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The Armstrong is just enamels on float. You an do the same thing yourself if you wish, using whatever base glass you prefer. Etching/blasting off the enamel will not give you the same look as true flash glass. You can make your own, using whatever combination of colors your want. The method describe...

Two firings. One to smooth out the Bullseye glass and a second one with the frit.

Some enamels can give you compatibility problems (i.e, Thompson), some are fine regardless of glass used (i.e., Ferro Sunshine).

No, you can't use Bullseye frit on float glass. But you can buy float compatible frit. There are several suppliers, try Armstrong Glass.

Float fires a bit hotter than Bullseye. But it can devitrify easily.

What was wrong with the Bullseye?

The difference in price between a 40 amp and 50 amp SSR is under $10

Annealing for float is 1100F. For thin glass you wouldn't need to hold any longer than 15 minutes or so. You can buy thin float at just about any hardware store (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) or any place that sells glass for windows or shelving. Make sure she buys a decal that matures at a relatively lo...

That's above my pay grade. I'm familiar with situations where you simply plug the kiln into the standalone controller and just plug in a different kiln as needed (as well as move the thermocouple), but don't have any experience with what you're wanting to do instead, other than to think it's a lot m...

Thanks Brad. Do you have any idea of how long a thermocouple lead can be before you lose accuracy on the temperature? That's more of a question for someone like Tony Smith, but I did find this: The length of a thermocouple has no effect on its measurement accuracy or its ability to transfer the sig...

You should be able to set up a standalone controller into which you can plug whichever kiln you're using. Probably work best with a switchable two-in-one plug.

Yes, that's right. You don't really need to program the last step all the way down to room temperature.

As your final step, I would program 45 dph down to 375C, then turn the kiln off and let it cool with the lid closed to room temperature.

It's not unusual for long narrow pieces to bow slightly. To solve the problem, I recommend stopping just above the annealing temperature and holding for at least half an hour That gives the glass time to relax and even out the internal temperature before annealing. Your schedule is unusual in that y...

Get rid of the shelf. Just use posts.

Also, I'd hold a little bit longer at your top temperature than you have been.

Could you tell us what you mean by "bends"?

Is the piece being fused on a flat shelf and bows upward slightly or is it something else?

Also, it would help to have your firing schedule.

I was not aware there’s a compatibility problem with wire inclusions... Many of the wire and glass pieces made in the 1970's are now starting to crack. And I've seen fused wire pieces crack much more quickly than that when the wire is thicker. The COE for most metals is 150 or higher. So it's not m...

What gauge wire? What material wire?

I would be more concerned about long term compatibility than holding up the two layers.

Lots of enamels out there, none are the same. You'll have to check the specifications (firing recommendations) and content (lead or non-lead, COE dependent or not) for each enamel to make comparisons. Since Easy Fire and Fusemaster are marketed by the same people (Fusion Headquarters), I would conta...

Great to hear from you, Bert, and glad you're back 100%. Missed you.

I would cut it out of Ceramaguard, but I'm not sure that's available in Israel.

Second choice would be to use long strips of 3mm fiber paper, which can be wrapped around the dammed area several times, then secured with lots of small kiln posts and strips of cut up kiln shelf.

I was at Spectrum years ago and watched them iridized glass with a spray arm going back and forth as the glass came out of the rollers. I think Oceanside has bitten off more than they can chew. some of the clears are terrible. Spectrum would iridize their stained glass, which burns off in the kiln....

I believe Uroboros did the coatings on Spectrum's irid. I suspect it's not yet a priority for Oceanside.

Surprised acetone didn't do it. And bad language seldom works, but it does make you feel better. About the only other thing I can think of is CLR (Calcium Line Rust), which has multiple solvents but may not be available in Australia. On the other hand, the company that put that sticker on has gone o...