Glass Bead Kiln

topic posted Sun, December 17, 2006 - 10:34 PM by  offlineNewt
I am looking for a good versitile first kiln. There are so many out there I am kind of lost. I am just starting lampworking but would like to move on to other things later. Any Advice or places I could go to find out about this?

Thanks,
Trice
posted by:
Newt
  • Re: Glass Bead Kiln

    Mon, December 18, 2006 - 1:24 PM
    Honestly for beadwork unless you're doing some huge pieces you could probably get away with just flame annealing and then burying in vermiculite. The disadvantage is that you can't do batch work (doing 6 blue cores, then kilning them, then working on them again later). I'd recommend you get a simple kiln which has a front load door with flaps (usually asbestos) if you really want the flexibility of a kiln. You don't need digital controls or anything, just a good pyrometer so that you're sure it's pretty close to 1050 or so in there.
    • Re: Glass Bead Kiln

      Tue, December 26, 2006 - 6:10 PM
      Thanks

      I am still thinking about it.
      • Re: Glass Bead Kiln

        Tue, February 13, 2007 - 11:14 AM
        You can't "get away" with so-called flame annealing if you want to sell your work with a clear conscious, even small beads.
        My favorite kilns for beadmaking have these features:

        *programable, digital pyrometer -- this doesn't need to be a ramp controller, just something that will REALLY BE 950 degrees.
        *lift top or some other safe way to insert beads. I always burn my knuckles using the little "door" openings to place finished beads.
        *a door that has a rack outside of it to preheat the rod tips. This keeps the rods from shocking and spitting when they first hit the torch.
        *kiln brick instead of fiberglass insulation. These retain enough heat that I can just switch it off after annealing small beads, and it will drop temperature slowly between the anneal temp and the strain temp. Fiber kilns, like the Toolbox kiln, need to be ramped down more slowly especially for larger, more delicate stuff.

        Personally, I like my Arrow Springs kiln (with a "set point" controller), and have seen some nice ones from AIM too. Just be sure you understand the programming before you buy something overly complicated. There are some beads kilns out there that have a nice structure but then have an incomprehensible computer attached.
        Good luck! ~firebrand
        • Re: Glass Bead Kiln

          Tue, February 13, 2007 - 11:17 AM
          Oh - and you can't re-introduce soft glass to the flame (easily) without breakage, unless you bring it over 1000 in the kiln first. My info above is about soft glass, not boro. Sylvain is talking about boro, which is sometimes left unannealed, and is often reintroduced to the flame (what he calls batch work.)