Batch annealing simply makes more sense to me. Having worked in soft glass, I understand the value of garaging, but when working with boro, it's so resistant to thermal shock I don't seem to lose any beads at all by flame annealing and putting them in the fiber blanket to properly anneal later.
Batch annealing also lets me make a variety of beads, and then when I have enough of a certain color group to fire, I can do them together. If I garaged, assuming I only have one kiln, I'd be limited to making beads that had the same firing schedule with each session. (Since firing schedules for different boro colors can vary considerably when kiln striking.)
Batch annealing also saves electricity.
Finally, it would allow me to purchase a smaller, cheaper kiln, since I can load it up with beads without mandrels, and at some point I could perhaps have multiple kilns firing different schedules.
|