Cooling in a blanket

EaglesLegacy · #1 2008-07-23, 11:18pm

Sorry about the many questions, but I really do search for the answers first. How long do beads have to cool in the fiber blanket before they can be removed?

LavenderCreek · #2 2008-07-24, 2:33am

Let them sit for 1 hour then check, if they are still uncomfortably warm (which I doubt) then let them sit for another 30 minutes or so. After you do this the first time, you'll know how long they need to cool.

Sue in Maine · #3 2008-07-24, 5:20am

I have a suggestion, too, for your fiber blanket. It's something I picked up on a forum and did myself.

Make an aluminum foil jacket for your fiber blanket. It will help keep the heat in, allowing your beads to cool slower decreasing your chances of the beads cracking. In addition to the heat factor, you will find your blanket stays together better.... it won't disintigrate quite as fast.

By making a jacket, I mean covering it like you did for a schoolbook.

Sue

jesscause · #4 2008-07-24, 6:00am

I put my hand on top of the blanket and if I still feel heat, I let them sit, if not I take them out to oogle them!! Like Teresa said, it usually takes about an hour but the bigger the bead the longer it takes to cool.

EaglesLegacy · #5 2008-07-24, 10:37am

I did something kind of like the aluminum. I rolled up both layers of blanket and put them inside of a brick square and closed off both ends with more brick. The bead gets shoved down the center of all that rolled blanket, so it has like 3-4 layers of fiber surrounding the bead. I don't know if that helps or not, but my thinking was that kilns are made brick, so maybe the brick would help keep the heat in? I like the idea of the aluminum foil too. Maybe I can incorporate that. Thankyou everyone for answering my question. I left the bead in overnight just to be safe. It's good to know I don't have to do that.

I need to find someone in my area to batch anneal for me until I can get the kiln I want.