birdypotter Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Hi, can anybody suggest where might sell or manufacture bead rods that go to cone6/7. Currently using bead rods you find commercially, usually made of nichrome and so when reaching temps of over 1200 they tend to start sagging and releasing green/black deposits into the kiln - usually I have kiln shelves covered in black soot by the end of a firing. I use kanthal wire which has solved a green deposit problem I had on the clay when using nichrome, but for the life of me can't find anywhere to replace the kiln rods with higher firing ones! I'm UK based. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Linda Blossom coated rods with ITC and they didn't sag at ^6. I don't know if she reached cone 7. Hers were about an 1/8" rod. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 No experience with bead racks, but as a simple search for Kanthal wire. What diameter wire/rod do you need? Is there any difference between rods and wire? Baileys seems to suggest 10awg=2.588mm. Marcia mentioned 1/8in=3.175mm Replacement rods for "large" bead rack @ 9 gauge (9awg=2.906mm) http://www.archiebrayclay.com/large-bead-rack-replacement-rods-set-of-6/ Potclays sell wire up to 3.5mm http://www.potclays.co.uk/studio/categories/342/elements-element-sets-and-kanthal-wire Crafty way to minimise bending of wires in 2nd pix of: http://www.blog.beadsofclay.org/2010/09/tool-talk-thursday-small-kiln-bead_23.html ... it also mentions one of the bead racks using 11awg=2.305mm rods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdypotter Posted September 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Hi, sorry I didn't explain very well what I want them for! I use bead rods to hang all over glazed decorations from using kanthal wire hooks. I use kanthal wire rather than threading them directly onto the rods as they are quite heavy, and the rods are made of nichrome and would shed green deposits over my white stoneware with transparent glaze. I take my pieces to cone 7 but often do work of the same nature that requires me to take the temp up to 1270. Though the nichrome rods can go that far, the higher they go in temperature, the more they sag despite being supported, and the more they shed sooty deposits. Kanthal has a high melting point and doesn't shed at 1280 (hence why I use kanthal wire as opposed to nichrome - nichrome wire was giving me staining problems on the glaze). Now to try and avoid the problem of sooty deposits landing in the glaze and on the shelf, and to prevent sagging, I was hoping to see if I could source some kanthal rods - I think/hope they would be more durable at higher temperatures. I've considered potclays kanthal wire at 3.5mm but as it's still wire, I think it's still slightly malleable - I need bars to support the weight of hanging decorations ideally. I'm at an internet dead end! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 there was a recent discussion about this very subject. someone has a design to hold ornaments of all sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 If you braided two or three wires together that would give you a rod of sorts. I think kanthal is the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 I've considered potclays kanthal wire at 3.5mm but as it's still wire, I think it's still slightly malleable. Malleability is AFAIK mainly a function of grain structure and the presence of "impurities" which might pin the grain boundaries (think dural rather than aluminium). Assuming that it's the same kanthal alloy, I strongly suspect that after firing the grain structure of rod and wire are likely to be pretty much the same. (Weak analogy, but think of the malleable tungsten filament in a light bulb changing its grain structure dramatically the first time it's switched on.) Very pleased to hear from anybody that knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo_heff Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 This one works: much thicker http://www.sheffield-pottery.com/CERAMIC-BEAD-BAR-p/kcbbh.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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