Moretti bead annealing schedule as-you-go - SC2 with bead door

[BeadyBugs]

Me again,

This is the schedule I've got for annealing direct from the flame, through the bead door of a SC2b kiln.  This gives a 6 hour working time.

Ramp1 FULL
Temp1 510 C (garaging temp)
Hold1 6.00
Ramp2 FULL
Temp2 520C (annealing temp)
Hold2 60mins
Ramp3 50 C
Temp3 371 C
Hold3 0.00
Ramp4 0000

This schedule means your kiln will get up to temperature within a few minutes, then you can put your beads through the door as you are working, and the temp will be held for 6 hours while you carry on making other beads.  This Hold1 can be adjusted if needed, ie., if you intend to work for longer, put in more hours at this point.  It's always best to put in more hours than you will need, as you will skip to the next segment when you've finished anyway. 

It is normal BTW for some kilns to fluctuate by a few degrees either side of 510C when holding at this temp, don't worry about it unless it goes excessively over this figure, in which case you may need to use the schedule below to slow down the first heating phase.

When you have finished beading, press the up button twice to make your kiln end the garaging segment, and skip to the annealing part of the schedule.  The kiln will anneal the beads for an hour, then cool.  This will anneal beads up to an inch in size - please increase the hold2 if your beads are bigger (you can never over anneal a bead).  Make sure you let your kiln cool to room temp before removing the beads, so they don't stress and crack.

Any more schedules, tips and suggestions welcomed - happy beading folks!

HP x

Edited to add:

Due to a few peoples experiences with new kilns overshooting the 510C on the initial ramp and giving an error message, it may be necessary to slow down the first heating phase from FULL to 700C.  I'm sure it goes without saying, but a kiln should not really be left unattended whilst in operation, and if you have any worries about whether your kiln is working properly, you should contact your supplier for further advice.  Anyway - here is an alternative schedule with a slower initial ramp if yours displays the HdTE error after exceeding 510C  by quite a few degrees:

Ramp1 700C
Temp1 510 C (garaging temp)
Hold1 6.00
Ramp2 FULL
Temp2 520C (annealing temp)
Hold2 60mins
Ramp3 50 C
Temp3 371 C
Hold3 0.00
Ramp4 0000

[Funky Cow]

Ooh Helen - what a star! I posted earlier in the newbie questions section for just this! Tanok linked me to info, but I just needed to convert fahr to celsius but now I don't need to I'm off to the garage where I've cleared myself a nice space to work. Let you know the outcome as long as it's not totally distastrous!!!
Cheers,
Cathryn

[BeadyBugs]

Good luck - glad it helped!   I'm sure they'll be fine, and thanks for reminding me we hadn't got any schedules on here.  I'll have to see what others I've got knocking around when I get chance.

Happy melting.

HP x

[bubblefizz]

helen could you please explain what it all means like...ramp1 and ramp2 etc, i havnt got a clue what it all means!

[Sarah]

Hi

Ramp is the rate at which you heat or cool the kiln. In Helen's programme this is in degrees celsius per hour. So ramp full means at the max speed your kiln (an SC2 for this program) will heat or cool, ramp 78c means heat or cool at 78 degrees celsius per hour.

Temp is the temperature to which you are heating or cooling (in celsius for Helen's programme).

Hold is the period (in minutes below) at which you want the kiln to remain at that temperature.

If you buy a kiln with a digital controller the controller will ask you for ramp, temp & hold when you programme it so shouldn't be confusing. But you must make sure that you work in the same units as your kiln. Americans tend to work in fahrenheit so be careful if you import your kin or use an American programme. There is a conversion calculator at

http://www.warmglass.com/phpBB/index.php?sid=aaa9aa029779de17565c9e5175975f5f

[bubblefizz]

Thanks Sarah!

sorry  another question  how do you know what temperature you have to set it at, and how long to hold etc.. 

[BeadyBugs]

Hi Angie,

I'm not totally sure what you mean - sorry?? I'm assuming you've just got a kiln or are about to.? But I'll try and help - the schedule IS the temperatures and hold times that you enter into your kiln.? This schedule is for an SC2 kiln with a bead door, and it's the programme you would use if you have your kiln on whilst beading using Moretti glass, like we did at Claire's.? You would only use this schedule for putting hot beads straight from the flame into the kiln.? For batch annealing cold beads that have been slow cooled in vermiculite or fibre blanket, use this schedule and instructions.?

As you enter the numbers shown above, they will appear on the screen of the kiln, and then when the programme is running the internal temp of the kiln will be flashing on the screen too.? When the schedule has finished running, your kiln will beep for several seconds to let you know it's done, and then the temp within the kiln as it's cooling will flash on the screen.? I wouldn't open the door til it gets down to room temp, or at least between 30-40C.

As Sarah said:

RAMP = the rate or degrees per hour the kiln will heat up or down at.
TEMP = the temperature the kiln is aiming for.
HOLD = the time in minutes/hours the kiln will hold at the TEMP for.?

So this translates the above schedule to mean:

Your kiln will heat up at very quickly til it reaches 510C, then it will hold at that temp for 6 hours (or as long as you want if you adjust this time).
Then when the 6 hours is up, or you press UP twice to skip to the next section, your kiln will heat up as quickly as possible to 520C and hold for 60 minutes.
Then the kiln will start to cool at 78C per hour til it reaches 371C.
The kiln will then beep to let you know the schedule has finished, but at this point the kiln is still very hot - you will have to wait another couple of hours or so until the kiln has returned to room temp, so you can remove your beads safely without shocking them.

Hope that helps - but until you've entered the schedule and run it it might not make sense.? I know I didn't 'get it' til I'd done it.? Good luck!

HP x

[bubblefizz]

Ha now i understand ( i think) Helen? yea i will be getting the kiln very soon (hopefully) and i just needed to know excatly what it all meant.

does this:
Your kiln will heat up at very quickly til it reaches 510C, then it will hold at that temp for 6 hours (or as long as you want if you adjust this time).
mean i get to make more beads in the 6 hours

[BeadyBugs]

Hi Angie,

It is all rather confusing isn't it.

It doesn't mean you make more beads during the 6 hours - you ONLY put beads into the kiln during the 6 hours.? You can start to bead as the kiln is warming up, but the kiln should be up to 510C BEFORE you start to put beads into it, straight from the flame.? Do you remember at Claire's, that when we went into the studio, the kiln was off.? Claire turned it on when sat down, we sorted out what we were going to make while it warmed up (only a few minutes).? Then we started beading and lodged them in the kiln, through the bead door as we completed them.

When you've finished beading, be it half an hour, or 5 hours, press the UP button twice and the kiln will skip to RAMP2 and anneal the beads for an hour, before cooling down.

I don't know how long your average session at the torch is, but whatever it is, I'd add at least a couple of hours on to that time, and enter that number in the HOLD1 slot instead of the 6 hours I've used.? You can enter 10 hours if you like, it doesn't matter, as long as it's a lot longer than your beading session will be, because you don't want the kiln to ramp up to 520C before you've finished beading for the day.

Good luck again.

HP x

[LesleyMac]

An excellent and very clear explanation Helen, I have my kiln set already to what you have said, by following the instructions in the book that came with it. But due to being too busy and probably lazy I have just got used to that one program, and if it ain't broke don't fix it.

However I brought the kiln book home last weekend determined to teach myself to use it properly.  Needless to say haven't actually opened the book yet but you have taught me something anyhow as I diden't realise it was that easy to skip a program.  So I will try that over this weekend.  My main reason for wanting to train myself is I want to use my bead paints and you have to have the kiln at 250deg whilst you are making the beads and then use another schedule for re-annealing (beads are already annealed once before you paint them).

So I am inspired to RTFB now as I know its fairly easy really.  Actually easier than my microwave

[BeadyBugs]

Thanks Lesley.

I must admit - I haven't changed my annealing schedule since I programmed it in months ago either. ? I've fiddled with my fusing schedule, not sure it's any better, but it's fun trying.

Can't wait to see your painted beads - I bet they'll be gorgeous. ? I'd love to have a go myself - but I'd probably only end up painting daft bunnies on beads or something! LOL ? Wow - it sounds like quite a complicated process though with lots of stages?? You'll have to show us the results.? I'm still desperate to have a go a silver cores too...ooooo shiny things!

HP x

[bubblefizz]

I got it now Helen  thats what i was worried about....the actual annealing before ive finished my beading sesssion.
Im not sure how i would go on though, im on and off all day, i will make a couple then watch tv (or whatever!) then i go back to it, its like that all day for me.
what would you sugest for my hold time?

[BeadyBugs]

Ah - I see. ? Well I suppose it depends on whether or not you want to have the kiln running all day when you are beading.? You can either do it that way, ie. if you are beading during the times of say 9am to 9pm, put 13 or 14 hours in HOLD1 to cover you incase you get carried away and bead for longer.  (I think the kiln will do it for that long?? I haven't checked its maximum setting?)  And as I said before - put in more hours than you need.?

Or you do it the way you have done it before, and place your beads in the vermiculite, during the day.? Then when they've cooled, batch anneal them using these instructions.? The latter will be cheaper on your electricity bill, and doing it this way, you have the option to anneal a few days beads all in one go if you want.? But ultimately it's up to you.

It also depends on how many casualties you are getting.? If you are getting lots of cracked beads from cooling in vermiculite, you might want to put them straight from the flame into the hot kiln to prevent wasting your glass and time.? Although this is only usually an issue when you are doing larger beads, sculpturals or stressy shapes like lentils.

HP x

[bubblefizz]

I gotcha now Helen, thanks for the explanations 
you are now the official kiln teacher  lol

[LesleyMac]

Yep Helen will show the painted beads when I get to them, however I am determined to crack the silver core beads first.
No pun intended.