Everything you need to know about ANNEALING

[Hamilton Taylor]

I use:
Full>490>0:00
50>510>10:00
50>516>0:30
50>450>0:10
Off

It runs up to around 500 in the time it takes to pull some stringer and make a bead, and wobbles around 500 for a while before it settles, finishes the ramp to 510, and starts the 10hr timer. When you want to move the schedule on, press the up-arrow once, the display shows 'sstep'. Press the left hand button twice, and that's you. The kiln skips the rest of the hold time, jumping to the next ramp.

Hope that helps,

Sean

Edit: Oops, now I pay attention (!), I see you already have a schedule. Which one is it? Can you post it, so there's something to go on?

[Trudi]

Hi

I have an SC2 and for standard 104 beads I use this:

Ramp1 149C
Temp1 520C
Hold1 60mins (This is a good "soaking time" – if you have massive beads then you might want to increase)
Ramp2 78C – (This is a slow ramp for up to approx 20mm beads – if your beads are smaller you can go up to say 120c)
Temp2 371C
Hold2 0000mins
Ramp3 0000


here's a link to an earlier post
http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=859.0

hope this helps!

[Ian Pearson]

Have I read this right that some are "holding" time to "soak" glass for annealing for 6) mins? This seems long. Annealing borosilicate half an inch think requires a soak time of 30mins.

Ian

[astringofbeads]

Hi Amber
If you want to know approx timings for as you go annealing, roughly speaking, mine takes 45 mins to reach 510. Then it holds that temp while I work. It holds again at that temp for 1 hour after the last bead has gone in. I then ramp down to 454 degrees, hold for 15 mins and then ramp down to 300, at which point it switches off. Total time from when i stop beading to the kiln switching off is around 41/2 hours
Hope this helps

[Ian Pearson]

My view is that annealing is not about soaking any length but of time taken for cooling. Thus if you soak for 30 mins or 60 mins the same glass item and cool at same rate there will be no difference in stress. However if you soak for 60 mins and cool down twice as quick as an item which has been soaked for 30 mins then you will have stress or potential for stress in the item soaked for 60 minutes. My oven takes 35 minutes to 580 degrees and I soak no longer than 20 minutes. Any longer and there is a danger of sagging. I can cool down within 3-4 hours OK. I accept that this is for boro but I have worked soda to similar method but accept again that this is for hollow and solid mixed.

Just a few thoughts.

Ian

[poledra1958]

When you batch anneal do you just put the beads on the kiln floor or do you use something to put them on.

I appear to have finally worked out how to ramp my kiln so hoping to actually start annealing some of my beads soon.

Jenny

[sparrow]

I just plonk'em down in a big pile 

[poledra1958]

They dont stick together ?

Also should you clean them before annealling or after  ?   Some of the ones I have already made I have cleaned can I still anneal them.

Jenny

[SilverGems89]

if they stick together your kiln has gotten too hot! if your kiln has a bead door you can put them on mandrels kebab-style and batch anneal
i clean all of mine before i send them for annealing, i dont want to be getting bead release all in someone else's kiln! but i dont think it matters if you leave it on or not!

[helenfc]

i just pile them up on the floor too, they wont stick together as the temp doesnt go that high! I clean them after jenny, it just means there is less chance of breaking them during cleaning, but you can anneal the ones you have cleaned already no problem! have fun !

[poledra1958]

Thanks all kiln is doing a dry run at present (no beads in it) just to check that I have got the program right.

Jenny

[Shirley]

They shouldn't stick, but I don't take the risk with ivory and rubino, as they are the colours someone mentioned as being a bit sticky. I usually anneal spacers in a pile on a tile in the kiln, but if I've got patterned beads to anneal then I usually make skewers from cut down mandrels suspended on some metal mesh. If you cut them down then they will fit in any kiln. You don't need a bead door to anneal this way.

As far as cleaning goes you can leave it until they have annealed, but it won't matter if you've already cleaned them. I think the reason it's recommended to leave the cleaning until later is because of the greater risk of damaging an unannealed bead during the cleaning process.

[poledra1958]

Thanks Shirley

What I have got to anneal at present is all small beads nothing to special yet,  I did wonder about cutting down some mandrels for special beads.  Will have to look into getting some mesh or something to support the mandrels

Jenny

[Carol]

Here's a very old thread that should help Jenny:-
http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=859.0
As you can see from the pics you can anneal on mandrels cut down like Shirley said, no need to use bead door. When I used to batch anneal I used the kiln shelf supports to rest the mandrels on. You could also put more beads on the bottom underneath if you have a lot to do. Hope the pics are helpful

[poledra1958]

Thanks Carol that is a very helpful thread.  I only have a small minikiln so it would be very cut down mandrels :-) but I like the idea with the mesh I will keep that in mind for the future.

Jenny