bead presses?

[LittleHen]

I am a newbie and I found the Kalera easy to use, also available from Tuffnells.  Dead easy to use and can also be used as a "crunch" style press if you don't make the glass go right into the corners to produce Sarah Hornik style focals.
I don't actually like the small presses and find the focal L and XL ones easier to use but then again maybe that's just me!
Jessie 

Do you get the same problems with the Kalera or other crunch type presses as you do with Large Lentils? i.e. they crack unless you anneal as you go?! I don't have a kiln so have to use vermiculite in a slow cooker. Having spent out on a Large Lentil press which gives me lots of split beads, I don't want to spend more money on a press which just gives me more split beads of a different shape

Roy

I've only had one large kalera crack in vermiculite and that was covered in silver wire all melted in I think I looked at it for too long before I put it in.
Jessie 

[Les]

I'm just really careful to cool my kaleras slowly in the flame before they go into the vermicuite.... I still lose a few though... not loads though

xx