How do YOU put your beads in your kiln?

[ShellyJo1969]

I'm still working on setting up my workshop. It's gonna be proabably next month before i can do much of anything...in the meantime my kiln's gonna be on it's way to me from Mike at glasshive by end of next week, I"m getting excited now!

So i was thinking about how to safely put your bead in the kiln and I"m not sure how to do it. I've read that the radiation heat from the kiln is not only not good to view with naked eyes (use boro's to protect eyes), but also having the kiln set too close to you is bad for your skin also...plus the massive heat when you open the kiln doors to plop your bead inside.

So my question is, HOW do you safely put your bead inside your kiln?

[msjjjj]

ShellyJo - I'm not sure what you've been reading, but in the many years I've been making and annealing beads I've never heard of either of the concerns you mention being issues. You will simply open the bead door of your kiln and gently lay the bead on the floor of the kiln - or, if you have a mandrel rack in the kiln, gently insert the mandrel in the rack - and close the door. You will lose a small amount of heat when you open the door - usually not enough to even be uncomfortable on your skin, but if it is, you can always put on a heat resistant glove being opening the door.

Enjoy your new studio!

Marjorie

[Paul Ewing]

If you are getting a Glass Hive, then you don't need to worry about a lot of those issues. They apply mostly to the larger fusing and casting kilns. Bead annealers are much smaller and at lower temps.

As for eye protection, you will be fine with your normal glasses, because in beadmaking you really don't look into the kiln except maybe to make sure you don't put the new bead on top of something else. Most beadmakers probably have their kilns below eye level and just put things in by feel.

The same applies to heat. These are much smaller that large glass slumping or ceramic kilns. Yes they are hot and I wouldn't want it too close to me constantly, but four or five feet is probably fine. A lot of people keep smaller annealers on their bench.

The flip up doors keep both the light and heat from really getting to you when opening the doors. I usually just put the mandrels right into the kiln quickly with about an inch hanging out. If I want to put the whole thing in, I will use a pair of pliers.

[tasminann]

I'm with Marjorie and Paul. You may have heard about these things in relationship to ceramic kilns, but they are pretty much non-issues when it comes to the bead annealers.

I have my kiln on my table where I work; it's maybe 2 feet from me. I really don't notice any extra heat (although I wish I did in the winter). The kiln is very well insulated.

I put my beads in using a pair of hemostats, mainly because I put the mandrels all the way in the kiln. If I was putting them in only part-way, I'd do it by hand.

I don't really notice an appreciable temperature drop on the controller when I pop the bead in the kiln.

[KEW]

Small pair of Vise-Grips for me.

[TeresaRB]

I think most people pop the beads in the kiln after making them, but I batch anneal. After my beads have cooled in the fiber blanket I scatter them on top of another fiber blanket in my kiln. I'm afraid to put them on the floor of the kiln, even though I've treated it with the liquid (can't remember what it's called) that came with the kiln, because I always fear my beads will stick to the floor. I've read stories of that happening. Plus once (I don't know what the heck I did) but it went through two cycles of annealing once and melted/slumped one of my beads. That sucked!

Good luck and have fun...you will figure it all out in no time at all!

[LyndaJ]

My kiln is inside my hood enclosure which is a 3 x 6' space. I ususally just put the mandrel/bead directly into the kiln without gloves or anything. I have a GlassHive, and with 10-12 inch mandrels, and don't need pliers or anything to get it in there. For marbles and off-mandrel things, I use pliers or a home-made marble holder.

I do have to use pliers if I have to do a lot of adjusting of the beads after I put them in. Other than that, the heat is not noticable.

[cgbeads]

I put my beads in using a pair of hemostats, mainly because I put the mandrels all the way in the kiln.

Ya, what everyone said. I too use a hemostat cause I cut my mandrels off so I can get the door closed, and I cut off that piece of metal by the loops that locks the hemostat.

[ShellyJo1969]

Well that's a relief then. I was planning to put my annealer towards the back of my workbench up against the wall. My workbench is only about 5ft long so at least i don't have to worry about burning myself up with the heat when doors are opened nor being blinded by the light! lol!
thanks!
Michele

[truegem]

Why do you guys put your mandrels all the way in the kiln? I suppose it might save a little energy, being able to close the door all the way...is this why?

[Paul Ewing]

I may or may not do it depending on what I am making. If I mostly just have a few beads and mostly other things I'll go ahead and put the mandrels in and close the doors. This makes the ramp up to striking temp and ramp down much smoother and easier to control for the controler.

[playswithfire104]

Why do you guys put your mandrels all the way in the kiln? I suppose it might save a little energy, being able to close the door all the way...is this why?

My kiln has a door that is only open or closed. No flip up door. So my mandrels have to go in the whole way.

[Moth]

Glad you got your answers and your mind is at ease. Everything I was gonna say has already been said but I wanted to add why I make sure my mandrels go all the way in the kiln:

It just plain bugs me to see them sticking out. I feel like it is a heat loss point. I live in an old house where a lot of my energy conservation efforts go toward sealing cracks and making sure doors aren't left open. It goes against every fiber of my being to leave the bead door on the kiln open while it is cycling.

I have some long hollow mandrels that I don't want to cut and when I use those, the kiln door is left open. This bugs me, but I live with it because I know it isn't really a huge problem...more of a pet peeve.

Deep down I believe that as the kiln cools, the portion of the mandrel NOT inside the kiln will suck heat from the beads and make them cool faster than I want them too, but that is an unsubstantiated theory on my part.
~~Mary

[ellyloo]

The "Ove Glove".
It's a oven mitt on steroids....found it in my local hardware store.
I don't know if it's just in canada (found it in canadian tire). But it's a full glove, and the only complaint I have is that it's only wrist length.

So, with my jen ken (yes it has a bead door, but it became more of a nuisance that way)...I switch the mandrel to my left hand, put the glove on, switch the mandrel to the glove hand, open the lid with a teatowel and quickly place the mandrel inside. I lose about 15 degrees, and it quicky makes it up after I close the lid. I can't keep the lid open longer, it starts to get too hot.

[Jayne]

You won't need gloves with the Glass Hive kiln. And there's a space at the bottom of the doors to let the mandrels stick out. My kiln sits on a sturdy wheeled cart with shelves below to store glass or whatever. Inside I have 3 bead racks lined up to rest the mandrels on so they are elevated off the kiln floor. I've got a fiber blanket on the floor. Here are a couple pics; hope this helps :grin:
174894

174895
Of course, don't take a beaded mandrel back out of a hot kiln if it's been soaking in there; the mandrel will be hot! Use something to protect your fingers.

[teachertracey]

My little kiln is off to the left of my torch on a table covered with stainless steel. It has a little bead door and I just poke those mandrels in so that they sit on a little rest like in Jayne's picture. Since I work with boro I don't have to be too concerned about the mandrels being one of top of another, etc. The little door stays open a bit with the mandrels resting on a rest outside of the door that's built on for that purpose. Helps to have a chair on rollers so I can just scoot over a tiny bit without getting up to do so.

[Jayne]

Like Tracey, my chair has wheels too, great for scooting over a bit - and my kiln is also on my left (I'm right handed).