How many beads can you fit into a Bead Cube ??

[Fruddy]

On average??

I am hoping that I will be in a position to buy a kiln in the next couple of weeks or so and I have been thinking about getting a Bead Cube, as space in my little Shedio is quite limited and I can't see myself making much other than beads at least for a while. 

Could anyone who has one recommend them?   Also, how many beads in an average torching session can you fit in?

Thanks all.

[mummydude]

Hi there,

I bought my Bead Cube a couple of months ago and can easily fit a whole session of beads in, as long as you move them accross once they have come down to the kiln temperature you can pile them on top of another, your only limitation is the amount of mandrels you can squeeze in!
I don't make massve focal beads so I usually end up with about 20-30 round beads which fit in no problem. I also batch anneal sometimes so you can really pile them up or put them kebab style on mandrels.

hth

Vicki
x

[Kalorlo]

My BeadCube is lovely 

I don't usually torch for more than 2-2.5hrs at a time and there's plenty of room left. You can just move your mandrels more to one side after the beads have been in for a while if it's getting full. Batch annealing it can take loads.

What Vicki said, basically!

[beadysam]

I haven't got a bead cube but I have seen one in real life so I know what size they are.  I've also seen the way you are coming on with your beads.  I think you might need something a bit bigger!   Back when I started it would take me the best part of an hour to make a focal like the ones you have, and it still takes me a fair old while.  When you find your own style (and with you I don't think it will be long) I think you will be churning them out at a rate of knots. If you can maybe visit somewhere who sells kilns or even other lampworkers to get an idea of whats available, that might be the way to go.
I've got a fab JenKen from the states, but they won't ship to the UK anymore unfortunately.

[Hotglass28]

I have a bead cube, it's fab!

Space them out a bit wise and you might get 5-6 large beads in there if you have a rack were you could stack them better. Like a stainless hole grid at the back so you can prop the end on the mandrel on?

Best bit of kit I have bought in ages.

[Calico Cat]

I started off with a Bead Cube which suited me fine for about 18 months but I got to the point where I was running out of space when making "critters" so have recently upgraded to a Maxi - also from Kilncare.

The Maxi is a bit more than double the external size of the Bead Cube but has a much greater capacity - it isn't that much more expensive either

[mizgeorge]

I can put up to 30 focals in my cube at a time - which I would never have time to make - you just move them across as new ones go in on the left.

I batch anneal masses in there - the record was just over 300 smaller (bracelet size and spacers) beads in one go. The big advantages to the cube over the maxi are the tiny footprint - it really can sit right next to you on a bench, and the fact that it will also do metal clay and enamelling, and even some bits of mini fusing if you're so inclined!

[tsarvo]

I have a bead cube and i do love it...... but i wish i had got a bigger kiln as i would love to do more fusing. also i do make some quite big beads and it fills up really quickly, then i just make beads that i am happy to go in my bubbles. its not a problem but i would love a MUCH bigger kiln.
I.m very greedy

[tsarvo]

I have a bead cube, it's fab!

Space them out a bit wise and you might get 5-6 large beads in there if you have a rack were you could stack them better. Like a stainless hole grid at the back so you can prop the end on the mandrel on?

Best bit of kit I have bought in ages.

where did you get your stainless hole grid from?, i would love to get one for mine.

[helbels]

I made 16 focals in mine the other day and loads of room left. The key is to pile them up on the left once each bead has been in there for ten minutes or so. I can also batch anneal over 100 beads at a time if you load them like kebabs on skewers

[Sarah9959]

Hi Fruddy

Like you I am new to this.  I bought a Kilncare Beadcube and have used it 3 times. I tend to batch anneal - and like Mizgeorge put absolutely loads in at a time all stacked on mandrels like kebabs and then on top of each  - for the following reasons:

  - I am concerned about my carbon footprint and my energy costs and feel that annealing large numbers in one hit is better than small nos. in many firings.
  -  I like the fact that I can fully check my beads first and only anneal those I am happy with - the rejects go toward my husband's mosaic (if he ever gets started), and my children.

I read a post on an American forum from a lady who similarly packs as many beads in her kiln as possible on a batch annealing programme and has never had any problems with it in many years of happy lampworking (can't remember which forum it was).

All the best  - Sarah (Kath9959 is my username, not real one)!

[mark]

Kilns are really expensive here in the uk!!!

[elburnzo]

one gd thing about the bead cube is tht u can use the controller on another kiln.... so if you took up fusing in the future you could use the controller on say a cheapo ceramic kiln you got off ebay.... theoretically.

[Lee - Kilncare]

Yup you sure could. You may need to change the thermocouple depending on the temperature required and maybe make a small internal code change but we are always around to help with that one.

Just remember it will only fire what you can plug in i.e. 13 amps absolute max.

[Nikki]

I have a bead cube and batch anneal, I put in about 200 beads at a time.