Kiln floor

[Rikki]

Hello,
My lovely shiny new SC2 kiln has just arrived!! I just want to clarify something before I start playing and can't find a definite answer on any of the boards. I forgot to get a mandrel rest for inside the kiln so until I do, need to put the mandrels on something. If I put them on the ceramic shelf it came with the mandrels move about as I close the bead door because they are angled. So, can I put the beads on the kiln floor? Should  use kiln paper? (Haven't got any kiln wash, only paper).
The picture in the manual looks like the mandrels are straight and therefore sitting on the floor but it says not to so am a little confused!!
Thank you very much!

[Black Heart Beads]

I am not sure if you should but I have done so for 3 years without a problem. I have a rack but tend to make large, long beads so they touch the floor although the mandrel is on the rack.

[sarah t]

if you have the kiln programmed to anneal you wont need anything on the floor as the bead will not reach melting temperature

have you got a piece of kiln shelf like a block ? or some folks have made their own racks from mandrel racks etc......i use the block to rest the end of the mandrel on so the bead is not touching the floor or other beads and they stick out the door better (if you have the bead door ) ...its not for the kiln but as the bead is likely to be hot enough to get small indents or kisses from the other beads its touches untill stable at about 520 c...then it should be ok to move them about and stack em up a bit more cozy like  

play with a cold kiln and some mandrels till you are happy with putting them in and then you will know best place for any rest

HTH
x

[Pat from Canvey]

If I have a large bead and don't want to risk it cracking I put it in the kiln, keeping it off the floor, shut the door as far as possible and continue to twirl the bead for another minute.

[paintboxcrafts]

Have you got the silver mandrel support thingy that came with the kiln? I have an SC3 and I have the support thingy on the outside of the door. I don't rest the mandrel ends on the shaped cut outs, I tuck them down into the L shape of the rack, to stop them sliding out of the kiln.
I use the ceramic kiln shelf inside to rest the beads on, with the shelf directly on the kiln floor that way the bead door will shut best. The edge of the lagging on the bead door gets worn away a bit after several uses meaning that it shuts down onto the mandrels better.

The beads roll around a bit on the ceramic shelf, so if you have a fibre shelf use that instead. My kiln paper turns to powder after one use, so that's no good. You can put them on the kiln floor, it's just incase the kiln decides to go barmy one time and overheat.

Cathy

[Trudi]

On the floor of my kiln I have a tile - bog standard tile (even though at normal annealing temps the glass shouldn't get too hot I do it just incase - while it's rare, kilns can overshoot) - and you know the rods rests you can buy to rest glass on your bench - well I have one of those cut in half inside the kiln. New beads go on that - and as I make more I do stack them on the tile!

Only colour to be wary of stacking perhaps would be Rubino as it can sometimes get tacky at lower temps.

HTH