pottery kiln/glass kiln

[twohoots]

I have a small top loading kiln that was used for pottery, it has a programmable controller. I'm sure as long as I programme the controller with a suitable programme for annealling glass that it should work or is there something else involved with annealing glass. Sorry if this does not make sense I'm new to glass 

[theflyingbedstead]

Sounds perfect for batch annealing!  You will need to cool the beads down slowly in vermiculite or in a fibre blanket (as you make them) before you anneal them.

[♥♥Tan♥♥]

Whats the name on the kiln and the name on the controller, with that info people should be able to point you in the direction of programs and whatnot

[twohoots]

I'll find out and post 2moz all I can remember at the moment is that its a cromartie kiln ( they're based in stoke on trent) i'm a little worried about firing it up as it has not been used for about ohh 8 years. I did think it would be good for batch annealing ! also saw some where on this forum about annealling small beads using vermaculite in a slow cooker is that right ? I'm a total newbie at this so I apologise for any daftness 

[theflyingbedstead]

Not daft at all!
I don't think that you can anneal beads in vermiculite in a slow cooker (it would need to take the beads to their annealing temp) but the slow cooker is good at keeping the verniculite warm and so is better for cooling the beads slowly to help prevent them cracking before you get to anneal them in your kiln.
Some people flame anneal...but if you have a kiln then this is a far safer bet!
If you are worried about your kiln then it may be worth a phone call to a cromartie kiln dealer who may be able to give advice or recommend someone to look at it for you. 

[♥♥Tan♥♥]

Cromartie kilns are generally very good, does it run off the mains or does it need to be professionally wired in? If it hasn't been used for 8 years is there a professional nearby that can take a quick look at it, usually the elements are the first thing to go, or the relay.

[twohoots]

its a mains run one, cromartie is just about a mile from where I live so I may pop in and see what they say, thanks for the advice 

[♥♥Tan♥♥]

Once you know its safe there are all sorts of annealing schedules floating around on here, both for working and batch, I bet someone will have just the right one for you

[Lee - Kilncare]

Hi TwoHoots, I think you may be better contacting Potterycrafts down in Campbell Road, Stoke on this one.

Cromartie are not running a kilns department at the moment and havn't done for a while so I'm not too sure how much help they will be.
However,
Jeremy, the guy that run the Cromartie kiln dept for years left and took up a similar post at Potterycrafts late last year.

745000,

good luck.

Can you believe how nice and sunny it is in Stoke today

[twohoots]

Thanks for that it just proves how long it is since I went to cromartie !

[twohoots]

Not so sunny now I'm afraid as I write this ! such wierd weather, snowing last weekend and yesterday as i passed steelites temp gauge 14 degrees whats going on ! 

[twohoots]

just an update I've been to pottery crafts and they are going to give my kiln the once over for a small charge yeh !

[Lee - Kilncare]

There you go

[♥♥Tan♥♥]

Thats a great result, well worth the visit then