Lampwork Etc. - Paragon Bluebird Kiln Questions

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Paragon Bluebird Kiln Questions

Ok, so I just have a few questions regarding the Paragon Bluebird kiln schedule that I'm going to use. Many thanks to Paul Ewing for the schedule.

On the Hold 3 & Hold 4 cycles: why hold for only 1 minute? What's the benefit and why should I do it?

At the end where he discusses "skipping out" of the Hold 1 cycle to go to the annealing cycle: how do I do that? In the past, every time I try to push the cycle ahead I end up dumping myself out of the menu and back to start.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Ewing (Post 1171485)

Soft Glass Annealing Schedule:

Ra 1(Ramp 1) = 1400 ( degrees per hour to ramp at ) your controller may say FULL

oF 1(Temperature 1) = 950 ( lower than annealing temp, referred to as the 'garaging' temp )

Hld1(Hold 1) = 4.00 ( 4 hours hold time ) the amount of time you have to work

Ra 2(Ramp 2) = 1400 ( it will only take a few minutes to go from 950 to 968 )

oF 2(Temperature 2) = 968 ( annealing temp )

Hld2(Hold 2) = 1.00 ( hold for 1 hour, the ANNEAL SOAK time ) Sufficient for a 1” bead

Ra 3 (Ramp 3) = 120 ( equates to 2 degrees per minute, the ANNEAL RAMP )

oF 3(Temperature 3) = 848 ( well below the 860 'strain point' to be safe )

Hld3(Hold 3) = .01 ( hold for 1 minute )

Ra 4 (Ramp 4) = 200 (controlled cool off, some people don’t use this step)

oF 4(Temperature 4)= 400(the temperature a which your kiln will shut off and cool on its own)

Hld4(Hold 4)= .01 (hold for 1 minute)

With Hld1 = 4.00, the kiln will hold at the 950 "garaging" temp for 4 hours. If you make beads for a longer time you can increase the number. Don’t shorten it though because you can “skip” out and go to the annealing step when you are finished working.

The hold time on the ramp down to 848 is not the important part. The important thing it to go from 968 to 848 slowly. That hold time could be zero if your controller will do that.

If you have an Orton 3 button controller, I push the second button for "skip step" and then the first button for the number of steps I want to skip, usually 2 pushes for me. I am usually skipping Ramp 2, Temp 2 in order to start Hold 2.

If you do not have an Orton 3 button controller, ignore that, and I don't have a clue how to do it!

Thanks for explaining the whole ramp time thing.

I have no idea what kind of controller is on there, but I'm not pushing any buttons other than what I'm supposed to anymore. That'd be the on/off button. :)

I will be at my studio today and will take a picture of my controller and show you which button I push. I have a Bluebird, so it is likely the same. However, I guess they could offer options on that, so I don't want to mislead you.

Also, I found it useful to write out my program steps on paper, and say why I was doing it. I think I am visual like that, but it really helped me solidify why I was doing the different steps, and how to recover if I pushed the wrong thing or the wrong number of times.

I always start out with my work hold (hold 1) at 12 hours. When I am done, I do the skip step thing to start the second hold, of 1 hour.

This is what my Bluebird controller looks like.

To skip to the start of the ramp down, I would press the middle button once, and then the first button twice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by echeveria (Post 3691371)

This is what my Bluebird controller looks like.

To skip to the start of the ramp down, I would press the middle button once, and then the first button twice.

i have the same one - i've got the instructions as a pdf if anybody wants them

ETA - ooh, handy to know, i set my work time for 5 hours and if i finish early then i just let it go, but that sounds like a much better idea!

Thank you very much for the pictures, Kathy. That was so nice! I think I'll also set mine to 5 hrs, then I'll have plenty of time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PerfectDeb (Post 3692452)

i have the same one - i've got the instructions as a pdf if anybody wants them

I'd like em, deb! thank you

Quote:

Originally Posted by annfortina (Post 3749701)

I'd like em, deb! thank you

Pm me your email addy :)

The hold one minute is to complete the segment.
Segment = RAMP, TEMP, HOLD
on the last segment, if you put 0 "zero" for the hold time, then the segment will be incomplete and the controler wont run that segment. That would be bad news, because the contoler would then turn off the kiln at the end of the previous segment.
Feel free to pm me with questions.... on any kiln or controler, annealing, fusing or casting.
Ron

Quote:

Originally Posted by R4GlassStudio (Post 3749816)

?? i dont have to do that on mine