questions about kilns with bead doors

[Lisi]

I was wondering...

Bead doors close on the mandrels as they stick out some, right?? So, the beads you put in there have to be all in a row and single file, right? If you bunch them up, the door won't close all the way on the mandrels??

I'm trying to decide if I can use a Chili Pepper or other kiln (I really want a Glasshive kiln) that has a bead door if I'm making 100+ beads at a time. My kiln is 12" deep, so I have no problem with stacking them in there, but I do it in a way that they don't touch.

If it is a problem, then I may have to have Mike make me a kiln that is 9" deep, and I can cut my mandrels to 8.5", so everything fits in there and the doors close all the way. Duhh..I don't know, because I've never used a kiln with the door(s).

[papimom]

Lisi, at workshops, I've garaged beads with the mandrels sticking out (chili-pepper) and at some point reached capacity and needed to take forceps and turn the mandrels sideways to continue adding more. I did not care for this arrangement personally. I often ended up with fibers from the lining transferring onto the surface of my beads.
At home I have a larger, taller kiln (paragon) with brick lining. I made a rack that fits in toward the rear of the kiln with layers of mandrels from side to side. I can stack on each row as I build up to the top. I still have room to lay pieces on the floor when the racks are full. I'm always surprised by how many this baby will hold. I've been using this puppy for almost 2 years this way and I still love this arrangement. Granted this is a deeper chamber and I place the beads into the kiln with long forceps to get them all the way in, but it to no time at all to get used to this arrangement.
Good luck.
Joan

[Lisi]

Lisi, at workshops, I've garaged beads with the mandrels sticking out (chili-pepper) and at some point reached capacity and needed to take forceps and turn the mandrels sideways to continue adding more. I did not care for this arrangement personally. I often ended up with fibers from the lining transferring onto the surface of my beads.

Yeah, that's one of the things I'm worried about too! That would truly be a pain I think. All that moving around when they are just out of the flame can make "kiss" marks on them too. :rolleyes:

At home I have a larger, taller kiln (paragon) with brick lining. I made a rack that fits in toward the rear of the kiln with layers of mandrels from side to side. I can stack on each row as I build up to the top. I still have room to lay pieces on the floor when the racks are full. I'm always surprised by how many this baby will hold.

Mine's a Paragon too, and I love it! Sounds like you work your kiln arrangement just like I do mine. I can really get a lot in there, and work loooong hours doing it! :)

Granted this is a deeper chamber and I place the beads into the kiln with long forceps to get them all the way in, but it to no time at all to get used to this arrangement.
Good luck.
Joan

Yep, I use long forceps too to move them around in there, but placing them in the first time, I stick my hand in there, quickly! I would like to get a longer pair of looped forceps, as mine are only 7.5" long.

[Trey Cornette]

Try the Aim CR420. With its built in bead rack and lower punty doors you can literally have hundreds of beads in the kiln. All in the rack with none touching. The 9 inch depth assures even the largest of my beads are safely tucked into the kiln.

http://www.treycornette.com/images/CR420.jpg

http://www.treycornette.com/images/CR4201.jpg

This is an excellent production kiln. I have worked it hard for 2 years now and only 1 minor problem. I had a Solid state relay burn out. It was an easy fix and under warranty.

[teachertracey]

That's a big ole kiln!

I have a small Paragon with a bead door. I just stack 'em up and let 'em cook in there. I could see with soft glass how you might have to be concerned about marks and divots.

[AKDesigns]

I was wondering...

Bead doors close on the mandrels as they stick out some, right?? So, the beads you put in there have to be all in a row and single file, right? If you bunch them up, the door won't close all the way on the mandrels??



I have an Arrow Springs kiln with a bead door and it has fiber blanket material around the door which helps to seal the gaps around the mandrels.

[Art of Hand]

What is the length/distance between the mesh and the elements? That looks like a shock waiting to happen!

Otherwise, it really looks like a cool kiln (I mean hottie!)

[artwhim]

What is the length/distance between the mesh and the elements? That looks like a shock waiting to happen!

Otherwise, it really looks like a cool kiln (I mean hottie!)

I believe this kiln has the elements safely inside quartz tubing. I have used an Arrow Springs kiln for years now and have not worried about the elements because they too are inside quartz. Great safety feature.

[SteveWright]

I have one of Don McKinney's tool box kilns, like the chili pepper, with a door lined with fiber blanket where the mandrels stick out. I have easily had over 150 beads in it at one time.

At 970F, the beads will not stick to each other or dent or pick up a fiber beard. The trick is getting the bead to that temp before it touches anything. I suspend a newly made bead mid-air in the kiln until it gets to kiln temperature.

146745

I got an 18" piece of 8 Ga. copper wire from my home center, electrical ground wire, around $1. With the kiln cold, I bent it around until it was shaped just right. The yellow arrow points to it in the photo. The kiln sets on the dummy end of it, keeping it in place. The business end has a curve that supports a mandrel with a bead suspended in the kiln. A minute or two of monkeying with the wire and you are set to go.

I make a bead and suspend it on the wire. In teeter-totter fashion, the bottom edge of the kiln door is the fulcrum, the mandrel is under the copper wire so the bead is supported mid-air. Anyway, by the time I have my next bead made, the previous bead is cooled sufficiently to be piled up it the other end of the kiln. I stack them up like cord wood. The fiber blanket in the door keeps the kiln sealed well enough.

Steve

[Trey Cornette]

Quartz encased elements!! A very nice safety feature.

What is the length/distance between the mesh and the elements? That looks like a shock waiting to happen!

Otherwise, it really looks like a cool kiln (I mean hottie!)

[Art of Hand]

Thank you for that info! It looks seriously neat!

I have elements that is suspended from the roof of the kiln, and inside them I have a ceramic rod that helps it to stay in the air. My kiln is home made, a real ugly bugger, but it keeps it temp. and I had it for about 2 years. The only 'real' fault is my kiln door, and I would like to have it replaced.

[simvet02]

Ok, stupid question here from someone using a fusing kiln with no bead door and who wants an annealing kiln, are those holes in the back used to poke the end of your mandrel through? Where are the racks?

Try the Aim CR420. With its built in bead rack and lower punty doors you can literally have hundreds of beads in the kiln. All in the rack with none touching. The 9 inch depth assures even the largest of my beads are safely tucked into the kiln.

http://www.treycornette.com/images/CR420.jpg

http://www.treycornette.com/images/CR4201.jpg

This is an excellent production kiln. I have worked it hard for 2 years now and only 1 minor problem. I had a Solid state relay burn out. It was an easy fix and under warranty.

[Abacus Beads]

I have a glass hive kiln and it's big enough to stack the beads sideways or any other way you want. It's so long that you could easy lay 100+ beads side by side and never have to stack them
Liz R

[Trey Cornette]

The perforated metal sheet in the back is the rack. You slide the end of the mandrel into the hole.
Super easy to do. I think all kilns should come with this feature.

[cadia]

Trey, your mandrels must stick out the door opening, right ?
And this is ok do do so isn't it?
The kiln will still get up to temp with the door open. (yes?)
RE: Lisi post~
Lisi : "If it is a problem, then I may have to have Mike make me a kiln that is 9" deep, and I can cut my mandrels to 8.5", so everything fits in there and the doors close all the way."

[Cathy at the Beach]

I"m not sure if I'm understanding the problem correctly. i have a Paragon Bluebird XL (something like that- the new model you can fuse in as well as anneal)
It has two bead doors with little notches for the mandrels to rest in. I can anneal 100 beads without a problem by staggering the beads. I can put about 5 mandrels per notch- I just insert the beads to different depth in the kiln. The doors close because the mandrels are sitting in the notches.

(does this make sense?)

[Kalera]

I"m not sure if I'm understanding the problem correctly. i have a Paragon Bluebird XL (something like that- the new model you can fuse in as well as anneal)
It has two bead doors with little notches for the mandrels to rest in. I can anneal 100 beads without a problem by staggering the beads. I can put about 5 mandrels per notch- I just insert the beads to different depth in the kiln. The doors close because the mandrels are sitting in the notches.

(does this make sense?)


I have mandrel racks from Frantz, and this is what I do. The ends of the mandrels stick out the front of the kiln, which is great if I decide I need to rework something.

The bead doors close all the way, on top of the mandrels, because there is a small gap at the bottom of them specifically for this purpose.

[Puddy Tat Glass]

I have a couple AIM kilns but didn't get the built-in bead rack...drats !!! I lay a piece of thick fiber blanket in the open bead door so when I close the guillotine door it seals nicely and my kiln doesn't cycle on and off so much. Think I'm gonna see if I can get an "after market" bead rack from AIM and install it myself.

[Trey Cornette]

The bottom doors on my kiln are always open. I use very long mandrels, 15 inches,and never have any problems with temp.I actually believe that Mikes kilns have an open gap at the bottom of the kiln to accommodate mandrels and punties.It is pretty common practice in the glass blowing world to have punties and such sticking out of the bottom of the kiln. I always have at least 20 rods of glass in different colors pre-heating and sticking out of the kiln on one side and all of my mandrels sticking out the other. When it comes time to anneal I just run the program. The kiln may have to cycle on a bit more to deal with the slight heat loss through the doors but thats all that is effected by the open doors.

Trey, your mandrels must stick out the door opening, right ?
And this is ok do do so isn't it?
The kiln will still get up to temp with the door open. (yes?)
RE: Lisi post~
Lisi : "If it is a problem, then I may have to have Mike make me a kiln that is 9" deep, and I can cut my mandrels to 8.5", so everything fits in there and the doors close all the way."