Lampworking day #14 and #16. Some beads, and the kiln.

I've skipped some days... as you can tell.  Each day skipped is a day I've done nothing.  Last night I had a great excuse though. 

...You can deny me all you want on Facebook, little boy.  But this is my blog.  :P

Anyway after friday's cleaning up the studio and yesterday's madness, then becoming the creator of the studio... today the kiln is actually on. 

I cannot even begin to explain the trauma which encompasses creating this studio.  My dad is a tough, tough cookie.  There was yelling, hair pulling, threats were made, there were tears.  Eventually we decided to go our separate ways.  I went up to my room to cool off and watched some TV and picked up a mess I've had in there for about a month (yay).  Later he came in to tell me he was going to run an errand so I took advantage of that opportunity and went to the studio.  I studied the kiln's manual some more... and then I started constructing the thing to hold my beads while in the kiln. 

...Then my dad showed up.  He helped me get a bead off a mandrel; we talked a bit about the kiln and how to use it, and as I was getting ready to get started,

he said,"don't put all your nice beads in". 

And I listened, just in case he was right. 

Then we set the program, and turned on the kiln. 

And it began.  I've been sitting by it for a few hours now... watching the temperature every now and then... Everything seems normal so far.  I'm a little excited and also a little scared.  After an hour had passed my dad said... "what kind of wire did you use for the stand?"  ...and now I'm terrified it's going to melt and everything's going to be a disaster.  The wire is what we use in construction for tying rebar and stuff... it's very malleable... does that mean it's going to die in the kiln?  I really doubt it but now my dad's concerned me.  I'm going to post yet again on LE to ask what people use in their kilns for batch annealing.  I am so annoying on there; asking a million questions... but I think it's a really great way to learn! 

Ask the experts?  Duh.

On a different note, these are the beads from friday, day 14: 

I made this one from more recycled murrini and then I put some clear blue over it to pretend like it's a pretty bead. 

I really wanted to make a crinkled bead so I made this one.  That's the one my dad got off the mandrel.  It took some DW40, I'm not going to lie. 

I really like it but I wish the gray had been encased better, gotta learn how to do that.

And... here I am.  hanging out with the kiln.  I think I'm off to make some beads.  I'll post about the new beads and kiln progress tonight or tomorrow.  Wish me luck, y'all.