Quick question on batch annealing?

[Kay24]

Hi

Just after a bit of advice please, I have been making beads over the last few weeks and want to batch anneal them tonight, I have a bead cube all beads are still on mandrels do I need to take them off or should I put them in as they are? do I put them in when kiln is cold? And when it gets to temp will it garage them or just start going back down? (just wondered if I  wanted to make some tonight can I just pop them straight in kiln?)

Thanks kay xx

[Les]

I've never batch annealed in a digital kiln, so can't advise you on a programme, I'm afraid.... but yeh ... you can take the beads off their mandrels before you pop them in the kiln

[Dragonfire Glass]

put them in from cold so they warm up with the kiln
garage them for about 30 - 60 mins - depending on the size of the beads, then ramp down

[cbeadies]

If you have a lot of beads you can take them off the mandrels and then put them kebab-style on clean mandrels - I usually put 8 to 10 small beads on each mandrel but depends on size, you don't want them to be too near the door of the kiln. I prop the ends of the mandrels on the little brick thing which I placed at the back of my kiln.

The batch annealing programme on my beadcube is Programme 2 - just put the beads in the kiln, set it to Prog 2 and press start and the kiln does all the rest!

[cbeadies]

Oooh, just re-read your post....I'm not sure if you can add in the beads you make tonight on Prog 2....I guess you want the garaging programme then!   Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along in a sec. I have only batch annealed so far.

[sarah t]

the  batch annealing  prog 2 only stays at 520 for about an hour ?(i think ) before it starts ramping down .......i guess you could extend that garaging time

[Kay24]

Thanks for the advice everyone xx