Baffeling

[Amy Schleif-Mohr]

Ok, I am making a crecent shape and want to slump it over an arch of ss with fiber paper over it. I just want to make sure that baffeling the tips on the way up and down is what I should do.

Need conformation, Please.

Thanks, Amy

PS, I will obviously go slow, like 200F/hr, and annealing schedule will be appropriately slow too.

[S. Klein]

Amy, what is the size and thickness of the piece. Describe the kiln. Size, where are the elements?.................steve

[Amy Schleif-Mohr]

The pieces are between 1/2" and 5/8". The crecent is 20" across.

The kiln is a 13"deep oval that is about 36" long and 22" wide. The elements are top and side. I can't turn one set off or on, it's a combo thing, whatever the controler tells it to do.

When I cast the crecent I had to put bricks around the rings, concentrating them near the tips, so they wouldn't thermal shock. So I am assuming that it would thermal shock in the slump if I don't baffel or do something.

Amy

[S. Klein]

I don't see the pieces thermal shocking if you go up and down slow enough. That being said, baffling is always a good safety net. Also, I would go slower than 200 dph. My program would be 100 dph to 1000 hold 1 hr, 100 dph to slumping temp, hold 20 to 30 min. full to 960, hold 3 hrs (if I have a wide range of colors or opals and transparents I go to 4 hrs), 20 dph to 860, 40 dph to 600, 80 dph to 300. This is probably conservative, but it's what I use on my 20" squares 1/2" thick..........steve

[Amy Schleif-Mohr]

Rock on Steve! Thanks.

I think I'll baffel and use your schedule. I'll let you know how it comes out.

Amy

[Gale aka artistefem]

Amy......try to place your baffles a good breather distance (air flow pathway - not touching kiln sides) away from your elements.

The baffles reflect heat back onto the elements, which will create super heated areas. This can shorten the life of your elements and the surrounding fire bricks.

I once cracked a mullite kiln shelf using baffles to shield the edges of a piece of float glass almost as large as the interior of my kiln. Fiery inferno!! The float survived this intense firing and slumped with very interesting organic looking edges. Not quite needled!

Take it slo-o-o-o-w.

Good luck, amigo.....

[Amy Schleif-Mohr]

Thanks Gale,

Good to know about.

Amy

[Brian and Jenny Blanthorn]

Ok, I am making a crecent shape and want to slump it over an arch of ss with fiber paper over it. I just want to make sure that baffeling the tips on the way up and down is what I should do.

Need conformation, Please.

Thanks, Amy

PS, I will obviously go slow, like 200F/hr, and annealing schedule will be appropriately slow too.

Baffle n Go

In addition 12 what said

The technology also gives evenivity during the slump

I use Fiber Dizer n Washed board

Leaning against the elements with a bit of the same board at the top

This has thin strip of board with a small square sticking on 2 it so it cant fall down looks like this

______##

So 2 create a gap

[Amy Schleif-Mohr]

I was thinking of just baffeling the tips, should I baffel the whole thing?

Amy

[Brian and Jenny Blanthorn]

I was thinking of just baffeling the tips, should I baffel the whole thing?

Amy

I would

U do get a lot of direct radiation from side relements

Which is just what U dont need

But U dont say how close the tips R ??

Or the rest

[Amy Schleif-Mohr]

Well I haven't set it up in the kiln yet to know how close everything is to the elements. That will be in the next couple hours. I'll let you know how the set up goes.

Amy

[Amy Schleif-Mohr]

Ok, I have it all set up.

2 sides of the baffel are bricks, the other sides are mullite dams stacked, the top baffel is 1/2" fiber board.

The top baffel is approx. 1" away from the piece and a couple inches away from the elements in the lid.

The tips of the crecent are 6" away from the elements and 4" away from the baffel (side baffels)

The closest part of the crecent is 2" away from the elements and 1/2" away from the baffel. These are the mullite baffels.

I am planning on using Steve's suggested firing schedule.

Amy

[Amy Schleif-Mohr]

Well, I have to thank everyone for helping.

I just opened the kiln and took a look, it's all in one piece! Yay!

May good fortune fall on you all and your kilns!

Thank you thank you thank you!

Whew!
Amy