Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisi
That's true. Now I'm curious, I need to go on the site and look at this thing again. I could swear it had a little door or a "window". Maybe not? I think they mentioned that you could use a piece of fiber blanket to block the door.
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For future generations of lampworkers, here is my story with the Devardi mini annealer, especially in reference to covering the front opening of the Devardi mini annealer.
When I tried out the Devardi mini annealer, I built a structure of firebrick all the way around it, stuck a digital pyrometer in it, covered the front with a piece of firebrick, and annealed several sets of about twenty four beads each (I had MONTHS of beads I'd made that needed annealing), making sure to mix in a bunch of transparents all around inside with each batch so I could look at the sampling of transparents in a polariscope to make sure they were annealed. They were. But I had to sit there watching the digital pyrometer and making adjustments to the temp knob for six hours following a precise, scientifically determined annealing schedule as can be found in [Scott] Bandhu Dunham's books.
The ONLY thing REALLY wrong with the Devardi mini annealer is that Devardi mis-represents it. You HAVE to do everything I did in order to ensure properly annealed beads. If you don't at least look at your transparents in a plariscope, you will never know if it worked, and why go to all that trouble if you won't verify the work was effective? If you are willing to do everything I did every time you want to batch anneal your beads, you can save yourself a hell of a lot of money.
Please note the instructions that I received with the Devardi mini annealer specifically stated that you should NOT cover the opening. I was never one for following directions, even if I did read them multiple times.
After all my test runs I returned it and bought a Short Guy. I love my Glass Hive kiln. I would marry it if it weren't illegal in my state. I named him Harry.