WarmGlass.com

So I've been making drop bowls lately with pretty good results. Different designs, some screen melts, others with strip edge, etc. But sometimes I get a pale white haze on the top 1/4 of the piece, all the way around. It is more visible in the darker opal glasses but is also on Tekta and transparent...

Got it guys, these are the details I was looking for, indicator lights are a great idea and I'll definitely keep spare SSRs.

Thanks!

Bump to solicit feedback: Next project will be to build a separate box for a heat sink and solid state relays to mount away from the kiln on a wall. Anyone have plans, pictures or diagrams of their solution for this? I assume that all 18 wires to the relays (6 wires each) would run from the wall box...

Great idea, but plunged forward with tape and a fine sharpie to label the wires. Not too bad, took about 2 hours, could probably do it in half that next time. It's kinda tight in the box which is filled with wires of course. So you have to be careful not to accidentally disconnect or damage anything...

Well....... after all the questions and great info from this forum I added "change kiln relays" to my to-do list, then failed to do so. And as you would expect, I had a relay stick closed this week......... It was on my refurb Olympic GF314ETLC, the one with an unknown # of firings. I work...

You've already heard that a typical firing is about 2400 cycles. That says 40-50 firings will get you to 100,000 cycles which is the average number of cycles before failure at their rated current. My old 27" Evenheat drew 27 Amps, but the load was split between two relays. The kiln was used mo...

Relay life curves (very hard to find these days) plot the average number of cycles before failure against current at a specific operating temperature. A mechanical relay that is rated for 30 amps and is actually switching 30 amps will have a very short life compared to a relay that is rated for 30 ...

I've been following this thread with interest and am puzzled (again, it happens a lot). If a relay is rated for 200K cycles and that equates to less than 100 relatively short, 6 hr firings I assume that many of us run these mechanical relays waaaaay past their rated life. Is this rating artificially...

I use both, razor type scraper followed by drywall sanding mesh. Gives a good smooth surface for the fresh kiln wash. However, I've wondered if I could skip the scraping and simply sand the shelf with the mesh, not completely removing the old wash but just taking off the top layer of the old and smo...

I'd hang on to them if I were you, I believe this is the white that is used with French Vanilla for some pretty unique results........

(Or sell and ship to me.......)

Just used this same Tree of Life mold, first attempt came out pretty well. Headed to a sibling as a house warming gift. First fused the 2 layers into a blank using a bubble squeeze, normal, very fine bubbles but no issues. Then the fuse on the textured tile, then a slump. Schedules are probably more...

Yeah, I tell customers that the plates/bowls are food safe but not for the microwave or dishwasher, hand wash only. I suspect most pieces would survive on the top rack but hey, if you can't hand wash something unique then you don't need to buy it......

Thanks guys, good to know.

Are fused glass items with the Irid side up food safe?

I suspect that energetic use of tableware will mar the finish and probably lifts bits of the irid coating to add "flavor" to the food.......?

How about for use with food but no tableware touching, like a dish for hard candy?

Thanks

Same here, 2-3 firings if you're careful and don't nick or scuff it. After those firings I lightly brush off the loose dust with a soft brush, blow it off with compressed air, re-apply one thin coat. All outside with a mask on....

Have ordered and used several scales from these guys with good results: http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/gold-scales.html

Lots to choose from, YMMV.....

Hmmmm..... this could also solve the problem of left over glass in the screen that is a color or type you don't want in your next melt....and you could vary the hole size as you like......

Interesting, thanks Morganica

Mine were 2 layer, base was thin with a std clear cap. Anything you can do to keep the weight down would be good, just not so thin to be fragile.....

First of all, I've only made 3 buttons so not a lot of experience here...... My sister asked for matching glass buttons for a gift she was knitting for my wife. I found the shanks on Etsy, lots of choices, size, material used, style, quality. I made three 5/8" cabs, cleaned up the edges, and gl...

Thanks guys, I was waiting for more input before next steps. (So haven't sandblasted anything) Brad, I did as you suggested and tapped the areas of the screen with left over glass. Got a lot of it out fairly easily, not pounding it hard or anything like that. Then I took it outside and blew off any ...