Placing beads in Kiln

[penny5658]

Hi :wave:
If you have kiln wash in your kiln, can you just lay your mandrel with the bead, on the floor of the kiln? Or will the bead stick. Also how often should you put new kiln wash on? Thanks
Penny :waving:

[Lenda]

Hi Penny. As long as your bead is cool enough, it won't be bothered by the wash. As far as how long to replace, I think it's once a month or something like that.

An easier way to do it is to use a layer of fiber blanket in the bottom. There's no scraping off of kiln wash and you'll save the bottom of your kiln from meltdown, should that happen.

Beads must be cool enough before going in otherwise you'll get "fuzzy beard" beads. Or you could lay fiber blanket down, then add a bead rack inside like I do, then I don't have to worry about fuzzy beads.

Hope that helps you.

[Moth]

I use fiber blanket too.

[laurellanestudios]

Piggybacking off the original question...

I use a kiln rack (is that what it's called) but find that I run out of room. Also, it's sometimes a pain getting those last few mandrels in there, jockying for a place to stick them.

If I switch to a fiber blanket, can I stack the mandrels (assuming they are cool enough)?

Kathy

[Cosmo]

You can stack the mandrels right on the floor of the kiln. I do it all the time. I put them on the rack for 10 minutes or so to let them get down to kiln temp. Once I'm ready to put the next one in the kiln, I move the one off the rack and stack them in the corner. I've never had one deform or stick.

I've never used kilnwash in my kiln, except when fusing.

[Lisi]

You can stack the mandrels right on the floor of the kiln. I do it all the time. I put them on the rack for 10 minutes or so to let them get down to kiln temp. Once I'm ready to put the next one in the kiln, I move the one off the rack and stack them in the corner. I've never had one deform or stick.

I've never used kilnwash in my kiln, except when fusing.

That is what I do also. Here's a tutorial that I did on WC:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251133

If you do this and your beads are still sticking together then your kiln is running too hot. Adjust the annealing temp down by ten degrees until they don't stick anymore. You may have to do that more than once. Kilns can be running higher temps than they read on the controller. I had some frit beads sticking together recently and I adjusted my kiln temp until the trouble was resolved.

[penny5658]

Hi
Thanks for all the answers to the questions that were swimming around my brain! Now I have a use for the fiber blanket I used to use. Thanks again.
Warm Regards
Penny:smile: