Old Glory

[Kev]

This is a piece I currently have cooking in the new kiln. It's a holiday panel for the house number design, but could be used all year round as well.

[Anne]

Nice!  glad to see you're back to the house panels! I would think this would be very popular.

[Becki]

I like the design. Are you only taking this to a contour fuse?

[JoanFrances]

love it Kev, do you have any other pieces in the kiln with it? 

[Kev]

Yes Becki..contour fuse. I may adjust it as needed during the firing, but the white is the base color so it's only 1/8" there and I did not want that red and blue to become real fuzzy on the edges. As it is, the Star is a 3rd layer, so it will probably be less contoured, but it is small, so we will have to see how it goes and adjust as needed on the fly.

Yes Joan..1 other piece is firing with it. This is my experimentation phase with the new kiln.

[ct4mom]

I love it as well Kev. Im sure a first of many designs for the house panel and the new kiln

[Kev]

Well this experiment turned into a disaster. I was watching it as it approached the top temp and noticed what looked like some of the strips warping a bit. I thought..since I have never seen it before, maybe it does that when ti starts to melt. The next thing I knew...it was blowing up like a balloon...it was getting so big I had to abort the rest of the program in fears it might pop and spew hot glass all over the inside. I now have a dimensional piece far more dimensional than intended..LOL...can we say frit anyone?

I suspect the new vermiculite board was gassing off and it was trapped under the glass. I had previously heated it up to 500 degrees after I kiln washed it, but maybe it needed to go higher. The napkin ring had not even really started fusing from what I could visualize. I would hope after this the gassing off is completed.

Trial and error...life's textbook.

Kev

[Becki]

I also have to wonder if it might have been a volume issue.  Might have to go back to the drawing board and make the base 2 layers.

[ct4mom]

Sorry to hear that Kev, but your right trial and error and good thing you were peeking could have been a mess.

[Tre V]

Ok I'm fairly visual...jus how bad is bad? If you haven't pulverized it yet, post a picture of the disaster phase...please

[Kev]

Oh by all means I will post the bladder...lol

Becky..I happen to think you might be right..though the first one I did was a single layer with  a double edge around it. I'll give the gal up at the shop I bought it from a call tomorrow and see it if might be the gassing thing. I did read in one of my books about bubbles and they said it could be a result of gassing off of fumes from the binders burning off. I'll let you know what I discover.

[PiscesGlass]

..this is all too confusing for me...I think that a kiln is the last thing I need to complicate my life...it's already complicated enough.  LOL.
I'd be interested in seeing the "bladder" too..before it becomes frit.

De

[Becki]

Kev, everything I've read about vermiculite board says it does not need to be prefire.  I would say that if your kiln wash wasn't completely dry it could cause problems but taking it to 500 degrees after washing it should have taken care of any moisture....I repeat, should have!  I've also read that thinfire or fiber paper should be used on top of the washed shelf.  You also might want to try a straight edge to make sure the V board is level. 

I'm anxious to hear what you hear from your glass shop friend!

[Kev]

I did use thinfire paper under it. Hopefully it was a result of the kilnwash not being dried enough. too bad though..it would have been quite nice I believe. I can't wait to take it out and look at it though..maybe I can make something abstract out of it..lol

[Kev]

Well...this is the final result...Old Glory kinda looks like Miss America at the beach?...LOL I tihnk it loks really funky..and I kinda like it...not sure what I will do with it...but I'm not throwing it out.

[Anne]

Wow.  You do have to laugh though don't you.  I'll be interested in hearing what the gal at the glass shop has to say too!  Have never seen this before.

[Becki]

Whoa!!    This could be from any of the things I mentioned but I'm not sure I've ever seen it go to that extent!!  It is interesting...the start of an interesting sculptural piece?? 

[Audrey]

Too cool. You will find something to do with it. I think it is great.

[Kev]

Becky..I talked with the gal at the local shop...she said it related to trapped moisture in the vermiculite board. She says whenever she is going to use it, she prefires it to 750 and lets it cool to dry any moisture out of it first before firing a piece. She said on humid days it's like a sponge and holds moisture, though in this case was probably related to the new kiln wash. So....I have placed the clay kiln shelves in and will only use the vermiculite board when doing a piece that is too large for them, and I will prefire it first.


BTW...Miss America is no more...as I was carrying her out the door, it broke. The white glass was as thin as a lightbulb.

[Becki]

Very strange.  You had fired it to 500 and then again with the glass on it...any moisture should have been gone in the lower range of the second firing.  I'd still be careful if you do this again and consider putting clear on the white.  Just my thought!