Screen Melt Bowl Failures

This is the main board for discussing general techniques, tools, and processes for fusing, slumping, and related kiln-forming activities.

Moderators: Brad Walker, Tony Smith

Post Reply
Emily Will
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 1:08 am

Screen Melt Bowl Failures

Post by Emily Will »

I've been making small bowls (5 1/2" diameter circles in a Bullseye ball mold) with
good success EXCEPT that every time I try to use a screen melt circle as a starting point
they crack early in the slumping process. Even starting my kiln at the lowest setting
this still happens. Using the same mold, the same kiln, I have good success. So, there
must be something I don't understand. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Emily
Attachments
Disaster.jpg
The Hobbyist
Posts: 308
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 7:09 pm
Location: Sun City West (NW Phoenix), AZ
Contact:

Re: Screen Melt Bowl Failures

Post by The Hobbyist »

More information is necessary.

Are the melt disks the same thickness as the other ones that don't break? If they are thicker they will have to be ramped up much slower especially in the tight confines of that little kiln. That would explain why the break appears to be from thermal shock.

The break also has the appearance of being caused by stress from poor annealing or incompatible glass. More information about how your melts are made will shed some light on those possibilities

Jim "The Hobbyist"
"With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil—that takes religion. " Steven Weinberg
Joe Wokovich
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:57 pm
Location: Florissant, MO (@ St. Louis, MO)

Re: Screen Melt Bowl Failures

Post by Joe Wokovich »

What is your firing schedule? Which coe glass are you using?
“If you tell me, I will forget.
If you show me, I will remember.
If you let me do it, I will understand."

And then tomorrow I can start all over again
Emily Will
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 1:08 am

Re: Screen Melt Bowl Failures

Post by Emily Will »

Jim and Joe -

I'm using Bullseye only. I think Joe's point about annealing could be the answer. I measured the
pieces and although I gave the glass plenty of time and space to spread, the thickness is between
7 and 8 mm instead of the usual 6 mm. In terms of annealing and firing schedule, since it was a screen
melt I went fairly quickly to the process temp, but on the way down I did my usual which is to just let
the kiln cool at its own rate since it is a small (8x8 Evenheat Studio Pro) kiln. That works fine for small
pendants, etc, but I an see now that for a screen melt that I plan to slump, I should probably turn the
kiln back on when it gets down to about 900-1000 and hold it there for a while.

Does that make sense?

Thank for the advice.

Emily
Marty
Posts: 859
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 3:58 pm
Location: Maine
Contact:

Re: Screen Melt Bowl Failures

Post by Marty »

You're on the right track but "and hold it there for a while" isn't going to give you repeatable results. BE has an annealing chart. Use it.
Also realize that all the various melts- pot, screen etc. have been fired higher than BE's test firings and that some colors may shift in COE and viscosity, making them potentially incompatible.
Haydo
Posts: 292
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2003 9:55 am
Location: Eimeo, Qld., Australia
Contact:

Re: Screen Melt Bowl Failures

Post by Haydo »

What you are going to try with future annealing is the way to go. Spend a bit more time to save time. Only other suggestion would be to add some baffling between the edge of work and the side elements. Depending on what you have on hand is where you may need to get creative with the baffling problem, could be just a ring of ceramic fibre supported by posts. peace, haydo
Life is like a raft, so be like a rat!...Challenging being a captain type rat though, going down with each ship and all!!
Jeanice
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2012 1:24 pm
Location: Wyoming, USA

Re: Screen Melt Bowl Failures

Post by Jeanice »

I agree with Haydo about the baffling. I have to baffle in my smaller kiln, and now I use baffles in every single firing in that kiln. There is a lot of heat directed to the edges and the center is still waiting for the heat. Enormous difference in heat between the edges and center, no matter how slow you go.

Beautiful melt by the way!
Jeanice
Post Reply