System 96 Firing Schedules - reference guide

Find all of this valuable information and more about System 96 glass on their web page by clicking right here.

Firing Guide

FAHRENHEIT (need Celsius?)

Firing Schedule:		Guidelines for firing projects up to 3/8-inch thick.
Slumping Schedule:
THICK Firing Schedules:		Guidelines for firing THICK projects ranging from 1/2-inch to 2-inches thick
Forming Chart:		Forming stages, definitions, and temperatures for firing System 96 products.
Bubble Squeeze:		Adding a stage during firing to reduce or eliminate bubbles
4-Segment Firing:		How to easily adapt our 6-segment programs to 4-segment controllers

Firing Chart (For projects up to 3/8" thick)
Segment	Rate		Temp	Hold
	(°F per Hour)		°F	(minutes)
1. Heating I:	300		1150	30
Moderate ramp up then hold to allow soft glass to settle. Soak even longer to reduce bubbles.
here is data
2. Heating II:	200		1370	20
Slow ramp to squeeze out trapped air.
here is data
3. Heat to Forming Stage:	400		See Forming Chart	Desired Effect
Heat glass to forming temperature. Consult Forming Chart.
here is data
4. Anneal I:	9999		950	60
Fast ramp down then hold to thoroughly equalize temperatures.
here is data
5. Anneal II:	150		800	10
Slow cool through sensitive zone, then hold to equalize.
here is data
6. Cool Down:	300		100	0
Moderate ramp down to minimize thermal shock.

Slumping Chart (For projects up to 3/8" thick)
Segment	Rate		Temp	Hold
	(°F per Hour)		°F	(minutes)
1. Heating I:	150		300	15
Slow ramp up to 300º then hold to equalize temperature of everything in kiln (minimizes thermal shock).
here is data
2. Heating II:	300		1100	20
Moderate ramp to 1100 and hold.
here is data
3. Heat to Forming Stage:	150		See Forming Chart	Desired Effect
Heat glass to forming temperature. Consult Forming Chart.
here is data
4. Anneal I:	400		950	60
Moderate ramp down then hold to thoroughly equalize temperatures.
here is data
5. Anneal II:	150		800	10
Slow cool through sensitive zone, then hold to equalize.
here is data
6. Cool Down:	300		100	0
Moderate ramp down to minimize thermal shock.

Forming Chart	Definition	Forming Temp
Slump	Glass softens and slumps to take the shape of a selected form or mold. Note: small molds may need higher temperatures and/or hold times.	1215º-1250º F
Tack Fuse	Separate glass layers are fused together with little deformation beyond softening of edges.	1350º- 1370º F
Contour Fuse	Separate glass layers are fused together, edges are soft and rounded, project surface retains the degree of dimesion desired by the artist (any degree beyond Tack but not yet Full fused).	1400º-1450º F
Full Fuse	Separate glass layers are completely fused into a single uniform layer, top surface is smooth and void of dimension or relief.	1460º-1480º F

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4-Segment Firing
For faster firing: you may wish to accelerate or simplify firing for small or less consequential projects. If so, in the Fusing Chart, eliminate segments 2 and 6. In the Slumping Chart, eliminate segments 1 and 6.

Bubble Squeeze To Reduce Bubbles Between Glass Layers To reduce bubbles between glass layers, fire to encourage a very slow relaxing of the layers, “squeezing” air outward to the edges for release. As the fusing chart indicates, we recommend a lengthy hold at about 1150º F, then a slow ramp up to 1370º F. Increase the effectiveness of your “squeeze” by lengthening your Hold in Segment I and slowing your Rate in Segment 2. Bubbles are best avoided in the design stage. Large areas of uninterrupted layering invite them. For example, a 10 x 10-inch sheet atop another 10 x 10-inch sheet leaves no easy avenue of escape for the air between glass layers. Alternately, a 10 x 10-inch sheet topped with four 5 x 5-inch pieces provides seams to vent trapped air. Design to avoid bubbles for the best prevention.

Find this information and more on the System 96 web page.  

Trouble shooting the types of cracks in a fused glass piece

Here a list of the major types of cracks in fused glass and some information about why they occur and how to prevent them.

Curved cracks across the middle of the piece.

Improper annealing causes this kind of crack. It will show up as gentle curves (sometimes as straight lines) that break the pieces into two or three pieces. Often the crack will curve sharply as it nears the edge of the glass. This kind of crack is the piece's way of relieving stress. The solution is to spend longer annealing the piece.

Cracks where two different glasses come together.

Glass incompatibility causes these cracks, which often show up as curved cracks around the edges of the two types of glass. The cracks can be very small or they can cause the pieces to break apart, but they will always be along the edges of the piece of incompatible glass. Conduct your own compatibility tests or use "tested compatible" glass to keep this from reoccurring.

Small, interconnected cracks (like a spider web).

These cracks generally extend from a single spot on the underside of the glass. They aren't usually severe enough to cause the item to split into pieces. Sometimes shelf primer will also be stuck to the underside of the glass. Most likely, this kind of crack is caused by glass sticking to the kiln shelf. A close examination of the shelf may even reveal small pieces of glass that are stuck to the shelf. The obvious solution is to scrap the shelf clean and apply fresh kiln wash.

Pie-shaped pieces, with smooth edges.

These cracks, which usually occur with such force that they split the piece into five to ten pieces, are caused by thermal shock. The edges of the pieces are often rounded because these tend to happen early in the firing cycle (around 300 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit) and the edges round during later phases of the firing. The cure for thermal shock is to fire more slowly in the early part of the heating phase. You might also try cutting very large pieces into smaller ones before firing. Finally, it's a good idea to peek in the kiln around 400 degrees or so just to make sure the piece is still OK.

Cracks that occur long after firing.

Sometimes a glass piece will just be sitting on a table when you hear a sharp ping. It might be quite loud, and perhaps there's a second (or even a third) ping. When you check it out, you discover that the glass piece you thought was beautifully finished has cracked. (This cracking can even be severe enough to shatter the piece, leaving the artwork in pieces on the table.)

The reason for this disaster is undoubtedly stress that has built up in the glass piece. Stress can come from many factors: improper annealing, thermal shock, incompatible glass, and even "normal" wear and tear.  Improper annealing is the most likely culprit. If you can access the firing log for the piece, check to make sure it was properly annealed.

If you used the same schedule you've always had success with, then perhaps this piece of glass was a bit thicker or larger than normal. Perhaps it was a different glass than you usually use. Perhaps your "normal" annealing schedule needs to be adjusted to anneal just a bit longer and slower.

For more excellent information visit the website, Warm Glass,  and their link here.

What is devitrification and how can you prevent it when fusing and/or slumping glass

Devitrification, a whitish scum that sometimes appears on the top surface of glass that has been fired in the kiln, occurs when glass remains at too high a temperature for too long.  In most cases, devitrification is considered a nuisance, and glass artists will go to great length to prevent its formation.

To understand why devitrification forms, we must first understand the nature of glass at room temperature.  Although a sheet of glass appears quite stable and unchanging, it's actually delicately balanced between two states of being.  On the one hand, there is an equilibrium in the glass between its various constituents (sand, soda ash, limestone, etc.).  On the other hand, a tension exists as these individual components (especially the sand) have a natural tendency to return to their original states.

When glass is heated, this equilibrium is interrupted.  The particles of the glass are heated past their solid state and become increasingly liquid.  So long as the glass is allowed to return to its solid form fairly quickly, the molecules are able to return to the normal configuration and the delicate balance is restored.

However, if glass remains at too high a temperature for too long, then the normal process of establishing equilibrium is interrupted and the molecules in the glass are prevented from regaining their delicate balance.  Instead, the high temperature causes some of the elements in the glass to burn off.  The glass crystallizes along the top surface, forming a crystal (called devitrite).  A mild case of devitrification  results in a dull whitish deposit on the glass, while more severe cases can cause the top surface to break down and even deteriorate completely.

How to make your own DEVIT SPRAY (Borax/water solution)

Purpose: To prevent or minimize devitrification


How to use: Spray or brush lightly on top surface of glass prior to slump firing. 

Ingredients: 1 teaspoon borax to one cup water. Distilled water works best. Regular borax cleaning powder (such as the "20 Mule Team brand" in the US) works well. Precise measurement not required.


Safety precautions: Don't drink. Wash hands after using. Long term exposure to borax can be harmful.


How to make: Just mix the borax with the water. If you put the two ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid, then cover and shake, you'll be assured of a good mixture and have a place to store the solution, too. Label the jar. Shake again prior to each use.


Note:  We use the Borax mixture when fusing in our own kilns at Harrach Stained Glass.  Now, we do not use distilled water since that would mean an occasional trip to the grocery store which is out of the way.  (We just use tap water.)  What we like to do is apply the Borax mixture, by hand to certain glass pieces and with a paint brush on more delicate pieces that have many design elements.  Originally we only sprayed the Borax mixture on the glass and tried fusing, but by doing it that way we ended up with permanent water marked stains on our blue and clear glass pieces.  Later, on another project, we discovered that the spray bottle was clogged, probably with Borax particles from the bottom of our spray bottle.  At that point we decided to pour a small amount of the homemade devit mixture onto the piece we were going to fire and then spread it by "hand" using just our fingers.  This actually resulted in a perfect finish on the completed project with no devit and no fingerprints!


We have learned to never shake up or mix the Borax mixture that you have made right before applying.  You will notice that the Borax and water seem to separate and the Borax will fall to the bottom of your container.  We use the "top" water from our mixture to use as our devit "spray".  Of course eventually your mixture will run low and you will need to make some more devit "spray".  When you make it, shake it up well and then let it stand a while so that the heavier Borax particles will fall to the bottom of your container before you apply to your piece.


The Borax mixture has been good on difficult colors and fired at up to 1475 degrees with excellent results.

What is a kiln's pyrometer?

by Glass Fusing Made Easy

http://www.glass-fusing-made-easy.com/

A pyrometer is a device that measures the temperature inside your kiln. This unit will assist you in improving your firing results, and in enabling you to monitor your process.

Reliable and continuous measurement is essential for efficient control of the glass fusing or slumping operation. Take notes as you proceed with your firings.

This unit is easy to read and monitor. The gauge is much like a thermometer in reading the temperature and is usually broken up into units of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Most kilns come with a stock equipped manually controlled infinite switch and a pyrometer with a thermocouple. The thermocouple is attached to one end of the unit with a cable. This is one continuous unit, to monitor your kiln.

While the infinite switch and meter are on the outside of your kiln to control and monitor the speed of your kiln heating up, the thermocouple is inside the kiln measuring the temperature.

These units work together to control the temperature of your kiln. This device will allow you to know the temperature of the air inside the kiln chamber throughout the complete firing progression. This unit is essential when you are firing glass. It will not allow you to know the temperature of your glass during the complete firing process, but the air inside the kiln.

There are two parts to this unit:

Thermocouple – A sensing probe that consists of two different metals that are welded together at the end. The thermocouple creates a small voltage when heated, which the controller translates to a temperature. It takes a hypersensitive instrument to read that small voltage. Because of this small voltage, the smallest amount of variation can make a deviation in the temperature reading. These are high temperature wires that are covered by a ceramic ring and placed inside the kiln.


Meter – This shows the temperature of the air inside the kiln and that is being registered on the thermocouple.


These units are different and can be off in temperature readings. Testing through different firings will enable you to know if the temperature of your particular unit is correct, or needs to be adjusted.

Kiln slumping wine bottles and other glass bottles for glass art

I found a lot of info online about kiln slumping bottles, so to try something different today, I posted two excellent articles that I found.  Have you ever wondered about labels? Do you want to learn how to remove labels from your bottles or do you want to know how to keep labels on bottles when firing?  Well, I have also found some info on those subjects and posted it below.

Tutorial 1.

Warmglass.com http://www.warmglass.com/Bottles.htm  says:

Slumping bottles in a kiln is not difficult.  It does, however, require a knowledge of basic kiln-forming principles and an understanding of both thermal shock, annealing, and devitrification.  If you are not familiar with these terms, then spending a few moments with the Warm Glass tutorial will help familiarize you with the process of heating glass in a kiln.

The basic process for slumping a bottle in a kiln is as follows:1.  Clean the bottle thoroughly and allow it to dry.  Some people also apply a devit spray to the bottle to help prevent devitrification.  This is recommended for most blue and amber bottles and is also helpful for other colors as well.
2.  Cover your kiln shelf with either fiber paper or kiln wash.
3.  Lay the bottle in the kiln on it side.  It's not essential, but some people place a piece of wire in the neck to form a wire loop which can be used to hang the bottle after slumping. (20 gauge twisted copper works well.)
4.   Fire the kiln to 1100F and soak for 10 minutes.  The rate of temperature increase should be from around 500 degrees per hour.  Some people fire as fast as 800 degrees per hour, but be aware that the faster you fire the more likely the bottle is to crack from thermal shock.  The purpose of the 10 minute soak is to allow the temperature of the glass to equalize and to all reach 1100F.
5.  Fire the kiln at 250 degrees per hour to 1300F, then fire as fast as your kiln will go to 1475F.  Hold the temperature constant at 1475F until the bottle has slumped to the degree you want.  Usually this takes around 10 minutes.
6.  Cool the kiln to 1100F as fast as possible.  You may need to flash vent the kiln to speed cooling and to help prevent devitrification, but some people slump bottles with flash venting.
7.  Anneal.  Some people accomplish this by simply letting the closed kiln cool naturally.  This approach will work if your kiln cools slowly enough through the annealing range (for bottles, roughly 1050F to 850F).  You would want to cool at a rate of 150 degrees per hour or slower.  If your kiln has a controller, a proper anneal soak is highly recommended:  soak at 1030F for 20-30 min then 100 dph to around 850.
8.  Cool to room temperature.  Most kilns will cool at a slow enough rate to avoid thermal shocking the bottles by cooling too fast.

Tutorial 2.
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/information/Tip92.htm says:


Bottle slumping is becoming quite popular, probably because you don't have to buy special glass, you just re-use wine and beer bottles.  (Make sure you recruit your friends to help you drink all that alcohol!  We know how it feels to look at a really cool Grey Goose vodka bottle and think "How long will it take me to empty that?"  Given how addicting this is, we wouldn't want to be responsible for any irresponsible drinking!)

Basic requirements:
You will need a kiln that is able to fire to approximately 1500 degrees For higher.  Any ceramic kiln or glass kiln can be used for this, as long as the bottles fit.  Unfortunately the long shape of bottles make them hard to fit in many kilns.  So we designed the Trio Kiln specifically to fit all our bottle slumping molds.

You need some type of separator between glass and what it sits on.  (The shelf or mold,)  Options are glass separator, Mold-EZ or Primo Primer, which are brushed on, or thin-fire or fiber paper.

You will need glass bottles, such as wine bottles, beer bottles, soda bottles, etc.  Wine bottles make nice trays and dishes, beer and soda bottles make great spoon rests.

Molds are an option that can be used to shape slumped bottles into dishes and spoon rests, or you can simply slump bottles flat, directly on the shelf to make trays.


With all slumping, there are general principles that need to be followed:

Bottles must be clean and dry.  All label residue must be removed.  Some people will use isopropyl alcohol to clean any fingerprints from the glass as well.  The best label removal process I have used to date is filling the bottles with very hot water, and placing them in a bucket filled with very hot water and powdered oxy-clean.  Let that soak a couple hours to over-night. Most labels drop off or can be scraped off with a plastic scraper.  I often use those handy fake credit-cards that come in the mail.  Ah, yet more recycling!


Bottles need to be placed on a surface that has been kiln washed or shelf paper such as thin-fire paper can be used.  This is to prevent the glass from fusing to the shelf.  When using kiln wash, be sure the surface is very smooth.  Any brush strokes, bumps, etc. will show up in the glass.  Even seams between sheets of thin-fire paper will show.
If slumping bottles with "painted" labels such as Corona bottles or Belvedere bottles, those labels remain on the bottle even after slumping.  The trick is to have the bottle remain in place during the firing.  Otherwise, the label looks off-center.  I have used small pieces of thin-fire paper to prop a bottle that wants to roll.  Granted these can be seen on the back of the glass, but in my mind that is better than tossing a bottle because the label looks funny.
If using a mold, it should be covered with a thick coat of kiln wash or glass separator.  We offer a variety of mold shapes for slumping bottles. You can also make your own shapes using your own bisque.   I often use smaller triangle shelf posts wrapped in thin-fire paper to create an elevated neck on beer bottles for spoon rests.  They are small enough to allow the top of the bottle to touch the shelf after slumping. Sometimes glass will get de-vitrify, or get cloudy.  This seems very dependent on the glass the specific bottle was made from.  But we have found that cleaning the bottle really well helps avoid it.  We also have Super Spray, a de-vitrification spray which can be used.

One other thing to consider before firing is whether you plan to hang the tray or spoon rest.  I have found high temp. wire works well and does not break down.  Copper and brass wires will break down a bit, sometimes leaving unattractive flecks in the neck of the bottle.  Simply cut a piece of wire, shape, and place in the opening of the bottle. As the neck slumps, it will permanently fuse the wire into place.  If I want the wire to be gold, I just paint it later.

Decorating your slumped bottles can be a lot of fun too.  You are the artist!  Anything is possible.  You can paint on them with Hues2Fuse non-toxic glass paints prior to firing.  You can fire the bottles on texture molds.  Some people incorporate other pieces of glass, such as marbles, although this can be tricky.  And many people use wire (such as copper) to decorate them after firing.
FIRING PROFILES
As you research slumping bottles, you will learn there are many different firing profiles out there.  Some profiles are provided specifically from the kiln manufacturers, others are a blend of several firing profiles from other artists.  My own profile is a combination of both.  I use a 7cu. electronic controlled kiln and primarily flatten bottles for cheese trays and spoon rests.  The slumping profile that came from the manufacturer did not seem to adequately slump all of the bottles.  Whether the uneven slumping was due the location in the kiln, the type of glass, the size of bottle, the variety of bottles in a single load, or the number of shelves I loaded, I cannot be certain.  Aside from still trying to eradicate a few small bubbles trapped in the body of the bottle, I have had pretty good success.  Generally the firing takes approximately 9 hrs.

Segment	Rate	degrees F	Hold
1	500	500	12 min
2	500	750	12 min
3	600	1100	10 min
4	200	1300	20 min
5	250	1475	10 min	takes roughly 4.5 hrs to this point
6	9999	1100	1 hr
7	500	970	30 min	annealing occurs between 800-1000 deg.
8	120	750	20
Let kiln cool naturally.

To give you an idea about different firing profiles, we have also been using this profile for wine bottles, with success, in the Trio Kiln.

Segment	Rate	degrees F	Hold
1	500	1100	10 min
2	250	1300	0 min
3	300	1425	10 min	at first we had this at 1475 but the edges of the bottle were sharp
Let kiln cool naturally.

This profile does not even have an annealing phase, but we have found it seems to work fine.  If you choose to use this profile, you may consider adding an annealing phase at the end.

Keep in mind these are guidelines, as every kiln will fire a little differently.  It will take a few firings in your own kiln to obtain the results you desire.  Be sure to keep a log so that once you have a successful load, you can duplicate it.  And most importantly have fun with it.

Wishing you the best of luck! - Kris
copyright 2010 BigCeramicStore.com

Check out BigCeramicStore.com to purchase a variety of bottle molds and supplies!


Tutorial 3.

SAVE THAT LABEL!

by http://www.beekmanwine.com/prevtopr.htm

We all know how frustrating it can be trying to remove some labels from wine bottles. Removing labels used to be quite simple, but new glues have been developed to prevent labels from coming off in restaurant wine buckets. These glues make it difficult to remove the labels at all, but one of the following methods will almost always work.


Several different glues are used today and you can’t tell which one was used by looking at the label. No single technique works every time on every label, but there are some relatively safe bets. First try to peel the label off starting in a corner. If you are lucky and the winery used the new “peel and stick” type of label, the label will come right off (However, it will immediately stick to anything it comes in contact with!). Most times you will not be so lucky.


The Blow-drier Method - Some of the new glues are unaffected by water, but will melt enough to slide the label off the bottle after “toasting” the label with a blow-drier for about 5 minutes. A heat gun will work faster.


The Tape Method - This method separates the layer of the label with the image on it from the layer with the glue. 

We sell a product called Labeloff Label Saver ($8.95) which works 98% of the time. It's a package of clear plastic sheets with an aggresive glue on one side. You must follow the instructions carefully.
Or you can contact the manufacturer directly:
Pentad Group, Inc.
106 Pentad Plaza
1446 N.W. 2nd Ave.
Boca Raton, FL  33432
(561) 362-8678
e-mail: labelsaver@aol.com

You can also do it yourself. Go to any office supply store and buy a roll of clear 3” wide strapping (packing) tape.
1. Cut off two strips of tape that are about 4” wider than the label.
2. Fill the bottle with VERY hot water (trying not to get the label wet). Wipe the bottle dry.
3. Put a strip of paper about 1/2” wide across the sticky side of both ends of the tape so the ends won’t stick to the bottle.
4. Working from one side of the bottle to the other, attach the tape to the bottle so that it just extends (about 1/4”) above the label. Bring the tape across the label, using some type of straight edge to smooth it out as you go.
5. Once you have the first strip in place, if it doesn’t fully cover the label, attach the second strip right under the first.
6. Use the back of a spoon to rub hard all over the label.
7. Starting at one edge, slowly start to peel off the tape.
8. Once the label is removed, trim the edges with a scissors.

The Soaking Method - this is becoming less effective as fewer water-soluble glues are being used.
Equipment: 1 tall Igloo water jug (the picnic kind), tall enough to hold a bottle, Ivory Detergent, paper towels, wax paper, a single edged razor blade, a heavy book, a cork, and a glass of wine.
1. Fill the jug with warm water and 2-3 drops of Ivory Detergent.
2. Fill the wine bottle itself with VERY hot water and immerse it in the jug.
3. After about 30 minutes, the label should either be floating in the jug or loosely clinging to the bottle. If not, continue the soak for 2 hours or overnight.
4. If the label still isn’t off, take the bottle out of the jug and fill it again with very warm water. Cram an old cork into the top and dry the bottle well. Get the label as dry as possible.
5. Lay the bottle on a towel to steady it. Use the single edged razor blade to scrape the label off. Start working from the left side of the label, following the curve of the bottle, to about the middle of the label. Then start from the right side of the label and cut back to the center. Work back and forth until the label is off.
6. Put the label between towels to blot of as much moisture as possible. Be careful! Some of the new glues are of the “peel and stick” variety and will stick to anything. If you find one of these, press the label down on some plain white paper and trim around the label.
7. Place the label on a piece of waxed paper with paper towels on top of it and weight it down with a heavy book until the label dries.
8. The glass of wine? You know what that’s for!


Joel’s Method - Forget the darned label and buy another bottle! 

Tutorial 4.

You can fire some labels, by Harrach glass

If you have a bottle that has a baked on enamel paint for the label the enamel will stay on the bottle as seen in the photo. Some enamels will change color or fade. If the bottle has etching the etching will soften. Some bottles get a soft haze that can not be helped.

My kiln is so HOT!

Please give your readers a little information about annealing your beads since it is a very important part of lampworking!

Wisker, I was thinking that I would discuss annealing some time soon.  And I think it would fit in really well, today.  

It is important to anneal lampwork beads so that they don't break easily.  The process basically "relaxes" the molecules in the glass so that stress is alleviated.   When annealing glass it is important to know the best annealing temperature for the glass type you are using.  The glass manufacturers will give you that information.   For the soft glass that I use, I like to anneal at about 960 degrees.

You will also want to know the approximate temperature of your kiln.  Even though digital kilns will state their temperature on their controllers, they may not be exact.  Now,  I programmed an annealing temperature into my kiln that I always use and it seems to work for me.  But if beads are breaking after being annealed, then I suggest you go back and change the annealing temperature and play around with it until you get good beads!  

I anneal all of my beads.  When I am making a lot of round "spacer" beads I batch anneal them.  So that means that I make my beads and cool them down first.  Later I place all of those spacer beads, after I removed them from their mandrels,  onto a sheet of shelf paper on my kiln shelf and anneal them all at one time.  And at the same time those spacer beads are annealing, I can anneal other beads that I am making at the same time, too!!!  

I have placed a mandrel holder on my kiln shelf towards the back of my kiln.  It is used for beads that I am annealing that are still hot and on their mandrels.  So once a bead is taken out of my torch flame, it is immediately placed into the already hot kiln. 

I use a kiln that has a bead door in front, there are many different types of kilns available for lampwork.  

Remember that if you are batch annealing you must put the beads into the kiln when the kiln is cold.  Then ramp up the heat to the correct annealing temperature and hold it there for the proper amount of time.  Also don't put HOT beads into a cold or warming up kiln.  Make sure that your kiln is already at the annealing temperature before placing hot beads into your kiln.  

Once your beads are in the kiln at the annealing temperature (I leave mine in there for at least one hour, and longer if my beads are big), you can do one of two things.  You can either turn off the kiln and let it cool down on its own.  Or you can pre-set your kiln to ramp down at intervals until finally completely cool.  I let my kiln ramp down at intervals if I made larger beads.  Typically I let my kiln cool down on its own after turning it off.

I have a kiln that has a lot of pre-set programs in it.  That can come in handy but it can also be confusing when setting.  I seemed to have lost my manual somewhere.  So if you have that problem, go online and look up your kiln model.  Most manufacturers have kiln manuals available in PDF format.

Some kilns don't have digital controllers.  These kilns can still be used for annealing but I do not have experience doing that.  All I know is that those kilns use cones to determine the temperature of the kiln.  So just do some experimenting with cones and I think you can properly anneal your beads.  One more thing, I think it would be better to use smaller kilns for annealing beads when on a mandrel.  I think it wouldn't be practical or easy to use a top loading large kiln with heating coils on the lid to do this because you'd have to reach your hand into an extremely hot kiln!  I also like the kilns that run on 110 electricity since it can be plugged into most outlets.  220 kilns can only be plugged into a few outlets in most locations, or a certain outlet has to be wired for it.