Search found 18 matches

by davebross
Tue Mar 16, 2004 11:42 am
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: breakthrough rigidizer news
Replies: 38
Views: 39666

Wesbond is a father-son business, both named Wes, both incredibly knowledgable on what they make. They are a joy to deal with.

Their products are just outstanding, I've used them for a few years now.
by davebross
Wed Sep 10, 2003 7:35 pm
Forum: Business Topics
Topic: Tax included in sale price?
Replies: 7
Views: 8960

Try this for including the tax in the price: If you had a 6% tax, divide the total by 1.06 and that will give you the cost of the thing sold before the tax. If the tax was 7% it would be 1.07, 8% would be 1.08 etc. etc. Let's say you sold something for $50 and had to pay 6% tax to the state. 50 divi...
by davebross
Thu Jul 17, 2003 10:58 am
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: From your 20 years experience....
Replies: 2
Views: 3971

From your 20 years experience....

Vic, I'm assuming you're still quite happy with the Hyxtal if you're still using it 20 years later. Does it really stay clear and well bonded over a long span of time? Will exposure to sun make it yellow? Any other glitches? I'm assuming what you said about the different COE glasses would rule it ou...
by davebross
Wed Jul 16, 2003 9:56 pm
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: More Glue Questions - Hxtal
Replies: 8
Views: 8809

Ebay is a good place to look for a triple beam balance scale.
by davebross
Tue Jul 15, 2003 9:59 pm
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: More Glue Questions - Hxtal
Replies: 8
Views: 8809

Any time epoxy directions say to do it by weight it means that's quite critical. Most folks who use Hyxtal use it in the kind of quantities where it's easily weighed, as in large sculpture. As far as the setup time, I don't know the answer to that one personally but don't hesitate to ask Bob Stephan...
by davebross
Thu Jul 10, 2003 10:05 pm
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: Re: Pyrometer Creep
Replies: 6
Views: 7199

The K thermocouples do corrode over time and read incorrectly. I make my own out of small gauge thermocouple wire and at about the one year point I replace them. I just cut off the original end, strip back some more insulation, twist the ends together and melt the tip with a torch and a bit of borax...
by davebross
Tue Jul 01, 2003 5:07 pm
Forum: Kiln Casting
Topic: sealer for ceramic board
Replies: 3
Views: 6916

Here's two recipes for that vermiculite backup insulation. It's only good to around 1000 degrees F. and this recipe is done in large quantities so you may want to scale it down. Recipe 1 - Pete Vanderlaan 3-5 five gallon pails of vermiculite. Find vermiculite at the garden supply. 25 lbs. fireclay o...
by davebross
Mon Jun 09, 2003 12:08 pm
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: Other product besides Moist pack to make mold for lamps?
Replies: 6
Views: 6442

Fine sand with molasses or bentonite ( a fine particle clay) to hold it together. A liitle higher tech would be sand with sodium silicate mixed in and carbon dioxide gassed into it to harden it. There may be something on this in Henry Halems Glass Notes website. It's in his book for sure. Look up fo...
by davebross
Mon Jun 09, 2003 11:58 am
Forum: Kiln Casting
Topic: Fused artist/Ceramist/Machinist I think NOT--Help !!!!
Replies: 3
Views: 6429

Lots of kitchen tools/equip. are made from stainless. I love kitchen stores for finding odd glass tools in stainless.

For pipe and other stainless goodies shipped to your door:

http://www.mcmaster.com

Scrap yards, as mentioned, are great for those wild card finds.
by davebross
Sun Jun 01, 2003 1:09 pm
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: ANOTHER Tile Saw Question
Replies: 1
Views: 3840

If we're talking abut the tile saw sitting on the shelf in the pic on that page (I'm language impaired for that particular language)than it looks like the same one that Harbor Freight sells for from $60-80 US. I've got one of those, and have been very happy with it for big rude hogging it out sort o...
by davebross
Sun Jun 01, 2003 12:41 pm
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: Re: Chemistry of metals and glass
Replies: 16
Views: 16024

Davids explanation is great. To answer the other two questions... What sort of flame on the torch, oxidising, neutral or reducing? Different effects possible with any of the three. Note Davids comment on pushing the silver colors around. An example...I do an effect that brings up the copper from a c...
by davebross
Fri May 30, 2003 9:45 am
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: Re: Chemistry of metals and glass
Replies: 16
Views: 16024

It did't make any sense to me either that an electric kiln would be reducing, but certain very sensitive colors will reduce in my electric. I would give Bullseyes steel blue opaque as an example of a common fusing glass that will definitely reduce in an electric. It's probably just marginally reduci...
by davebross
Thu May 29, 2003 9:08 am
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: Re: Chemistry of metals and glass
Replies: 16
Views: 16024

Barbara, If it's sterling it might be the copper in the silver causing reactions with the silver and the glass. Some glasses have reducing arents added to them in the form of something like black tin. Not that many of them though, so if you're getting it with a lot of colors that's probably not it. ...
by davebross
Wed May 28, 2003 7:37 pm
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: A question about thermo couplings on kilns
Replies: 7
Views: 8482

K type thermocouples are a maintenance item. They deteriorate (actual corrosion from the dissimilar metals, you can see the "green rot" happening on a large wire diameter one) with time and heat and eventually don't read correctly any more, or, as in this case, let go entirely. I keep a ro...
by davebross
Wed May 28, 2003 7:27 pm
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: Re: Chemistry of metals and glass
Replies: 16
Views: 16024

I might know just little enough to be helpful on this. I don't know the exact compounds formed. All the wild and crazy metal reactions on glass seem to depend on depriving the glass/metal combination of oxygen, also known as as maintaining a "reducing" atmosphere around the hot glass. Raku...
by davebross
Sun May 25, 2003 9:16 am
Forum: Kiln Casting
Topic: heating rate for easy glass flow
Replies: 10
Views: 14976

One more thing to consider. That Gabbert ruby is a cadmium/selenium glass, which means it's a "striking" glass. What this means is that the color happens by formation of crystals in the glass at a certain temperature. Any glass gets its color by subtracting certain wavelengths of light fro...
by davebross
Fri May 16, 2003 10:30 am
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: flux for Ballentini beads
Replies: 6
Views: 6238

The lead frit sounds like a great idea. Lead is so forgiving on expansion mismatches. Might want to try for all one type of ballentini beads if possible. someone here posted a great link to a kiln casting artist who was breaking sheets of tempered glass to get the pelletts that result. She was also ...
by davebross
Mon May 12, 2003 10:56 am
Forum: Techniques and Tools
Topic: flux for Ballentini beads
Replies: 6
Views: 6238

Laurie,

OK, now I'm curious...

What is a Ballentini bead?

More detail on what you're wanting to do?