Buying a fibre blanket - where from?

[Carrie-Jane]

Hi all,

I am ordering my starter kit today and think I need to get one of those fibre blankets for cooling the beads in. Where can I get one from?  Can't see one on Tuffnells site.

Can't use the vermiculite unless it is on the opposite side of the garage due to no power socket.
Any help appreciated.

[Mary]

The vermiculite doesn't need to be heated. It's supposed to work better, but I used it to stat with and I never heated it. Just make sure it's nice and deep.

[Carrie-Jane]

Thanks Mary.
I am assuming I am buying it from a garden centre and that there is only one type?
Sorry for all the dumb questions!

[Mary]

Yes, garden centre or B&Q, and there should be just one type. There is a white version too, called Perlite, don't know if it works. I had the brown stuff.
Don't worry, I went through all the same worries! Except I already had vermiculite for my greenhouse.

[Sal]

Pet shops sell it too-they use it for spiders and reptile bedding!

[sophie_r]

I only use vermiculite as a Newbie, and I don't heat it.... have had some troubles with cracking beads but thats a recent thing and something I think I am doing wrong (so don't be concerned about that any more than with a fibre blanket....)

I got mine from B&Q - £3-something for a big bag, and tipped it about 4 inches deep into a big old sweetie tin (or cake tin would do, or even an old baking tin)

Also useful because when I'm not using it, I can put the tin lid on which keeps it safe from a) spiders  b) my cat thinking it is litter and c) me having vermiculite accidents (it's happened twice  , I've caught the end of a mandrel sticking out, tipped the whole tin over - vermiculite like a snowstorm as far as the eye can see, and it's an absolute swine to clear up!)

Good luck!

[Carrie-Jane]

Thanks all you are all kind and helpful.

I have an old cake tin somewhere lying around.

Its off to B&Q again for me then and then to pop next door into Argos for a chair to sit on.


I have just ordered my starter kit. I hope it doesn't get held up by the Royal Mail Strikes!

[sparrow]

Hi Carrie-Jane,

I got my fibre blanket from Tufnells with my starter kit, I just emailed Martin and we agreed on a price

[Richard]

I would think you could get a fire banket from B & Q when you get you vermiculite.

[*rowanberry*]

Also useful because when I'm not using it, I can put the tin lid on which keeps it safe from a) spiders  b) my cat thinking it is litter

Sophie that happened to me too! I didnt notice it until I heated up the crockpot the next morning...
euuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuw what a whiff!

[sophie_r]

Sophie that happened to me too! I didnt notice it until I heated up the crockpot the next morning... euuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuw what a whiff!

Grim!!  Managed to catch my furry friend just as his bottom was hovering over my chippings.... but can just imagine ferreting for a bead in there.... and your fingers closing around something far worse....!

I've got an old crock-pot..... is there really value in heating the chippings up?  I've been suffering this weekend with cracks all over the place.  And I can't blame it on the lack of annealing - they crack within seconds of coming out of the flame and I wouldn't have been able to get them in a kiln that fast anyway.   So frustrating.... I suspect it's due to overworking but there you go!

Sorry, I'm hijacking....!

[Carrie-Jane]

Our cat has sadly passed away a while back but I remember his little habits well.
Do miss having his company though.

[*rowanberry*]

Sorry to hear that Carrie-Jane...

Sophie - yes an old crock pot warmed up is better than cold (not necessary though). Interesting they are cracking as soon as they come out of the flame though? are you using the same coes?

[mariag]

Ewwwwwww far too much info re your cats' habits LOL

Carrie-Jane I got my vermiculite in the garden section of the Havant B&Q. Mine's in an old sweetie tin too.

Sophie re your cracking beads are you rolling them in frit? I lost a few that way. I found that certain colours of Effetre like frit less than others.

[sophie_r]

Sophie re your cracking beads are you rolling them in frit? I lost a few that way. I found that certain colours of Effetre like frit less than others.

Yup , and having had a look at my bowl of craked beads, I would say 9 out of 10 were fritted (is there such a word?) so maybe that's it - but it's weird..... for example, made a set of amber (effetre) and raku frit.... made a large pressed spree, 4 small pressed sprees, all fine, then made some smaller round/hand turned beads intended for spacers, made 6..... put the mandrels in the vermiculite tin one by one, and as I'm about to put one in I hear the previous one pop, and it's only been in the tin about 5 mins tops (as long as it took me to make the next bead) but then none of the others did, and they all took about the same time to make.   Weird thing is before this weekend, in 4 weeks I only had one cracked bead.   weeeird indeed.

Interesting they are cracking as soon as they come out of the flame though? are you using the same coes?

Yeah, cos I'm too wussy to dare try mixing colours up yet (let alone glass types lol!), and am still sticking to one colour with maybe a bit of frit or dots or something..... It's most odd.

Still saving pennies for that kiln, so hopefully that'll save a few of them....!  Sorry to kidnap the thread !