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Place a fused bracelet strip of the desired length on the prepared bracelet mandrel so that it is centered lengthwise and perpendicular to the mold. Turn the tabletop the kiln on high and monitor the bracelet until it has softened and the ends have drooped and are pointing straight down. Important safety note: Before manipulating the bracelet, turn off the kiln, put on the heat protective gloves and remove the lid of the kiln. |
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Wearing protective gloves, hold the bracelet tongs with both hands and starting at the top of the bracelet begin to gently glide the graphite paddles along the surface of the bracelet until you have slid down past the bracelet mandrel. It's important to note that you are maintaining constant contact with the glass and are actually gently pressing the glass into the mandrel and not pushing down on the glass. This "locks" the glass to the mandrel so that it doesn't move off center and out of position. |
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To push the ends of the bracelet up and under the mandrel, gently rotate to the right and continue gliding along the surface of the glass until you have reached the right end of the bracelet. The handle of the tongs should nearly be touching the collar of the kiln when you have completed this motion to ensure you have a secure wrap.
Now repeat this same motion and gently rotate the tongs to the left and push the left end of the bracelet up and under the mandrel. |
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Once complete, place the lid back on the kiln and check the pyrometer. It should be in the 1000-1100 deg. Fahrenheit range. If it's higher, remove the lid for a few seconds to allow the heat to dissipate and continue to do so until the pyrometer is in this temperature range. Turn the kiln on low and allow it to soak for 30 minutes to anneal the glass properly. Once complete, turn the kiln off and wait for it to cool off to room temperature before removing your completed project. |
