Annealing Bubbles

Torched! · #1 2011-06-23, 3:06pm

I'm attending The ISGB Gathering this year. The open torch nights were a lot of fun last time but they didn't have kilns running to save any work you might create while there so I was thinking about picking up some Annealing Bubbles (glass insulator, won't actually anneal your beads of course). I like to cruise the local thrift shops for handy dandy re purposed items to use as tools. Today I noticed a box of "Magic" silica kitty litter on the shelf....and thought "hmmmm.... that sounds and looks devilishly similar to the elusive Japanese Annealing bubbles", so I grabbed the box for $3 and trekked home with it. They're basically teeny round balls of pure silica, no scent added or anything else from what I can see so I'm really hoping they might do the trick! I'm going to try them out this evening so unless things go dreadfully wrong and my pot of kitty little genius bursts into a fireball, I'll follow up on this tomorrow and let you know how they fared

I should also ask.... has anyone else tried this?

ArtcoInc · #2 2011-06-23, 3:11pm

If they don't work, please note that I have been carrying the illusive(?) Annealing Bubbles for several years.

http://www.artcoinc.com/annealing_bubbles.php

Malcolm

Torched! · #3 2011-06-23, 3:18pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtcoInc

If they don't work, please note that I have been carrying the illusive(?) Annealing Bubbles for several years.

http://www.artcoinc.com/annealing_bubbles.php

Malcolm

Yes, quite!

Thanks Malcolm! I was just in the process of fixing my typos as you posted this

I have an army of kids running in and out of my office as I type... zen, this is not

LarryC · #4 2011-06-23, 3:20pm

Used Malcolm's for a while before I got a kiln. Cheap, Reusable, and best of all clean.

Beatrix92 · #5 2011-06-23, 4:58pm

I can't wait to hear how this turns out. Looking forward to your follow-up.

I LOVE my annealing bubbles! I travel a lot and that can be hard on fiber blanket. These I have in a big coffee can with a lid. AWESOME
Bea

Lisi · #6 2011-06-23, 5:01pm

I used the annealing bubbles for four months when I didn't have a way to hook up my kiln and have it in the same room with me. It keeps the beads hotter longer for slower cooling than the vermiculite, any day. Beats using a fiber blanket too. They are so lightweight that you don't have to push hard at all to get the bead down in it.

I dumped my vermiculite in the my garden after I saw how well these little bubbles held the heat and let the beads cool nice and slow. I'm in deep south FL so I never found it necessary to use them in a crock pot.

blr2449 · #7 2011-06-23, 5:32pm

I've been using the annealing bubbles from Malcolm for well over a year and love them. Very little pressure needed to secure the mandrel into the beads.

kayrein97 · #8 2011-06-23, 7:02pm

Very interesting, let us know please. Hopefully they don't melt!

Lisi · #9 2011-06-23, 7:26pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayrein97

Very interesting, let us know please. Hopefully they don't melt!

Oh no worries, nothing could melt this stuff except maybe volcanic heat! It is a volcanic rock-like material like vermiculite and perlite are. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it's made of that type of material.

Lisi · #10 2011-06-23, 7:29pm

I'm not 100% on this, but I think the annealing bubbles are this type of perlite:

http://www.perlite.org/product_guide...e%20Filler.pdf

If I'm wrong, someone (Malcolm??) please correct me?? Thanks!

ArtcoInc · #11 2011-06-23, 9:03pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

I'm not 100% on this, but I think the annealing bubbles are this type of perlite:

http://www.perlite.org/product_guide...e%20Filler.pdf

If I'm wrong, someone (Malcolm??) please correct me?? Thanks!

I think the Annealing Bubbles (yes, they are a type of Perlite) are larger than the ones in the above link, but are very similar otherwise.

Malcolm

Lisi · #12 2011-06-23, 10:13pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtcoInc

I think the Annealing Bubbles (yes, they are a type of Perlite) are larger than the ones in the above link, but are very similar otherwise.

Malcolm

Thanks! I thought they were and I don't remember where I read that. So that answers the question of how well this material will handle heat!

ArtcoInc · #13 2011-06-23, 10:38pm

I do recommend that the op check the label of the kitty litter and make sure the produce is *silica* and not *silica gel*. Silica gel is a desiccant (which means that is absorbs water), and is a common ingredient in kitty litter.

Malcolm

Torched! · #14 2011-06-23, 10:40pm

Okay! So I did a test on the kitty litter silica gel beads and the result was very successful so far. I made several small beads as well as one very large bead and they slid easily into the beads without any trouble. The gel did not burn/smoke so the heat resistance portion was good as well. I checked on the test beads just now and all are intact except the large one (it thermal shocked and popped in two). However, I purposely made this one larger and pressed it into a lentil shape as well so I would have been very surprised if it had survived! So the verdict.... this particular type of silica gel bead kitty litter does appear to be the same or at least very similar to Annealing Bubbles. Yay!

In regards to Perlite, I believe the difference is just that Perlite is composed of mostly silica but it also has additional elements as well where as I believe the Annealing Bubbles and this kitty litter (not the blue type, this one looks like small clearish beads) are pretty much pure Silica gel beads (Silicon dioxide). From what I found, I believe Perlite is produced from Obsidian.

Torched! · #15 2011-06-23, 10:47pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtcoInc

I do recommend that the op check the label of the kitty litter and make sure the produce is *silica* and not *silica gel*. Silica gel is a desiccant (which means that is absorbs water), and is a common ingredient in kitty litter.

Malcolm

Yes, I believe it is Silica gel. I should also add that I'm not recommending that people rush out and buy kitty litter and use it in place of Annealing Bubbles. I'm just sharing my experiment and testing results for interest's sake. Without knowing more about any safety issues, it wouldn't be very responsible of me to suggest anyone try without further research so please do take this info for what it is intended for, scientific curiosity

That being said, if anyone else finds additional info on this, please do share!

Beatrix92 · #16 2011-06-24, 5:50am

Thanks, Beck! This is neat information

lorisue · #17 2011-06-24, 8:05am

As a newbie - I hated the vermiculite we used in class so I bought "the bubble", I also bought a small crockpot and I turn it on low when I start beading. everything is warm and toasty. this winter I did put it on high because my workspace was really cold.

just fyi

Margrieten · #18 2011-06-26, 12:37am

Thank you for sharing your experiment. I bought the Japanese bubbles directly from Japan. Costs a fortune for the transport. I use them now for several years specially for my students. Always asked myself what the material was. I have found them here also in the Netherlands and I will try them also and let you know. Thank you very much!