torch confussion

[amama]

I want to get into glass bead making, but am not sure what tools i need to get started. I know i need a torch, but i am getting conflicting answers about the anealing process. Some say to use the blanket. others say you must use a kiln. Any input on that one? TIA
amama

[jamie lynne]

fiber blanket is fine for beginning lampwork, in my opinion, it is inexpensive and efficient, if you make something spectacular, you can always cool in fiber blanket and have someone batch anneal it for you. i would stick with fiber blanket for a while until you are certain that you want to commit to lampworking, which is EXPENSIVE! once you are certain that you are going to stick with it, you need to get a kiln so you can sell a SAFE product to your customers. i (and most others) won't sell unannealed (fiber blanket cooled) beads.

[amama]

what is anealing, and why can you only sell beads that are annealed in a kiln as opposed to a blanket?

[jamie lynne]

it is your decision to anneal or not to anneal, i choose to anneal. fiber blanket cooling is not annealing, it still leaves quite a bit of thermal stress in the glass. annealing in a kiln reduces the stress, so there is less chance of the bead breaking.

[rg9403]

amama you should take a beginner bead class and you will learn everything you need to know to get setup. they'll teach you all about annealin glass...believ me it is worth the $100 bucks rather than trying to teach yourself the basics and wasting mucho time and glass.

[Wonker]

Annealing glass makes it more durable by relieving internal stresses that are "stored" in the glass while you create your work. These stored stresses often result in cracks in the glass days, weeks, months later. In order to correctly anneal glass, the temperature of the glass must be maintained at a level (specific to different kinds of glass) and gradually allowed to cool (at rates specific for different kinds of glass/different thicknesses of glass). If you're making small objects, you can use a fiber blanket to cool the pieces, often without their cracking as they cool, but it is not the same as annealing the beads. There are internal stresses in those pieces, which only annealing them will relieve. In order to properly bring or hold glass at the correct temperatures and control the cool down process to anneal a piece of glass, you have to have a kiln. Hope this helps.

[Dale M.]

Also the controlled cooling process can be done in Vermiculite (available in garden centers) and an fairly new product called "Japanese Cooling Beads" (I think) and all three processes accomplish the same thing, the slow cooling of glass object. Its not true annealing for stress relief but it saves the object till it can be proper annealed (batch) as Wonker describes...

For Startup...

A Hot Head torch and a few canisters of Propane or Map-Pro fuel.

Bracket of some sort to hold torch to bench.

Some Ace 202 Glasses (replacement for Didymium Glasses). These block the sodium flair (orange ball of colored gas) that surrounds your molten glass you are working.

Obviously some glass Efferte (COE 104) is very popular.

A marver of some sort (graphite).

Mandrels and bead release.

Some tools, many can be scrounged around house, ice pick, spoons, bread knives, pliers, old scissors. Any metal object can become a tool if kept cool (hot glass usually does not stick to cold tools).

Fiber blanket or Vermiculite or Cooling Beads for slow cooling of made object.

Flame proof work surface....

Well ventilated work area....

Lots of hours reading forums about glass work......

Dale

[NMLinda]

A class is a great idea, but in the meantime, I would highly recommend you buy the following book

"More than you ever wanted to know about glass beadmaking" by James Kervin.

James' book has one of the best overviews of lampworking, in my opinion, with great sections on how to get set up for lampworking, what you need, why you need it, how to be safe (great chapter at the back), basic techniques, etc. His book will also take you through the properties of glass, including what happens to glass over temperature so that you will understand things like what annealing vs simple cooling means, and why you are getting good advice from folks here about annealing.

If you start with this book, it will help you get a great orientation on this wonderful addiction and will help getting started seem less confusing.

Good Luck!
Linda