Batch annealing - don't the beads "stick" to each other?

[SallyB]

Hello everyone

I am curious to know more about batch annealing.  I am imagining you take the beads off the mandrel (don't clean the release) then put them in the kiln together.  Can you let them touch?  And if you can, why don't they stick together?

I'd love a kiln but it's a long way off so thought I'd use this time to do some research into how it works.

Thank  you
Sally

[Donna@Rockin' Beads]

Hi there. I don't batch anneal and haven't had the need to clump my beads together in the kiln once they are cool enough to do so but I know that you can do this.
I tend to put them into the kiln straight from the flame hotter than they need to be (still sticky) but once they come down to the garaging temp they are no longer tacky and therefore can be allowed to touch each other.

[Shirley]

The majority of glass won't get hot enough during a batch anneal for it to matter whether they are touching or not. There are some exceptions, rubino being one, but I can't remember any of the others.

If I batch anneal I generally thread any fancy beads onto cut down mandrels like kebabs so they aren't touhing, then pile up spacers together on the little fibreboard that came with my kiln and sit that in the bottom.

Works a treat.

[Krysia@No98]

For batches: To stop them from sticking together you get the kiln to go up to temperature in two phases to stop the kiln from over shooting and getting too hot and melting the beads just enough to get them sticking together.  It depends very much on your kiln though.  Some peoples kilns will let you do it one go without over shooting.  If that doesn't make sense it will when you get your kiln.

Keep all your beads that you're not particularly please with, and use these to experiment.  When you put them in the kiln stack/pile them.  I had a few that stuck (they did come away from each other very easily) and was very please it was the fuglies that I used.

[llewennog]

Batch annealing rocks, ive got a big kiln (14x14x18 ins) and anneal for friends too sling them beads in and whack your annealing profile on,, Ive half filled my kiln in the past and had no sticking issues.
As long as you remember to increase your soak time for a large batch, more beads take longer to heat up:D

[SallyB]

Thank you for the information.  Things are a little clearer.  I find the kiln and the ventilation business very confusing.  Thanks for helping.

Sally
x

[Krysia@No98]

I completely understand!!

The kiln thing gets a lot clearer when it's sitting in front of you.  As for ventilation I have some that I think does the job but I don't fully understand the calculations that go with it 

[silverlemon]

I used to find that my beads stuck together in my last kiln if they were touching, but that had more to do with the schedule I was running. I was probably a bit too hot, and it used to overshoot if I had the door open too long when I was putting in hot beads....I normally garage as I go, rather than batch anneal, although I do regularly put in some to batch anneal when I'm garaging.
I have not had any problems with sticking with my new Maxine