A customer writes: I have an X3227 DaVinci kiln that I bought in 2000.  It has been sitting unused in my studio for about 8 years and I am looking to sell it.  While I was looking it over I noticed that the counterbalance cables were slack and no longer supported the lid.  I also noticed some of the hardware on the kiln had rusted.  I can’t see where the cables hook up to the weights because they are enclosed in the tube, but I’m thinking that perhaps the connection rusted out so that the weights dropped off. Does that make sense?  I’m wondering if you could give me some directions as to how I can fix this problem. The only visible area on the counter balance system is the steel cable that attaches to the eye screws at the front of the lid and run upward to the tubes at the back of the kiln. Those cables should be taut but they are slack. If I try to lift the lid it is very difficult because it is not assisted by the counterbalance system and I am lifting the full weight of the lid. Maybe if you could explain how the system works, it would help me understand what has happened. The cables run through the top of the steel tubes on the rear of the kiln along a pulley which I can see at the top of the tube. I'm assuming that the cables are attached to some sort of weights inside the tubes but maybe I'm mistaken. How does the system work? The cables appear to be disengaged from whatever created tension in them.

L&L: Inside the tube there is a spring. Attached to the top of the spring and the bottom of the spring is a metal clip. This is screwed into the spring . Wrapped around the top clip is a wire rope which has a wire clamp on it. Perhaps this has come undone. To get to the assembly you would need to grind off the welds on the bar that holds the spring clip to the bottom of the tube. After you fix the interior assembly you will need to reweld the bar that holds the clip at the bottom of the tube.