Who makes their own marbles? Need some help..

[MightyMouse]

I'm just starting out and am dabling with a bead making kit. I have my torch which is all i needed to get me started. I got a marble mold a few days ago and loving it. I know i need a Kiln and probley a better torch but for now am good with my basic. I am having problems with getting marbles to cool down right. All i have for this right now is what i got with my kit which is 2 wedges of ins. blankets i put marbles between. Is there a better way of getting to cool down better? I have heard a can of vermiculite works but is there going to be a better result then the ins. blankets? Also i found this kiln for 100 bucks but they say it doesn't have a cord. Is this something i could easily find? or for that matter make? Also does this look like a kiln in good shape? thanks for any info and help...

[Marbleguy]

I bought the bead kit,gas cannisters and fiberglass blanket. Problem was I did'nt want to use preformed glass rods. I wanted to use the hundreds of pounds of broken glow under UV light Depression Era uranium/vaseline glass and mid-1930s broken glow under UV light McKee jadite glass I had accumulated via years of dump-diving. I would advise practice with what you've got till making marbles becomes easy. Then think about going to a kiln. If you can't produce perfectly round marbles using what you've got and a fiberglass blanket to cool them then it's a waste of mony to buy a kiln. In my case I may eventually buy a kiln because that and molds are the only way I can think of to make marbles (and beads) from chunks of broken glass. I want SOO much to turn the glow under UV light glass pieces into marbles,bracelets,necklaces and rings.

[duffytrash]

heres a forum with some of the best contempory marble makers in the world...they will surly be glad to help you...http://glasswizzards.yuku.com/forums/1