I really don't seem to be able to put many beads in the sc2 using the bead rack. What do most of you do , I loke to feed my beads in as i make them and the rack seems to move all around the place as i put a bead in, does anyone else have the same problem? I'm wondering if it's just the position i feed them in from sitting.... i find that about 8-10 largish beads is it for space. What is this 'kebab' method? is it just stacking them to the side as they have cooled. Is it just me :(
The kebab method is for spacers or batch annealing, several beads on one mandrel.
with the rack, once the beads have been in a while you can pile them up to one side to give yourself more space. Just watch if you're using rubino or enamels, they can stay "sticky" at annealling temps.
Thanks mary I thought that might be it. I wish there was a way of making the rack stay in position , because it isn't as wide as the kiln, if you put a bead in from the side the rack seems to move with the slightest pressure...... anyway i guess i'll have to move my kiln/sitting position or learn to live with it... :)
I don't use a rack - I have an ordinary tile on the bottom and when I'm ready to put in the kiln I make sure the bead has stiffened, and put it spaced out on the tile. As I make the next bead I move the one before over to the left hand side and tend to stack them!
From reading Mary's post I'll be careful with Rubino!!
If I batch anneal I layer 2 tiles (propped up with tiny pots) and just spread the beads out!
HTH!
I've only had my kiln on as I'm working twice. I tend to batch anneal and I sling all my beads into a pyrex dish piled up on each other and aneal them that way. Never had a problem with it.
Quote from: shine-on2 on February 13, 2009, 10:48:09 AM
I don't use a rack - I have an ordinary tile on the bottom and when I'm ready to put in the kiln I make sure the bead has stiffened, and put it spaced out on the tile. As I make the next bead I move the one before over to the left hand side and tend to stack them!
Me too ;D
Pyrex dish here as well for batch annealing - works brilliantly
I used to do a lot of enamelling, so I have utilised one of the metal mesh thingies you would put the piece on to initially fire, turned it upside down and put it on one of those kiln tiles. I then use 2 lengths of mandrel so you can reach nearer the back with the longer mandrels and manage to stuff in up to about 20 beads, more if you do a load of spacers. The mandrel sits nicely between the metal wires. These can be bought from Diatherm/Vitrum Signum.
Shelia
Thankyou so much sheila, I'll look them up :)
I actually started using a rack b/c I wasn't getting enough space without it! I fill the lower level first then the upper level. As everyone else has said, I put a fresh bead in without it touching anything and constantly move previous bead over to stack on top of each other.
I *do* have to be careful not to jostle the rack around. I open the bead door and get low enough to look inside the kiln and carefully position each new bead.
It works great for me :) And I make plenty of big beads!
x
I have a steel mesh that fits the width of the kiln.
I put them up the top until I get to the other side then pop them down a bi and put th next ones on the top again.
Fiddly sometimes, but it keeps the beads apart. No problems at all so far :)
I sawed a bit off the end of a rod rack and use that in the kiln sometimes. Others I space out the beads then stack to make a space for the next bead. If it's a large rose I'm making, I open the kiln door wearing my kiln gloves and pop the rose or other large bead inside and quickly shut the door.
I lay them on the bottom, I rarely do a long enough session to run out of space! The other day though, I opened the door to put one in, and another two slithered out and onto the floor - I grabbed one and put it back (hot mandrel, ouch!) and spent what seemed like an age hunting for the other! I eventually found it melthing into the side of a power cable.. :-\ so anyway, now I make extra sure they're in far enough!
Quote from: turnedlight on March 03, 2009, 11:49:09 AM
I eventually found it melthing into the side of a power cable..
Yep, been there - only in my case its a tiny bit of carpet :D
Oh no kathryn....... :o Thanks for the tip Pam, I think i might try that as an alternative when making xtra large beads! :)