Annealed Beads Came Out Dull ~ Advice

[BeadMaven]

I need some advice here.

I have just taken my Second batch of beadies out of the kiln! Yea!

Okay, now to the question

Some of them are dull, like they have been etched but not all of them.
I am using the fiber paper and brought them in and rinsed them all off.
Some got their shine back and others are still dull looking.
Mind you, they were all shiny before they were annealed.

I am annealing at a max temp of 950 and then ramping down slowly -
and I think I soak them for 10 mins at 850 but it takes about 10 hours
or so before the kiln even gets to 500.
I then, turn it off for them to cool all night.

Any ideas?

The Lauscha olive green, Lauscha Glassdaddy Purple, and a
set I made with copper green reactions are all matte looking.
Maybe its just how the glass will look after annealed?

Also, the bead w/ the Glassdaddy Purple (Lauscha) is shiny on the bottom
only, that was really weird and also an organic.

Am I cooking them too hot, could it be the fiber paper residue??

I appreciate your thoughts or ideas!

Thanks :-)

[Lisi]

I'm not sure about residue from the fiber paper as I don't use it, but isn't that stuff supposed to be fired before initial use?? Someone please chime in...could not doing that leave a residue on the glass? Is it removable??

I'm not sure about the Lauscha olive, but the other two glasses can get reduction scum on them from the torch. Especially if you are using a Hothead. I get it if i'm not watching the flame atmosphere of my Bobcat. It's a dull metal like coating that will come off with a Coke bath overnight, or even quicker, try this:

Sno Bol brand toilet bowl cleaner - 2 parts to 1 part of water in a glass jar. String beads on a piece of fishing line and soak for about 30 minutes. Voila! Scum is gone, and pretty color resurfaces! Copper green should be a nice seafoam green color, and sometimes it has a little red in it. That's okay it's just the characteristics of the color. Greyish dull scum is what you don't want. This solution is reusable for about three months, then I would change it.

I use only Sno Bol because other folks have told me that some other brands didn't work. But if you happen to have some in your cabinet that is not this brand, go ahead and give it a try. If it works, let me know what kind it is. I'm always afraid I won't be able to find the Sno Bol when I need it, lol!

[dogmaw]

Fiber paper is really only used for fusing. At that temperature it doesn't dull the bead (or cab) at all. I've never tried it without heating it up to fusing temp first, but it might be your culprit. Now I do know that copper green beads, even without the fiber paper, can turn "cloudy" in the kiln, and something like toilet bowl cleaner will take it off. Try making simple spacers of those colors and anneal them without the fiber paper. No clouds = fiber paper bad. :)

[margriet@stainedglass.nl]

I think you have to go slowly (!) (480 / hour) to 970 fahrenheit, soak there for 30 minutes.
Then let it with 100 / hour cool down to 850 degrees.

When is it 850 degrees, turn of the kiln and open it at room temperatuur. I use kiln paper also and this works fine.

[BeadMaven]

Lisa - I'm pretty sure this paper is not suposed to be fired before use.
It turns to ash after 1 firing. I was told by the lady at the shop I could
possibly use for more than 1 firing, but she wasn't sure.
I'll get me some Sno Bol thanks for the tip :)

Dogmaw - Okay. Yea I know about copper green and its antics! There was
no scum on them before I annealed them, or after. I am thinking it may be
the reaction with the mosiac green....I am going to soak them in coke and
get some Sno Bol too. They will be my "tester" set ;-)

BTW, we gonnas be talking Satake soon! :mrgreen:

Margreit - thanks for the tip.
I have a pretty conservative annealing schedule...

I am going slowly 300/hr to 950 then soaking for 1 hr.
Then 50/hr down to 850 and soaking for 10 mins
and then down 100 an hr to 500.
Turning it off to cool over night.

Looking more and more like it was the glass and not the paper.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to help - I really appreciate it:grin:

If anyone has anymore thoughts, please post them!

[Dasi]

Why are you using the fiber paper anyway?

I know if you grind the sides of a fused piece and put it on some brands of fiberpaper you will get a haze on the grinded part. It sound like this is what is happening to your beads.

Back to my original question.....why?
Cover the bottom of your kiln with a layer of kiln wash and let it dry. Then fire your kiln. I have just put the beads on the floor of the kiln and never had a problem. In fact, I have been using my kiln for 2 years and I have never added a new coat. I just went and looked and it still looks fine.

skip the fiber paper and clean up the floor of your kiln so no residue is remaining and then just put a layer or two of kiln wash and anneal away.

You are talking about lampwork beads that need annealing???

[BeadMaven]

Yes, its for annealing beads.

I opted to use the paper instead of the kiln wash. I had been told you had to reapply the wash everytime you were going to anneal beads. Too much hassle for me, I wanted to use the paper to protect my shelf in case of a mis fire. The paper is for protecting my shelf only.

Unfortunatley there are no local glass places that I know of to call and get good advice - so I came here.

Thanks for your help.

[dogmaw]

Oh goodness no! You only need to apply kiln wash once. It is mainly there to protect your kiln in case you set the temp too high and melt the beads all over. :)

[Nejoum]

I used to have a big ceramic kiln... I think I put kiln wash on the shelves/bottom of it 2 times in the 7 years I owned it.
Diana

[BeadMaven]

Thanks Jo and Diana!

I have everything I need so I'll give it a try!