Kiln rack solution for batch annealing

eregel · #1 2012-03-02, 4:03pm

Hubby took me out to the metal store and the welding store today (as well as the fabric store and the pet store and the propane store and Staples and Tuesday morning; you may assume it was an expensive day!) and helped me realize my vision for how to load my kiln to minimize how often I have to run an annealing cycle.

I purchased an 8" x 22" piece of perforated stainless steel - cut to size it was just over $20. He bent it into a flat-bottomed U shape, 7" wide, 7 1/2" tall - the interior of the kiln is an approximately 9" cube. He cut a notch to accomodate the temperature probe, and I also had him cut notches to indicate where the channel for the heating element is, so I don't load mandrels in that section.

At the welding store I bought a pound of 3/32 rod - my favorite mandrel size. We cut some of it to 8.5" and I'm slowly putting a 90 degree bend in the end of each one that's intended for kiln use.

Here's what the rack looks like partially loaded in the kiln:

and sitting on top so you can get a better look:

I should be able to load a TON of beads in there without having any of them touch. I've got some 1/16 mandrels that are bent beyond use; I'm going to cut them down for use annealing beads made on the smaller mandrels, though hopefully now that I have enough 3/32s I won't need to any more.

FYI - a 1 pound tube of the 308 Stainless welding rod was $13.24 with NYS sales tax, and yielded 14 rods 36" long. So you could cut 42 12" mandrels or 54 9" mandrels from one package. VERY cool day - and we even grabbed an early dinner out, so I don't have to cook tonight!

AmorphousDesigns · #2 2012-03-02, 4:05pm

nice!

Lyssa · #3 2012-03-02, 4:33pm

That sounds like an ideal day!

Quote:

Originally Posted by eregel

Hubby took me out to the metal store and the welding store today (as well as the fabric store and the pet store and the propane store and Staples and Tuesday morning; you may assume it was an expensive day!) and helped me realize my vision for how to load my kiln to minimize how often I have to run an annealing cycle.

I purchased an 8" x 22" piece of perforated stainless steel - cut to size it was just over $20. He bent it into a flat-bottomed U shape, 7" wide, 7 1/2" tall - the interior of the kiln is an approximately 9" cube. He cut a notch to accomodate the temperature probe, and I also had him cut notches to indicate where the channel for the heating element is, so I don't load mandrels in that section.

At the welding store I bought a pound of 3/32 rod - my favorite mandrel size. We cut some of it to 8.5" and I'm slowly putting a 90 degree bend in the end of each one that's intended for kiln use.

Here's what the rack looks like partially loaded in the kiln:

and sitting on top so you can get a better look:

I should be able to load a TON of beads in there without having any of them touch. I've got some 1/16 mandrels that are bent beyond use; I'm going to cut them down for use annealing beads made on the smaller mandrels, though hopefully now that I have enough 3/32s I won't need to any more.

FYI - a 1 pound tube of the 308 Stainless welding rod was $13.24 with NYS sales tax, and yielded 14 rods 36" long. So you could cut 42 12" mandrels or 54 9" mandrels from one package. VERY cool day - and we even grabbed an early dinner out, so I don't have to cook tonight!

eregel · #4 2012-03-02, 4:43pm

Oh, and he ALSO produced a fan that just might make my ventilation half-way adequate until I can get into my Shedio next month!

marilyn h · #5 2012-03-03, 6:58am

Just make sure that the metal doesn't touch your elements. Burn out.

eregel · #6 2012-03-03, 8:43am

For sure! We put a lot of time into the measurements to make it as safe as possible - as long as it properly loaded nothing will touch the walls. I'll be loading the kiln cold and unplugged, and won't be removing the rack until it's cold and unplugged again.

chevygirl70 · #7 2012-03-03, 11:32pm

This was really a neat idea....

I have a question on your "batch annealing". I'm used to making my beads and stick in kiln a/s/a/p to garage and anneal after each bead making session. How are you able to make your beads, keep them in one piece despite being cooled off without annealing - and then stick them in cold kiln as a group for annealing at a later time? (If I don't stick mine in the kiln a/s/a/p they either shatter or crack badly, so I'm curious what you're doing different, if you don't mind me asking? (Oh, and I tend to make big beads at 1-3 inches long) Thanks!

Lisi · #8 2012-03-04, 12:26am

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevygirl70

This was really a neat idea....

I have a question on your "batch annealing". I'm used to making my beads and stick in kiln a/s/a/p to garage and anneal after each bead making session. How are you able to make your beads, keep them in one piece despite being cooled off without annealing - and then stick them in cold kiln as a group for annealing at a later time? (If I don't stick mine in the kiln a/s/a/p they either shatter or crack badly, so I'm curious what you're doing different, if you don't mind me asking? (Oh, and I tend to make big beads at 1-3 inches long) Thanks!

You place them in a fiber blanket or vermiculite to cool slowly. Some people heat the vermiculite with a crockpot. It's best that the beads be pretty small, like no more than 14-15mm. Round and donut shapes are the safest. Pressed beads often will crack. Large and long beads will break, so I don't recommend batch annealing those. It's best to put them straight in the kiln.

lindag · #9 2012-03-04, 2:40am

Be sure to apply kiln wash to the inside of your kiln. If it should overheat for any reason the wash will protect the brick.

Lisi · #10 2012-03-04, 3:44am

I want a sheet of this metal so I can make a rack for garaging, because I sometimes I make 150+ beads in a day. But I tried Lowe's and Home Depot, which would be the only places around, and nada. We don't have a metal shop anymore. They retired and never sold the business to anyone else.

eregel · #11 2012-03-04, 8:05am

I'm cooling my beads in vermiculite in a cheap Walmart crock pot - I turn it on to heat when I first start gearing up for a torch session, which in my temporary situation takes me awhile to prep for - and by the time I finish the first bead it's HOt in there. Then, when I'm done, I turn the crock pot off - and you'd be amazed how long it stays hot! I succumbed to curioiusity the other day and pulled a bead out an hour and a half after I shut it off, and it was still too hot to touch. (AND the bead shattered, arrgh!)

Lisi - if you do a google search for perforated stainless steel there are a number of online places where you can order the piece.

Eileen · #12 2012-03-04, 9:27am

I'm curious what the advantage of having the rack is compared to just piling them on the bottom. Is it specific to the glass you're using possibly fuming other glass, or similar?

Lisi · #13 2012-03-05, 7:39am

Quote:

Originally Posted by eregel

Lisi - if you do a google search for perforated stainless steel there are a number of online places where you can order the piece.

I tried that, but the places I found sell only truckloads to construction sites. lol! I tried ebay, and theirs are 12" wide plus whatever long, so because of the width, I would be wasting a lot of it. I want to make a piece in the same shape as yours, but 8" deep, and no more than 8" wide and 5" on the two sides. So, it would have to be a 8" wide piece that is at least 18 inches long. A piece the size you got would be good, because I could clip off 4". That's not too much waste, and I could bend that piece and make a small glass rod rack out of it.

Silberrucken · #14 2012-03-05, 8:01am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

I want a sheet of this metal ... I tried Lowe's and Home Depot...

If you are lucky to have metals supermarkets local to you they sell any amount of anything. They also do mail order...

The other thing is to google metal fabrication with your zip code and see if anything pops up close. Some of the smaller fab shops are full of very nice and very creative people that will bend over backwards to help you lkocte and obtain stuff

Silberrucken · #15 2012-03-05, 8:08am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eileen

I'm curious what the advantage of having the rack is compared to just piling them on the bottom.

You get better circulation around the pieces for even heating, and if you overheat there is pretty much zero chance of anything sticking together as well as no chance of kiln wash coming off bricks.

eregel · #16 2012-03-05, 1:06pm

OnlineMetals.com will custom cut, but it's expensive, for sure!

Hubby and I were actually contemplating whether there'd be a market for shelves and racks - always looking for the next thing to get into, and he'll be retiring a little later in the summer.

Lisi · #17 2012-03-05, 3:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by eregel

OnlineMetals.com will custom cut, but it's expensive, for sure!

Hubby and I were actually contemplating whether there'd be a market for shelves and racks - always looking for the next thing to get into, and he'll be retiring a little later in the summer.

Maybe you could ask your husband if he would consider making one for me? I can't do it now and probably not for another month, but I really do need one soon. The rack I have is a pain, and I get really frustrated with it. The 8" x 22" size piece if you could get another, would be perfect to work with. Of course, I would gladly pay extra over the cost of the steel for him to cut the 4" off, and bend it into a 8" wide, 8" deep, and 5" tall on the sides. Shaped in the same manner as yours is. My kiln's interior dimensions are 8.5" wide, 12" deep, and 6" tall.

Shipping would be reasonable if it's just a couple of pounds going by Parcel Post if you already have a box the fit it in. Or it can go regular Priority Mail for a little more, like around $9.00 from NY to FL. The PO has the 12"x12"x8" boxes online (not the Flat Rate), but maybe the local office has some.

If he would consider it, let me know!