After pretty much every batch firing I do in my bead cube, all my beads tack together. I use a Denby ceramic dish.
Shall I try lowering the max temperature to about 510 or 500?
How high are you going now?
I find that both my kilns seem to work 'high'. So, yes, why not try reducing the temperature (and just try a few beads at first). (I work at about 490).
I thread my beads onto mandrels kebab style and have no problem, is the little temp thingy (very technical) moved it should stick out towards the centre of the kiln
I've batch annealed in a bead cube before and I just spread the beads out directly on the floor so they didn't touch each other. I would recommend loading up some skewers (old bent mandrels work well - just bend up an end so the beads don't slide off) and prop them like you would normal mandrels when garaging. Don't go above 520.
I garage at 490 and ramp up to 520 to anneal.
After similar problems with my kiln (and SC2) and after advice by Paragon, I have had to reduce the programs by 30C to stop the beads sticking.
Quote from: Nikki on August 31, 2013, 10:13:46 PM
I thread my beads onto mandrels kebab style and have no problem, is the little temp thingy (very technical) moved it should stick out towards the centre of the kiln
I don't have any problems with my bead cube, I just use the settings that it was pre-programmed with and it anneals at 520 degrees.
Do check that the little metal temperature tube is inserted correctly at the back of the kiln, I noticed that mine had slipped once or twice so I always check it now before putting the kiln on.
Hope things get sorted. :)
if the beads are sticking together then the kiln is running hotter than it says it is - a common problem. Suggest you try setting a different max temp of about 20 - 30 degrees less and lower the rest of the programme similarly.
Thanks all- I'll check the program to see what the max temp is.
I don't make bead-beads, I do off mandrel stuff so I cannae put it on skewers, hence the ceramic pot!
Is the annealing temp 480? Just double checking so that I don't reduce it lower than that!
Changed top temp to 510 and changed the soak time to something less ( I can't remember), I also changed the point that it turns the power off, I think it was 250, I changed it to 300 or 350. Just to get my beads out a bit earlier!