Garaging in Bead cube

[Taylor Made]

I have batch annealled several loads in my bead cube to catch up with prior play sessions.

Now I want to do some and garage them.

So how is the best way to load it, I have been playing today, but I seem to have only a few beads (little ones, not focals or owt clever), and am struggling to fit them in.

So I guess I am asking, can they touch each other?  Can they go on top of one another? Have only got about 10 in and am really now struggling, so have let it do its thing.
I read on another thread that people fit in about 30, HOW???

Sam

[Les]

i think that once the beads have been in there for a short while, they will have cooled enough for you to stack them without them sticking to eachother

[mizgeorge]

I use the little 'notches' on the left to separate mandrels as they go in, then once they've been in for 10 minutes or so (or another bead's worth!), I move them over to the right, where they end up sitting all higgledy piggeldy and seem to be quite happy. I keep meaning to put a rack at the back to  keep them a bit tidier, but never get a chance to make enough beads at a time for it to be a problem!

[Taylor Made]

Thanks guys,

Now next silly question, when I batched them I was fine I put them on little stand.

Can I put the mandrel ends (the end inside (not the pokey outey bit) on the floor of kiln or do I need to put it on the little merc badge?

As again, will struggle with room next time especially if do anything of substantial size.

Sam

[mizgeorge]

not quite sure what badge you mean? I let mine rest on the floor (again, because I'm too hopeless to have got round to putting a rack in the back).

[Mary]

I use a rack in my SC2, but it fills up quickly. So I move them over to the side after they've been in the kiln a bit, and stack them up, so there's always room on the rack for new ones. Just watch if you use enamels or rubino, I've heard they can stay "sticky" at garaging temps.

[JaySpangles]

As I do each bead I stand it on the 3 legged support to keep it off the floor of the kiln, on the left of the compartment.  There are two slots in the door to allow for mandrels to protrude.  When I have done the third bead I move the first one I put in over to the right, onto the floor of the kiln, making room for the new one to go on the stand.  So far no probs.  I have had 20+ in at a time (with room for more), all stacked up, but I haven't tried any of the 'sticky' glass that Mary refers to yet.  I think the numbers are limited only by the available space for the sticky outy bits of the mandrels through the gap in the door.
J.

[Taylor Made]

Thanks

that was what I was going to do, but got nervous!

Oh well I shall see how I get on next time I have 5 mins to turn the torch on.

Thanks again.

Sam

[Rockpooljewels]

I have found that on 520c garaging, if you give the beads 10-15 mins alone then they are fine being moved on top or right next to each other, have not had a bead stick so far, and can get loads of beads into it. I have emptied my mandrel rack a few times in one session and have upwards of 40 mandrels ready at any time. Basically as many mandrels as you can get sticking out you can get inside with beads on!

Good Luck,
Mandyx

ps: it's all trial and error, there's always more glass!!! hopefully any mistakes are only made once, you soon learn from them xx

[Helen G]

stacking them over to one side once they have been in for a while is fine, just be a bit careful with rubino as it seems to stay quite sticky!