kiln wash or liner paper ?

[Dreams of Glass]

I need some advice, what does everybody use in their kilns? I'm pretty sure I'm getting the Paragon sc2 with bead door but now I'm confused over the lining.   Read that kiln paper can smell and smoke a bit, I'm in a small space, it has ventilation, (kitchen hood extractor fan) would that be enough? Or do I get some kiln wash and a haik brush?

If you could let me know what you all do that would really help me

Thank you

[Mary]

Ingrid, is it just for annealing beads? Or fusing? The kiln paper gives a lovely smooth back on fusing, but it needs replaced after every firing so it gets pricey. If it's just to protect your kiln, I'd use kiln wash. In fact, I watered down some bead release and used that!

[Donna@Rockin' Beads]

I bought an SC2 a few weekes ago, along with a shelf kit which I thought was compulsory at the time. However, I also saw a great photo of an improvised wire shelf in a kiln which you rest your mandrels on (in kiln help somewhere, under a Paragon Bluebird thread I think. The base of the folded wire stand (hard to explain, will look for the link) held a piece of fire blanket to catch any molten glass which is all you need to protect the kiln from, I think. If you are just annealing beads, as far as I'm aware, you don't need anything other than a way to keep the beads off the base. The kiln shelf does this but you are resting the beads on something hard and I am not sure that I know when the bead has gone solid enough to put in without changing shape form resting on a solid surface. I think now the shelf kit was an unneccesary purchase and the wire mandrel rest was genious and very easy to make.
I hope I haven't missed somehthing vital and am mistreating my precious kiln!!!!

[Billie]

Ingrid, is it just for annealing beads? Or fusing? The kiln paper gives a lovely smooth back on fusing, but it needs replaced after every firing so it gets pricey. If it's just to protect your kiln, I'd use kiln wash. In fact, I watered down some bead release and used that!

Good tip 

[Dreams of Glass]

Thank you for the great advice   It's just for bead annealing, although there isn't a rush .

I know what to add to my wish list now

[Lee - Kilncare]

Rob?