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Old 2012-05-06, 4:54pm
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Jngljnke Jngljnke is offline
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Join Date: Jan 31, 2012
Location: Houston (ish), TX
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This is from Northstar's annealing schedule, available in their website:

The schedule is based on clear and may need to be adjusted for the different colors being used. Specifically, metallic based colors may need a slightly higher A/T (maybe 25 degrees).

I assumed that meant the luster and sparkle colors.

I have heard the same info as Chris from many different places. That all changed when I watched a man making multi piece vessels with Unobtainium, Steel Wool, Moss, and many other similar colors. When I asked him about it he told me he has never had a problem garaging ANY color at 1050. After seeing his pieces live with all of their sparkling glory I decided to give it a go at home. I haven't had any problems.

This is the carriage Ogie was working on when I asked him. Plenty of sparkle to it, it's just not the best picture.






To assure an even striking of colors I get them white hot before placing them in the kiln. This resets the striking process and allows the striking program to give an even color to the piece. I suck at getting even results flame striking, thus this method.


I don't believe there is any one program that works for everything. Naturally a two inch marble will need a different program than a spacer bead. I don't think it would hurt the spacer bead to go through the longer cycle, but it wouldn't work so hot the other way around. The amount of stress created in the manufacturing process is another factor to consider. Sharp angles vs smooth, are there a lot of welds, will the piece be reworked, does it need to be struck.......

I have used this program on pieces with dichro, disco sparkle, Neptune Sparkle (which I'm going to miss), and everything else. If anything it's overkill, but I'm confident that my pieces are annealed.

I would never get offended by someone doing something differently than me Chris. The marble I got from you looks great. I don't think for a minute it's not annealed. Ten people, fifty methods...

On an unrelated note, he drew that retti on the outside of a tube blank, puntied to the termination point on the inside of the tube ---}, then delicately heated it while nudging it over the way you would flip a sock inside out. Hard to explain, even harder to do. It was amazing to watch. I hope I can do it one day.
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