Annealing test results for AH beads

OK, I put three beads from Austin Hamilton, which he claims are
annealed, into my glass kiln. I fired these in a kiln washed pyrex
bowl. I followed a kiln firing schedule from a famous lampworker, which
was heat up to 920 F, at a rate of 1000 degrees per hour, hold for 20
minutes. Turn off the kiln, let cool naturally down to room
temperature. The results: none of the beads cracked. So...I know this
is a small sample, but maybe they do anneal their beads. I would
welcome all lampworkers and all others on the n/g's opinion on this.

Patti
www.pattiwhiteley.com

Actually, it really depends on exactly what kind of glass was used to make
the beads. Different glass has different coe's, which means a different
annealing schedule. For example - Effetre, Lauscha and Vetrofond glasses
have a 104 coe, and tend to be annealed for at least 45 minutes at an
average of 950F, then cooled slowly to room temp over about 5 hours or so.
That can vary a little, but 20 minutes is not long enough, and 920F isn't
hot enough. You'd need to know what kind of glass the beads are made of to
accurately anneal them, or even get them past their strain point. Beads
made in China are not usually Effetre or anything like it.

--
Kandice Seeber
www.lampwork.net
Vote for my site!
http://tinyurl.com/bbcon

OK, I put three beads from Austin Hamilton, which he claims are
annealed, into my glass kiln. I fired these in a kiln washed pyrex
bowl. I followed a kiln firing schedule from a famous lampworker, which
was heat up to 920 F, at a rate of 1000 degrees per hour, hold for 20
minutes. Turn off the kiln, let cool naturally down to room
temperature. The results: none of the beads cracked. So...I know this
is a small sample, but maybe they do anneal their beads. I would
welcome all lampworkers and all others on the n/g's opinion on this.

Patti
www.pattiwhiteley.com

Patti

what does that prove?

You annealed the beads yourself....
That doesn't prove that they were - or were NOT already annealed.

Bringing an un-annealed bead up to temperature slowly - and annealing
it - is called 'batch annealing" by some.... I used to do it in the old
days - with small beads - make a bunch - throw them in the kiln and
batch anneal.

This does NOT prove they were - or were not- already annealed.

There is one test you can do with the beads - and that is get a
polariscope and look at them - if they are not annealed - there will be
signs of lots of stress.

Another test - sometimes -if you FREEZE an unannealed bead -- it will
crack.....

Try that with a couple - throw them in a baggie- and into the freezer
overnight.
If the crack - they were most likely not annealed.
Cheryl

They claim on the site that 'Most of them are made from Effetre glass'
so that would mean they can survive an annealing at that kind of
schedule.

-Su

Sign the petition, please!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/872722428

An interesting note that if you Google 'austin hamilton' the petition
is the fifth result on the first page!

Patti -- I thnk it is cool that you did this, and obviously brave of
you to post it here. LOL. Good job, girl!!!

I have a question for the general public -- are these mass produced or
do they also make some? Because these look a lot like Kyoto Studio's
sets and not mass produced:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Evening-Party-Fl... cmdZViewItem


In other news, I am in LOVE with this set:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ObiCat-lampwork-...c mdZViewItem

Sorry if I posted twice in support of Patti's post. I wrote earlier,
but i am in a motel on WiFi which indiscriminately decides to kick me
off the internet. I post at the whim of a service. LOL.

Becki

Becki,

The first set are AH beads, and the same ones are listed on the
website, so IMO they're mass-produced as they certainly aren't made
individually by a named artist. And no, AH isn't a 'named artist'.

As for ObiCat's work. Yumm.

-Su

Those are mass produced. All their beads are made in Beijing China. They
have just modeled their designs on current trends.

--
Kandice Seeber
www.lampwork.net
Vote for my site!
http://tinyurl.com/bbcon
wrote in message
oups.com...
Patti -- I thnk it is cool that you did this, and obviously brave of
you to post it here. LOL. Good job, girl!!!

I have a question for the general public -- are these mass produced or
do they also make some? Because these look a lot like Kyoto Studio's
sets and not mass produced:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Evening-Party-Fl... cmdZViewItem


In other news, I am in LOVE with this set:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ObiCat-lampwork-...c mdZViewItem

Sorry if I posted twice in support of Patti's post. I wrote earlier,
but i am in a motel on WiFi which indiscriminately decides to kick me
off the internet. I post at the whim of a service. LOL.

Becki

ah HA!!! Then they are getting good in china because those beads used
to look a lot worse than these.

ah HA!!! Then they are getting good in china because those beads used
to look a lot worse than these.

I'm amazed that she gave me the wrong information. Or, maybe I didn't
remember the proper temperature, though I definitely remember the 20
minute part. I wouldn't have bothered to fire my kiln for 45 minutes
for this.
The beads did change shape a bit since I didn't put them on a mandrel,
didn't want flying bits of glass all over my kiln, so now they have a
flat back.

Not doing any more tests.

Patti