newbie question - evenheat HotBox kiln and vermiculite

[veeanca]

I've just started making beads and have been sticking them in vermiculite since I can only use my kiln for batch annealing...
so here are my questions:
1. how soon are you supposed to put the bead in the vermiculite after taking it out of the flame? I've been 'flame annealing' the beads and waiting for the them to go solid before I stick them in the vermiculite but for some reason they still crack (it feels terribly awful hearing that ice-cracking noise), and other times I've been putting them in too early (when I thought that they'd be safe to put in) and to my horror I see them with dimples when I take them out - what am I doing wrong?
2. How the hell do you use the hotbox??? (http://www.evenheat-kiln.com/glasskilns/hotbox/hotbox.htm) I've found a firing schedule but I can't understand it for the life of me and the kiln didn't come with any explanation of the controls or even how to 'soak' the beads in the kiln - I simply do not understand how to use this machine!... so is there anyone else out there with a hotbox that knows how to batch anneal moretti and bullseye beads?
I think I'm just about ready to pull my hair out! :-x
Any help would be appreciated!

[Dale M.]

I've just started making beads and have been sticking them in vermiculite since I can only use my kiln for batch annealing...
so here are my questions:
1. how soon are you supposed to put the bead in the vermiculite after taking it out of the flame? I've been 'flame annealing' the beads and waiting for the them to go solid before I stick them in the vermiculite but for some reason they still crack (it feels terribly awful hearing that ice-cracking noise), and other times I've been putting them in too early (when I thought that they'd be safe to put in) and to my horror I see them with dimples when I take them out - what am I doing wrong?
2. How the hell do you use the hotbox??? (http://www.evenheat-kiln.com/glasskilns/hotbox/hotbox.htm) I've found a firing schedule but I can't understand it for the life of me and the kiln didn't come with any explanation of the controls or even how to 'soak' the beads in the kiln - I simply do not understand how to use this machine!... so is there anyone else out there with a hotbox that knows how to batch anneal moretti and bullseye beads?
I think I'm just about ready to pull my hair out! :-x
Any help would be appreciated!


As few things..... First there is no such thing as "flame annealing" its a phrase
that is misinformation at best.... Only thing you can do is flame cool piece (out in cooler part of flame) to even out heat in piece before removing piece from flame...

As how cool to get bead before putting it into vermiculite, ...Pull it out of flame, put it in "shadowed" area and watch for red glow to dissipate. Once most of red glow is gone, and piece is no longer "plastic", you can then place it into vermiculite... IF you are getting a lot of cracked beads, you are cooling it to much before placing bead into vermiculite.

ok... Hotbox appears to have infinite controller.... iI case of "garaging" beads you make till you wnat to anneal, you bring up temperature on PYROMETER to about 940-950f. degrees and place beads into hot kiln to soak ("soak" is a length of time that allows temperature to equalize completely through out piece)..

After you finish making beads for day and want to "anneal" them, you run temperature up to 968f and soak beads for about 15 minutes for each 1/4 of diameter of bead..... Then slowly drop temperature down to about 840 (strain point) and hold (soak) for about 15 minuets... then cool down kiln over 3-4 hours to room temperature... Yes you can do this with infinite controller... But digital controller is a whole lot simpler as you do not have to baby-sit kiln...

To batch annealing you place cold beads into kiln and slowly run up temperature to 968f over a period of about 2 hours. then once kiln has reached that annealing point (968f) you soak beads for about 15 minutes per each 1/4 inch of diameter. After annealing "soak", you again drop temperature to 840f (strain point) and hold for about 15-30 minutes... then allow beads to cool room temperature over 3-4 hours....

With a infinite controller its a process of setting switch at a number like 2 or 3 and watching how long it takes temperature to rise (ramp up) in kiln chamber, if temperature rise is to slow use a but higher set of numbers, as kiln reaches max temperature you have to back off infinite controller so temperature rise slows and stops. after beads have soaked you need to back infinite controller down to point where temperature starts to drop. IF kiln is brick, you may be able to turn off controller and let normal cooling to happen and it may take 3-4 hours for kiln to return to room temperature depending on kiln heat retention abilities are. This whole process can be over 5-6 hours so you have to keep eye on pyrometer (temperature) till you have gotten into cooling process some what....

By know you have probably figured out that kiln sitting is a drag... A digital controller can take most of the time consuming pyrometer watching away form you because digital controller does all this for you...

Annealing processes using digital controllers or infinite switches are well documented on various places on the web. Also temperatures and schedules for different glass types.

A little bit of research will probably make annealing process clear as you study it more...

Dale

[fannydotson]

I have bought this same kind of kiln from a fellow LE member (Thanks firedwired!) I wm wondering now, how much electricity will it use? Is there a way to answer that question? I figure I will be doing batch annealing to start with, but what about annealing as I go?