Annealing Beads, Garaging versus Batch - pros and cons

I've changed my annealing habits lately and have been considering the pros and cons of batch annealing and garaging.

All beads should be annealed, no question there - especially if you are going to sell them.  Small beads might survive without annealing but you'll never know for sure!

Batch Annealing

[caption id="attachment_1099" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="Batch annealing beads"][/caption]

I started out with this method as I didn't have a kiln.  Batch annealing is exactly what it says it is, you save up a batch of beads then anneal them all together by slowly bringing the kiln up to temperature, letting them soak and then slowly bringing the temperature back down.

What does this do?  This allows all the stress that has built up in the glass during the bead making process to dissipate, thus giving you a stronger more durable finished bead.

Garaging

I recently started garaging out of necessity as I found my cake testers would crack if I batch annealed them.  This must be due to the different expansion rates of the glass and metal rods.

Garaging means heating your kiln up to temperature - mine is around 900 - 950, then adding beads directly to kiln as you go.  The kiln is held at the working temperature until you are finished bead making and is then switched to the soaking temperature for a period of time before slowly cooling down.

[caption id="attachment_1100" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="garaging beads - yes, I know there are none in there, but wanted to add a picture for interest ;)"][/caption]

A good link for programming digital controls can be found here on the Wet Canvas forum - thanks to Lori Greenberg for sharing that information.

So - the pro's and cons?

Whichever method you choose, if you do it correctly  your beads will be annealed and should be of equal strength.  As far as I am aware one method does not exceed the other in the quality of annealing.

Batch - pros

• not using the kiln every time you make beads


• can make small quantities of beads at a time without feeling like you are wasting electricity

Batch - cons

• need to cool beads very slowly in order that they don't crack


• larger beads and sculptural beads are more prone to crack


• beads may crack while waiting to be annealed - I'd recommend waiting until after they are annealed to clean them, I think cleaning them in their non-annealed state is more likely to cause them to break


• I end up with piles of non-annealed beads, I find it interrupts the process and makes it more difficult to get a good production feel going.  I'll take pictures of beads before annealing and then find that the actual annealing and cleaning process is anti-climatic

Garaging - pros

• process is streamlined, beads are complete when they leave the kiln and just need cleaning


• safer for larger and sculptural beads


• kiln may also be used to keep bits of sculpture hot, enabling you to add them to the piece without so much fear of breakage


• if your workspace is cool, or cold you can keep rods of glass warm on top of you kiln

Garaging cons

• you use your kiln every time you torch, probably shortening the lifespan of switches and elements


• it seems wasteful to make only a few beads

So, which will I use in future? - Both!  I can see applications for both, although I must admit I am really enjoying the feel of having completed beads at the end of the same day they are made.

Japanese Annealing Bubbles

[caption id="attachment_1098" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Japanese Annealing Bubbles"][/caption]

there’s a product on the market called Annealing Bubbles, while these ‘bubbles’ don’t actually anneal the glass, they do aid in making the cooling time a lot longer than with a fiber blanket. This is a good thing because it means your beads are less susceptible to cracking as they cool.

Here’s a link to a thread on this topic on the Lampwork Etc. forum and if you scroll down this page you’ll see the bubbles for sale.

I’ve heard good feedback from friends who are using these, and it’s definitely something worth considering.

Does a hot crock pot help? I’m very doubtful about this, a crock pot heats to quite a low temperature and given how hot the glass is when a bead is finished and comes out the flame I don’t think the temperature of the crock pot is going to make much difference.

Have you got pros and cons of batch vs. garaging? I’d like to hear them! I know when I started out beadmaking there was so much to learn about things that I’d never even dreamed of before, and annealing was one of those great mysteries of life!

Somewhat like this -

[caption id="attachment_1101" align="alignnone" width="425" caption="Raff in Space"][/caption]