMO.

[@alexanderludvigsen1893]

And he did it himself, so the minimum wage is not really a loss of miney

[@VincentGroenewold]

@@KainYusanagi Yeah, personal cost is always a bit of a tricky thing to calculate in. It totally depends on what job you could have done in that time, I never really calculate my time into total cost, I could easily argue it was done in my spare-time, which is free. :)

[@KainYusanagi]

@@alexanderludvigsen1893 Well it is a "loss", from his company's cofers into his wallet, in paying him (I'm assuming he actually has done that which is the smart way to run things, rather than running the business out of pocket directly). Not a loss overall for him, though, true enough (and why a lot of work is done by people on their own, rather than hiring someone else to do it for them).

[@OfficiallySnek]

I think that it was worth it to make your own kin. First off, it was quite a bit cheaper than buying a new one. Second, it made a great video. And third, since you have had many kilns break before, you will now have the knowledge to fix them yourself.

[@townsville69]

Loving these rebuild series. It's also very historically accurate. It's only quite recent we just bin and replace things. Repair and restore has been the norm for most of our history. A whole set of valuable skills our modern society has forgotten.

[@bgbthabun627]

I could not agree more!

[@HercadosP]

Right to repare!

[@Zpajro]

The Raspberry is a bit of an overkill, an Arduino or just a small atmega would have worked. But it's really nice to see you restoring (or in this case, upgrading) your tools.

[@noviceartisan]

Ha, an ATMega would be serious overkill, could just use some 555's!

[@lucaslac124]

Overkill? Yes. A learning experience for when they start fabricating their own microprocessors? Also yes.

[@Earthenfist]

That's what I was thinking. Thing's just a bang-bang switch with a display.

[@georgeschmidt9153]

Yeah. A simple PID would have done it.

[@KekTekDe]

@@georgeschmidt9153 An STC-1000 costs 10 bucks plus the SSR. thats maybe 30 bucks in total repair cost.

[@Zeldur]

Hey, I know it's been agonizingly rough over the past... 8 months? But thank you for still sticking with these videos. They're still a joy to watch, even if it didn't go how you planned/ wanted. Also, I can't wait to see your new sign put up ^^. As for the kiln, I've been debating getting a kiln myself. It's cool seeing you make your own code and having it be nearly set and forget (a very sought- after high end feature).

[@jimmyb1451]

100% I really do admire @How To Make Everything 's tenacity. I don't think I'd be able to sift through the wreckage of my workshop like that. I would find it very depressing. Once, one of my workshops was broken into, ransacked. I lost almost everything. Rolling tool boxes, welders, computers, a LOT of power tools and small machinery. (don't even know how they transported it all without being seen or heard, but they managed it) All uninsured. That was hard enough to clean up and bounce back from. Especially finding precision optical stuff smashed and knowing how hard it is to acquire and expensive it is to buy. Broken projects... Fibre coupled lasers ripped to pieces, because "smashing shit is fun!!!!" (I assume). Really knocks the wind out of ya. 5 years on now and I still haven't replaced everything I lost. Having been through something similar, it really is inspiring watching as they slowly reclaim their as much as they can.

[@Zeldur]

@@jimmyb1451 Gezz... yeah that is horrible. At least you tried to bounce back a little

[@JuxtaThePozer23]

after having watched all your Reset videos and going on that journey with you guys, it was pretty devastating to see the destruction caused by the fire.. but seeing the progress you've been making to turn this disaster into an opportunity, is really inspiring! honestly this channel has been such a story of growth and it's been pretty heart warming.. keep up the good work mate

[@micahphilson]

You've come a long way from burning out 3 kilns per project! 😂

[@withered_dragon_head]

I can remember all the trouble he had tring to melt obsidian and glass! 😆

[@iantaakalla8180]

I think it helps that the obsidian were gimmicks and were never going to be done again.

[@SuperBrainAK]

I really like that you programmed the Pi to be a kiln controller! I bet that will work so much much better than a 1000$ kiln that only has temperature set points. This you can program to do fast or slow ramps and would be awesome for tempering steel!

[@allangibson2408]

Modern industrial digital temperature controls do that as standard - and are much cheaper than a Raspberry Pi based solution…

[@iantaakalla8180]

Still, it’s on brand for him - a channel whose point it is to make everything from scratch - and perhaps a customizable kiln he built may instill in him enough respect to not burn this kiln down.

[@SuperBrainAK]

@@iantaakalla8180 Yep he just needs to work on silicon manufacturing to make the Raspberry Pi from scratch :D or at the very least from scratch resistors and relay. That could be a good video idea!

[@Zambini845]

I have to say this is the most HTME thing ever. I’m sure in those two days of troubleshooting it didn’t feel worth but the absolute joy of doing a complete tear down and rebuild and being able to understand how it all works will pay off long term dividends. You now have an incredible skill set that you likely didn’t even know was possible a few weeks ago. I’m a programmer and I still wouldn’t know how to do this without spending hours of research. Congrats on your new found knowledge! (As well as kudos in the cautious optimism!)

[@LupusSapien]

It's nice to see you using (mostly) proper PPE. Gloves and respirator are a great touch! Next are hearing protection and safety glasses.

[@patricke0n]

My uncle burnt down his work shed when i was a kid staying at his house. Batteries and steel wool in the same drawer got all his leatherworking stuff burned up. Glad to see you can salvage some stuff.

[@SpeedDemonStar]

My dad was always super careful with batteries to the point where they either stayed in their original packaging or in plastic bags so they couldn't touch anything.

[@jimmyb1451]

@@SpeedDemonStar That's good advice.

[@melom8276]

pls make sure to use teflon tape on all the gas connection joints, also be careful with metal thats been in a fire as its more likely to bend or crack due to the heat from the fire, otherwise epic video glad youre doing well

[@brianc3481]

Yellow tape/dope just to be sure. The hose most likely has a gasket but may get broken down by the propane depending on the type of rubber/polymer. Also make sure to use an auxiliary pressure regulator.

[@melom8276]

@@brianc3481 your right I was thinking in my head of the yellow tape that's like the teflon tape but I couldn't remember it, thanks for reminding me

[@user-ok4pk2mp3e]

Yeah, I was looking at that too. I'm a little concerned.

[@UYNiko]

You learned something new, saved some money and got a video out of it, I’d say it was more than worth it.

[@joshuawoolley6283]

Andy is the modern equivalent of those 1900s home handymans that used to fix everything with nails, plaster and prayers

[@stevenbergom3415]

I really enjoyed this episode of How to (Re)Make Everything.

[@DrGrunty]

I feel like the experience you get from repairing all those items is a lot! I mean, you do constantly learn new things in your conquest of making everything. But for some reason, lately, you seem to get more learning progress than before.

[@lucaswalker4914]

You know, maybe you've heard this already or thought about it after your fire, but this actually happened in history. Humanity suffered several disasters, natural and otherwise, that resulted in (to say the least) extreme loss and technological set backs. You'd be shocked to discover how many times we've lost plumbing! In a way, you've sorta simulated one of these events. So much of what you've spent this channel's life build was lost in that workshop. And just like our ancestors, you picked what you could from the ashes, and carried on. In our history, this is usually the smartest course of action. Best of luck, we're all rooting for you! 😊

[@davidblanck4131]

You all are doing great. These rebuild videos are as interesting as your normal content. Not only are you making the best of a bad situation, you are making it better. While learning and teaching us all. Glad you are getting through this. Keep up the great work Andy, and team!

[@jamescowley6425]

Thank you so much for carrying on and it's beyond interesting watching you repair fire damaged equipment. Especially hearing about the cost brand new vs repairing.

[@CollinWillson]

I sincerely hope that you have some type of thermal runaway protection on the raspberry pi driving kiln, it's not difficult program and would really benefit you in reducing chances of a fire. Hopefully when the thermocouple comes disengaged it doesn't try to compensate by jacking up the temperature even more causing a thermal runaway

[@weylako214]

damn, i just repaired a sink and some other stuff in our new flat and i was furious after 2 days. Respect, that you have such stamina to get through all that. I hope you can keep up the good work! Its really cool to see your progress to get back to how it was before. There are not much channel out there, which give you that kind of sustainable content

[@TheRealRahau]

You can check the forge plumbing for leaks with a spray bottle of soapy water, make sure that its tight. If you need to put tape on the joints, make sure you use something rated for propane

[@ArgumentativeAtheist]

"Be very cautious running this guy it really would be unfortunate to have any kind of fire..." No shit... I genuinely lol'd. Your deadpan delivery was perfect.

[@mbossman2]

That ultrasonic cleaner on the kiln brass parts was pretty amazing. They went from blackened by heat and soot to perfectly clean brass and a pristine labeling tag. Wow, impressive.

[@AnnaReed42]

I always appreciate that you factor labor into your project cost breakdown, even if you're underselling the value of your labor at our appallingly low minimum wage.

[@drstrangefart]

Man, it is still making me very happy to see this happening. Great work with that forge. I have 3 forges and honestly the intermediate size like that ammo box forge ended up getting the most use of the 3. Really useful tool. Great work on the kiln too. Never messed with one of those, but getting that coding done and adding the touchscreen is seriously cool.

[@VincentGroenewold]

Regarding the cost of the reprogramming etc, I think you should offset that with the knowledge gained there. It will mean that a future project with a Pi, will cost much less due to experience. And still, it's now better with a better interface for half the cost. Great stuff!

[@user-ok4pk2mp3e]

Not to mention, if he had outsourced the project that didn't have to learn as they go, it would've taken them maybe a few hours.

[@shazzhussayn]

Said it 4 years ago, saying it now, this is most underrated channel on KZbin.

[@RejonMunchausen]

everyone wishes the fire didn't set the project back, but you guys are still managing to turn disaster into interesting content. Good luck!

[@redpeterpanda]

I love that you calculate time into your costs of repairs.

[@TheStraycat74]

8:01 I have several defective propane tanks that I planned on converting to forges. looks like your burner should still be good... if it'd help (next time I'm home) I could be talked into giving you my old forge (Two 1/2inch burners that'll do 40k BTU each at 20psi) so I can clear out a space for the 3/4 inch burner forge I'm going to make for myself

[@tantamounted]

Watching that case cleanup was so satisfying.

[@tracybowling1156]

Andy, are you surprised by how much you can actually accomplish? I would think that I couldn't do a lot of the things you've done. But you actually have the strength and the courage to try. And while everything doesn't turn out perfectly, a ton of stuff has been even better!

[@Scott_C]

Would love to have a breakdown of everything you did with that Raspberry Pi. I have three older kilns that all need electronics added to them, currently they all work on cone bending. I don't trust them to run without checking on them every 10 minutes.

[@comfortablegrey]

This video is REALLY important of you are building after an apocalypse. These electronic components are similar to those you could salvage, or scrounge, from a modern garbag3 heap

[@BytebroUK]

The actual restoration of the forge and kiln was lovely and wonderful, and kind of what you expect - you take stuff apart, you clean and polish it, then you re-assemble it. For me the fun part was the controller unit. At some point (when you've calmed down from the frustrations!) I'd love to see a 'Computerphile-style' vid on the programming of that Pi. I imagine that was a learning curve?

[@titussturgeon5453]

I'm so glad to see all of your progress and working through this tragedy. I'm in awe that you managed to get back on your feet rather than giving up. Great job!

[@antihooligan1398]

keep up the great work! cant wait when you get back on track

[@patrickosullivan4354]

Your channel learned a hard lesson and I'm glad to see that you've stepped up to the challenge. I'm all for a build back series

[@ThomasthEEngineR]

Glad to see you back up and running!! I've been watching many William Osman videos and I rediscovered the collaboration with you two and I loved y'all's styles!!!

[@amrastheluckywoof5524]

In an age focused on consuming and replacing goods, it's actually a great thing to show off that when something is broken, it doesn't always need to be replaced completely.

[@AJB2K3]

I really wish I could give this more likes because I am happy to see you trying to restore the tools.

[@drdook9167]

Its nice to see that Andy is using the shed fire as a tool to show how to fix things on his own and teach people if doing so is economically viable👌he is a good example of what we should do as people when shit hits the fan 😂, hope you salvage most of your stuff without expenses tho, wish you good luck .

[@rambojazdude3023]

Keep these videos coming. I'd watch you sweep up ash as long as you make the videos 🤣

[@Sleepyjew]

Stoked to see ya fixing these ol pupps up! Thanks for another awesome video!

[@timhvac6869]

It's so awesome seeing how well your turning this around

[@chrisb8154]

Amazing stuff, Andy. There hasn't been one of your videos I don't instantly click on. Please keep it up!

[@TheDaniel9]

Lol at the belt flying off at 5:21. Always fun when that happens :D

[@adancein]

Very inspiring to see how you manage all of this.

[@jessecunningham9924]

Thanks for sharing this. You did a great job, especially with that kiln! Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in the future.

[@Bit-while_going]

This guy just reinvented civilization inside his workshop.

[@ItsWaltieTime]

I was relieved to see you use a new valve for the forge

[@Killer-co1dw]

I really hate that your stuff burned, but I am enjoying the restoring of them!

[@Neel1403]

As an safety measurement it is recommended to have an hardware off switch like a button on an dangerous operating item which would be the heat in this case. But you can also pull the plug if you dont wanna do it, just make sure you would be able to do it in time and without getting yourself in risks.

[@Wisconsin.pikachu]

You should forge a new bracket for the kiln for that cracked one 😆

[@jacara1981]

Could take it off and repair it, it doesn't hold much pressure anymore so even a minor reforge will do wonders.

[@gamingscientist7445]

Sometimes it's less about the replacement than it is about the restoration. Regardless of the cost, recovering these tools help aid in the healing process after such a traumatizing event.

[@ericanderson4436]

The first time I heard about a Rasberry Pi, I was so confused as to how a pastry was supposed to run computer code.

[@Beamer1969]

The forge looked like standard maintenance if you had about 1000 extra hours on it. The kiln may be better then just a replacement because of the flexibility of the raspberry pi

[@JRodosama]

I love these rebuilding videos, keep them coming!!

[@L1mJahey]

Good effort, Andy! Really inspiring 😊

[@majoraxehole]

That RaspberryPi powered solution is hella neat!

[@GorkSIG]

While the price for refurbishing the kiln was a lot higher than anticipated, you also learned something along the way. So I'd say it's still a win :)

[@SF-li9kh]

Andy : Should I buy a new one or try to make one myself Me : We know you too well Andy : We're going to do it ourselves

[@118Shadow118]

I know having your stuff burn down has to suck, but restoring it like that must have felt satisfying

[@skellious]

while the fire was devistating it's created some really awesome content.

[@shadowtheimpure]

Electric kilns/forges/foundries are remarkably simple appliances. Just a heavily insulated box with heating coils contained in the walls connected to a computer controlled relay to control the temperature.

[@cytherina]

glad to see you are back

[@mr_q_02]

One bonus to rebuilding the Kiln is that you can theoretically sell the program. Or at the very least open source the code. And then you can potentially end up with a net positive.

[@beeclair480]

its really interesting to see the process of things getting fixed. these days we just throw out and buy new so this is really neat

[@poetgriot18]

Check out the repair shop if you want more of this. I know it's streaming on discovery plus and was on Netflix for a while.

[@CoolAsFreya]

The Raspberry Pi is an alright choice for replacing the kiln controller, but I'd be cautious with the heat from the kiln, raspis tend to overheat on their own without other heat sources. Maybe put some more insulation or perhaps a small cooling fan for the electronics?

[@scottjackson2812]

I think the skills you probably learned with the Raspi are invaluable; however, I regret to inform you that you can absolutely purchase off-the-shelf programmable kiln controllers. Even on the low end, you can get a pid controller with ramp and soak for around $80.

[@mpirron1]

You can buy a PID controller with an SSR and a thermocouple for like $20. With a little math using ohm's law you can buy kanthal resistance wire and wind your own coils. A kiln can be refurbished for less than $30.

[@iteerrex8166]

A blasting cabinet would’ve been awesome.

[@DramaticFlora]

For as much as it sucks that so much was lost at least you are good with your hands and can monitize the process through youtube. It's interesting seeing the recovery process and i just hope it's not totally unenjoyable to go through everything yourself

[@itsamirechlerch9318]

Love This video

[@bobedwards8896]

comment for the algorithm, love the stuff you guys do here.

[@johnmarston4012]

always look forward to videos from you 👍

[@larmy8517]

keep up the good work and keep going through the terrible fire good luck on your next project

[@UNVIRUSLETALE]

Didn't expect something like a pi but it's a good choice

[@thecrazy8888]

Good call replacing the valve.

[@melissahauke8682]

I feel like building this kiln from ashes is your personal revange for all those past kilns

[@kadencochran9518]

I think you should look at wood gas as an alternative fuel source

[@zzzires5045]

Fire was a unexpected boon for the video change as throughout history recovering things from fires would have been a huge deal

[@MossCoveredBonez]

Once you get it tuned in, could you release the build instructions and code for the kiln? Id like to try building one from scratch

[@kodizzie3827]

you should put gas rated teflon tape (the pink coloured one) on the threads of the fittings you used for your forge burner.

[@yarrrrrble]

Impressive! Great video. Thank you

[@Kargoneth]

This is excellent. Rebuilding! You've probably already done this, but you could probably reach out to restoration channels to help you out.

[@devongolo2353]

Hey man. Keep it up the people will come back like I did.

[@Evocatorum]

You should grab a cheap sandblaster cabinet from Harbor freight. That'd make short work of all that wire wheel work you were doing.

[@Kargoneth]

I love the timelapsea, but a real-time version might also be nice to watch.

[@thatsMRpenguin2u]

We can rebuild him. Make him bigger, faster, stronger.

[@KirimaraShakugan]

I think costs are not the only concern. Every object which doesn´t need to be trash, should´t be trashed. Repairing your tool is better for the enviroment.

[@snake1987666]

He made everything He lost everything He restored everything

[@beglitchery]

My only 2 concerns with the kiln repair - I hope that digital diplay etc is ok being so near the heat generated by the kiln. I worked in a pottery studio as a hobbyist and that close to a kiln is still damn hot. Also, if those heating elements are hanging out of the grooves like they look like they are, please replace them. They’ll probably break on their own anyway due to the damage sustained and then the uneven heat in the kiln will probably ruin your pottery. Dunno if refiring an unevenly fired piece can save it.

[@jernejloknar8011]

Horray for the sanding belt flying to freedom at 05:21

[@krisorraj]

You could have totally bought an aftermarket kiln temperature controller that's already all put together and is just plug and play. So much easier

[@MiscMitz]

Great job!

[@earlyriser8998]

good job on rebuiding the kiln.....patreon supporter