Below are detailed instructions for use of the Beadfire Grid Set.  You can also dowload the instructions here.

Firing Bisque Beads

When firing bisque beads embellished with metal clay, slide the finished bead onto a bead support wire and place the wire ends across the Grid. Follow the directions for lighting the SpeedFire™ Cone and follow the firing directions for the clay type being use.

No special heating or cooling procedure is necessary for bisque and metal clay, however, it would be best to place the bisque bead on the BeadFire Grid™ then light the SpeedFire™ Cone. Slowly increase fuel supply until the clay binder burns off, then continue increasing fuel supply until the proper firing temperature for the clay being used is reached. Once the clay firing parameters have been met, simply turn the SpeedFire™ Cone off and allow the bisque bead to cool before removing from the BeadFire™ Grid.

Firing Glass Beads

Glass beads can be embellished with PMC 3 and other metal clays that fire under 1200 degrees F. It is VERY important that you carefully follow established procedures for avoiding thermal shock of the glass.

Before attempting this process you should experiment with maintaining firing temperatures. Be aware that a one pound propane tank will last about three hours, but as the tank is used up, the pressure will change thus allowing the temperature to gradually fall. You should practice controlling the desired temperature. It can easily be done if you periodically check the temperature guage.

This procedure has been successfully tested with COE90 glass which is the most typically glass for beads. Beads made of Pyrex (borosilicate glass) have a softening temperature of 1510 F, well above most clay firing temperatures and can be successfully utilized. However, Moretti glad softens at 1050 F and is not suitable for embellishment with meal calay.

The essence of the procedure is to embellish the glass bead and dry the clay thoroughly. Ignite the SpeedFire™ Cone and bring the temperature up to about 1000 degrees. Slide the bead on a bead support wire. Grip the wire end with a pair of pliers. Keeping the wire level, hold the wire and bead well above the SpeedFire™ Cone’s top. While moving the bead back and forth over the heat, SLOWLY bring the bead closer and closer to the BeadFire Grid™ then set the ends of the support wire across the BeadFire™ Grid top and release the wire from the pliers. Going too fast could result in thermal shocking of the glass and cracks can occur.

Fire the PMC3 clay at 1110 F for 45 minutes. Do NOT exceed this temperature as you don’t want the glass to soften. At the end of 45 minutes, remove the bead support wire using pliers and then either place the bead between two pieces of insulating fiber such as a Kiln Pillow™, insert the bead into vermiculite, or move the bead to an annealing oven.

We are developing a procedure for annealing glass beads right on the SpeedFire™ Cone, but in essence it is a matter of dialing down the temperature slowly through the fragile zone of 1000-700 degrees. If you are inexperienced at making glass beads it is suggested that you review a basic text on the subject as it will make your efforts more rewarding.

Cabochons – Details coming soon

We are currently developing the procedure for working with dichroic cabochons and will release this information as soon as it is ready.

Any efforts you make with items other than beads is experimental, but that is what many people in the trade do every day – experiment! If you have interesting results or tricks and tips we would appreciate hearing from you.

Even more detailed directions than those present here are being developed for firing bisque beads as well as glass beads. We will publish these procedures on our web site when completed.

If you choose to experiment please keep in mind that SpeedFire™ Cone temperatures need to be kept well below the softening point of the glass being used to keep the glass from sticking to the metal grid. If you place a piece of glass on the metal grid and you intend taking the temperature above the softening temperature to avoid sticking you will need to use a kiln wash solution or the equivalent of ThinFire™ fiber paper between the glass and the mesh to avoid sticking. Thicker insulating materials will prevent the clay from firing properly.