[AmorphousDesigns]

first of all, please consider getting Contemporary Lampworking by Bandu. It is a fantastic reference book for all things glass, including an in-depth explanation of annealing and example annealing schedules.

Like at what point do I turn the kiln on?
I turn mine on, fast ramp to about 930 and hold it at that temp the whole session, adding beads, etc as they are finished or sometimes sculptural pieces "garage" in the kiln as I'm assembling a more complex piece.

Some people cool their items in a fiber blanket or similar and then "batch anneal" everything when they have a kiln full. This requires a controlled ramp up to annealing temperature.


Will I have to set it a certain way for what I'm working on that day?
I use 930F as the set point to garage (hold at same temp for entirety of working session) for both soft and boro. Those 2 types of glasses do require different annealing schedules.

What if I do different kind of work all in the same day? Soft glass for a bit then some boro?
garage the boro with the soft and even leave it in during the soft anneal cycle, but boro does need a higher temp for annealing, so you would want to run a separate anneal cycle just for the boro.

Do I leave the kiln on the entire time I'm working? Then when I'm done at the torch do I have to set it to start lowering the temp?
as above, I fast ramp to the garage temp (930F) and leave it there during the whole session. After putting the last item in the kiln, I reset it for a full annealing cycle. Or you could batch anneal.

I'm sure this stuff should all be obvious or something, but I'm getting a kiln and feel really unsure of everything about it. I'm sure the people I ordered it from can answer all my questions, but I'd just like to hear from some other people too. Were you born with this knowledge?

Recommend the Contemporary Lampworking books.

just keep asking questions