beads and kiln

[asiegrist]

I'm completely new with lampworking, so my question is basic.
I just purchased a used Paragon kiln, SC2 BD. It looks to be in near perfect condition, save for a little discoloration near the bead door which the owner's manual says is normal.

The manual also stated I need to anneal beads on a shelf, that beads cannot be placed directly on the bottom surface of the kiln. It states the consequences of doing this will either crack my bead or damage the surface of the kiln.

I asked the from whom I purchased the kiln if I needed to get shelves, and did he use shelves. He told me he never used shelves and they are only necessary to maximize space. Also important to note, the bottom looks to be in perfect condition, not ruined or harmed in any way from however he previously used it.

However, I am reading everywhere that I absolutely need a shelf. Can anyone please tell me if I can put them directly on the bottom surface or not? And if I do need a shelf, which kind is best for beads/marbles? Thanks in advance, all!

[mewkittie]

I've been using a SC2 for the last 10 years and I've never used a shelf. I don't have a bead door so I stack my mandrels on top of each other. I might get a mark on my beads if I don't wait long enough before sticking them in. I torch at least 3 times a week, even more now. The bottom of the kiln is still in good condition, no cracking that I can attribute to the kiln.

[De Anza Art Glass Club]

Originally Posted by asiegrist

The manual also stated I need to anneal beads on a shelf, that beads cannot be placed directly on the bottom surface of the kiln. It states the consequences of doing this will either crack my bead or damage the surface of the kiln.

I'm looking at page 15 of the online manual for the SC series kilns, and those instructions state that you can put the beads directly on the floor of the kiln after slight cooling. Here is the manual excerpt:

(This is from publication IM-164/1-13, dated 2001.)

Annealing Flame-Worked Glass Beads
Glass is sensitive to breakage as it cools through the annealing range. This is approximately 950°F/510°C through 700°F/371°C. The larger the piece, the slower it must cool.
To safely cool flame-worked glass beads, anneal them in your kiln using the bead door. If you are interrupted while making a bead, you can place the mandrel in the kiln until you are ready to resume working.

Annealing the Beads
At 1000°F/537°C, the kiln is ready to receive the bead mandrels loaded with hot beads.
Note: Allow freshly finished beads to cool slightly before inserting. This is to prevent the beads from flattening on one side when they are placed inside the kiln. You can place the beads directly onto the floor of the kiln provided they have cooled slightly as described above.
Open the bead door. Insert the mandrels as you complete the beads. Leave the door ajar with the end of the bead mandrel ex-
tending outside the kiln.
When you have finished the batch of beads, perform a Skip Segment. This will end the temperature hold and be- gin segment 2. The kiln will slowly cool through the annealing range.
After the kiln shuts off, leave the beads in place. Do not remove them until the kiln has reached room temperature.

If you want a shelf other than the fiber shelf that originally came with the kiln, I might be able to help, depending on your location.

[asiegrist]

Thank you both very much. That definitely helps and clears it up.

[artsyuno]

While you don't absolutely need one (I assume you really mean a mandrel rest, not a kiln shelf) It is a good idea, because it'll give you the ability to put your bead in the kiln without it touching any surface. That way if your bead is still a tiny bit soft, it won't get dented or pick up stray bead release bits. I use a shelf on one side of my kiln. Once the beads have been in the kiln for a little while, they'll cool enough to be completely hard. Then I move them off the rack and stack them on the other side of the kiln. This frees up the rack space for then next bunch of beads. If you want to buy a rack, I'd suggest taking a look on the Arrow Springs website. They have several good options. I prefer the ones with the holes in them that you can stick the end of your mandrels through. Some people make their own out of boro or steel.

By the way, if what you read is really referring to a shelf, it may be that they're suggesting it as protection in case your controller should go haywire and melt the glass to the bottom of the kiln. If that is a concern for you, you can put a kiln shelf down or you can paint a layer of kiln wash on the floor of your kiln to keep glass from sticking.

[asiegrist]

Thank you Felicia. I'm actually not sure of the difference between a mandrel rest and a kiln shelf, but I think a little research would provide me with that answer. My main concern was ruining the bottom of the kiln. I'm not as worried about my beads at the moment; I feel like I need a lot more practice to produce anything good enough to worry about Your response, however, did bring another question to light. How often is kiln wash application necessary, and is there a way to tell if it has been done already? I assume it has been done already by the guy I purchased it from, but not totally sure. And what are the uses of kiln wash- wash and protection?

[De Anza Art Glass Club]

Your particular kiln is made of fiber and not brick. The manual (p. 5) includes the following:

Caution: If glass separator or kiln wash contact a heating element, that element will burn out in the next firing. NEVER apply glass separator or kiln wash to the ceramic fiber firing chamber.

Reading a bit more, it is not clearly stated that the reason for the instruction not to use kiln wash is because the interior is fiber, and it is possible that it is just to ensure that no kiln wash is applied near the heating elements. However, I have a Paragon brick kiln and have applied kiln wash to the bottom, so suspect you would not want to apply kiln wash to a fiber kiln as it could penetrate the fiber before hardening. Perhaps that would affect the insulation properties of the fiber.

Kiln wash would be like mandrel release and would be protection from glass becoming embedded in the kiln, particularly if the kiln overheats.

Originally Posted by asiegrist

Your response, however, did bring another question to light. How often is kiln wash application necessary, and is there a way to tell if it has been done already? I assume it has been done already by the guy I purchased it from, but not totally sure. And what are the uses of kiln wash- wash and protection?

[Arnold Howard]

Asiegrist, thank you for buying the SC-2 BD and for reading the manual so carefully. I appreciate the replies that the other members posted.

the first SC-2, which was introduced in 1997, had an embedded element in the sides, top, and bottom of the firing chamber. That is why we stated that kiln wash should not be applied to the firing chamber. We were concerned that kiln wash might filter down into the fiber through a crack in the floor and contaminate the element.

The element was later embedded in the two sides and back of the kiln. So, the kiln wash was not as serious an issue as before, because the element was no longer in the bottom of the kiln. (The current SC-2 has two elements--one in each side of the kiln.)

Nevertheless, we still suggest that kiln wash should not be applied to the ceramic fiber firing chamber. As De Anza Art Class Club stated, we are concerned that an excessive amount of kiln wash might affect the insulation properties of the ceramic fiber.

Thanks for the excellent questions.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com

[artsyuno]

I wouldn't use kiln wash in a fiber kiln. That seems like it'd be messy.