Comments on: Watercolor fritteries http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/watercolor-fritteries/ My life, my sculpture...and other things Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:44:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: sunny strapp http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/watercolor-fritteries/comment-page-1/#comment-8890 sunny strapp Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:26:08 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/06/27/watercolor-fritteries/#comment-8890 Thanks for the (re)views. From my side: The Gas: The kiln has no fire brick, and so would heat to 800ºC in twenty minutes if I let it rip. No need for that usually. And when its up there at temp, if something happens that cuts the gas supply (or the electricity) then its down to 250ºC in about 40 minutes. It is a great way to drop the temp thru the 700's zone if you are not having much luck with handling devit. problems. The microprocessor has 16 steps and you can control just about anything you desire (except patience for opening the kiln). Going up, down or zigzagging as Rich LaLonde suggested. I listened to Dan Sch. talk about the whole thing and it seems that you can control IT all so well and have the heat so (in theory) even that "its all just that simple..." Seems like all ya need to do is have heating coming from everywhere at the same time and all equidistant and nonequivocal etc. And be brother in law with the fairy godmother would help too. The gas chambers radiate infrared and heat the glass from the top only. Has nice even heat (if ya believe that) on the surface of your glass. Everything that is in a shadow - like all those uncut layers - just heat on the edges until the heat makes it down in from the top. Can need compensations and two step tangos to get up to temp with no explosions, but I have that phase behind me (knock on wood). For slumping it has its up and down too. I can slump a whole sheet of glass to make some pretty bizarre lamps which have somehow found a market slot. But there have been some dropouts that could have done better with side heat too. Casting in open face is great I guess, but casting from above into a form needs more heat than I was giving it, and haven't enjoyed too much success as yet in that corner. But the inspiration is back and so who knows what will happen next. My kiln inside is 105 cm long by 65 cm deep and 70 cm high. Whoa: That is high. I love it. Has the elbow and knee room that sometimes can't be done away with. About the bowed panel pieces. I have come to love them and the challenge that they present when mounting in a window sash or frame. I have found that 8 to 10 tubes of translucent silicon are a rather nice artful filler and you can convince the customer that is the MODERN way to do it. If they are really liberal, there is a nice Bordeaux wine red silicon with just a slight slash of Burtons Tea Rose tint that you can surely convince them that THIS is the best color for those throw cushions on the sofa, to make a nice color match, of course. Ah yes,... those dear bowed glass panels. ss Thanks for the (re)views.
From my side:
The Gas: The kiln has no fire brick, and so would heat to 800ºC in twenty minutes if I let it rip. No need for that usually. And when its up there at temp, if something happens that cuts the gas supply (or the electricity) then its down to 250ºC in about 40 minutes. It is a great way to drop the temp thru the 700′s zone if you are not having much luck with handling devit. problems. The microprocessor has 16 steps and you can control just about anything you desire (except patience for opening the kiln). Going up, down or zigzagging as Rich LaLonde suggested. I listened to Dan Sch. talk about the whole thing and it seems that you can control IT all so well and have the heat so (in theory) even that “its all just that simple…” Seems like all ya need to do is have heating coming from everywhere at the same time and all equidistant and nonequivocal etc. And be brother in law with the fairy godmother would help too.

The gas chambers radiate infrared and heat the glass from the top only. Has nice even heat (if ya believe that) on the surface of your glass. Everything that is in a shadow – like all those uncut layers – just heat on the edges until the heat makes it down in from the top. Can need compensations and two step tangos to get up to temp with no explosions, but I have that phase behind me (knock on wood).

For slumping it has its up and down too. I can slump a whole sheet of glass to make some pretty bizarre lamps which have somehow found a market slot. But there have been some dropouts that could have done better with side heat too.

Casting in open face is great I guess, but casting from above into a form needs more heat than I was giving it, and haven’t enjoyed too much success as yet in that corner. But the inspiration is back and so who knows what will happen next.

My kiln inside is 105 cm long by 65 cm deep and 70 cm high. Whoa: That is high. I love it. Has the elbow and knee room that sometimes can’t be done away with.

About the bowed panel pieces. I have come to love them and the challenge that they present when mounting in a window sash or frame. I have found that 8 to 10 tubes of translucent silicon are a rather nice artful filler and you can convince the customer that is the MODERN way to do it. If they are really liberal, there is a nice Bordeaux wine red silicon with just a slight slash of Burtons Tea Rose tint that you can surely convince them that THIS is the best color for those throw cushions on the sofa, to make a nice color match, of course. Ah yes,… those dear bowed glass panels.

ss

]]> By: Cynthia http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/watercolor-fritteries/comment-page-1/#comment-8886 Cynthia Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:48:57 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/06/27/watercolor-fritteries/#comment-8886 Hi, Sunny. Yes, Richard LaLonde suggested that to me long ago for a transom window I was doing. The idea is that the glass will cool and contract faster on the air side (since the kilnshelf is insulated) and therefore is liable to pull up at the ends into a mild curve, then freeze in that position. The relax cycle is essentially a slight reheat to even things out. And I still use it for long, narrow fused pieces when I do them. I have experimented a bit and it seems as if a shapes that have a proportion of about 3:1 or greater exhibit the tendency to bow. I talked about it in another post, http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2006/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/transom-window/ On firing with gas: I saw it done in France, for long castings, but primarily because the people I was working with were ceramic artists who couldn't afford another kiln. They were planning to switch to electric as soon as they could. So...I've always thought you used electric because gas wouldn't give you the computer control you needed...seems like your experience is the opposite? Are you using a digital controller? Hi, Sunny. Yes, Richard LaLonde suggested that to me long ago for a transom window I was doing. The idea is that the glass will cool and contract faster on the air side (since the kilnshelf is insulated) and therefore is liable to pull up at the ends into a mild curve, then freeze in that position. The relax cycle is essentially a slight reheat to even things out. And I still use it for long, narrow fused pieces when I do them. I have experimented a bit and it seems as if a shapes that have a proportion of about 3:1 or greater exhibit the tendency to bow.

I talked about it in another post, http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2006/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/transom-window/

On firing with gas: I saw it done in France, for long castings, but primarily because the people I was working with were ceramic artists who couldn’t afford another kiln. They were planning to switch to electric as soon as they could.

So…I’ve always thought you used electric because gas wouldn’t give you the computer control you needed…seems like your experience is the opposite? Are you using a digital controller?

]]> By: sunny strapp http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/watercolor-fritteries/comment-page-1/#comment-8872 sunny strapp Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:10:30 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/06/27/watercolor-fritteries/#comment-8872 Hi C, I'm slowly wandering thru everything posted here and picked up this tidbit that I was unaware of: "add a post-fuse “relax cycle” where I dip below the glass’ strain point, briefly rise above and then drop below again before annealing to prevent bowing or cracking of such long rectangles" Whats your source for this neat tango two step? Do you still employ this as a really useful addition in your kiln cycle? I suppose you are firing with electricity. Do you really have that much control in an electric kiln? I'm using propane and can control pretty much "instant" temperature changes and so I'm interested in knowing if this really gives a noticeable advantage, or is kinda like "crossing your fingers and standing on one foot" to prevent bowing and cracking. Ya know? thanks, and again, great stuff! ss Hi C, I’m slowly wandering thru everything posted here and picked up this tidbit that I was unaware of: “add a post-fuse “relax cycle” where I dip below the glass’ strain point, briefly rise above and then drop below again before annealing to prevent bowing or cracking of such long rectangles”

Whats your source for this neat tango two step? Do you still employ this as a really useful addition in your kiln cycle?

I suppose you are firing with electricity. Do you really have that much control in an electric kiln? I’m using propane and can control pretty much “instant” temperature changes and so I’m interested in knowing if this really gives a noticeable advantage, or is kinda like “crossing your fingers and standing on one foot” to prevent bowing and cracking. Ya know?

thanks, and again, great stuff!

ss

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