French Vanilla Woes

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JenniferB
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:15 am

French Vanilla Woes

Post by JenniferB »

I’m trying to make some items with Bullseye’s French Vanilla (0137). I made a plate, composed entirely of Fr. Vanilla, with a single 3 mm layer base and smaller decorative pieces of Fr. Vanilla, placed about 1/8” apart, covering most of the surface, so that I essentially had a 6 mm thick piece. My goal was to have the characteristic post-firing white edges around each small element to emphasize the design. My first attempt, using schedule #1 below, was semi-successful, in that each decorative element on the surface did have the distinctive white edge, but it seemed to me that some of the smaller pieces were somewhat over-fired so I thought perhaps I’d reduce the process temperature for future firings.
In my next attempt, with 3 new items, I lowered the process temperature and shortened the soak (see schedule #2). The result was that the white edges didn’t appear, but several of the small decorative elements came out very bright white over their entire surface, while the base and remaining elements fired to a deep cream and the whole thing looked patchy. I re-fired these items, using a higher process temperature and adding 2 minutes to the soak (see schedule #3). The white edges showed up slightly this time but the bright white elements still stood out from the creamy background.
I thought perhaps the bright white glass had appeared because I’d used glass from several different sheets of Fr. Vanilla, so for the next item, I used glass from only one sheet and fired it using schedule #4. When I took it out of the kiln, the white edges around the surface decoration elements were barely noticeable.
I know, because I've seen it, that it's possible to produce some clear and distinct white edges, but I haven't been able to do it successfully and consistently. Can anyone give me some clues as to how to achieve the look I’m after? Should I leave more space between the surface elements? Should I hold longer at process temperature? Do I need to ramp up more slowly or add another ramp somewhere in the schedule?

Jennifer

Schedule #1
400oF dph to 1225oF, 30 min hold
400 to 1510, 15 min
AFAP to 900, 90 min
100 to 700, off

Schedule #2
400 to 1225, 30 min
400 to 1500, 10 min
AFAP to 900, 90 min
100 to 700, off

Schedule #3
300 to 1225, 30 min
400 to 1510, 12 min
AFAP to 900, 90 min
100 to 700, off

Schedule #4
400 to 1225, 30 min
400 to 1510, 12 min
AFAP to 900, 90 min
100 to 700, off
David Jenkins
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Location: Cypress, Texas

Re: French Vanilla Woes

Post by David Jenkins »

I can't help with any useful advice, but I'd like to see some pictures of the various results - would that be possible?
Dave Jenkins
Glass at Harbor Gates
Cypress, TX
Morganica
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Re: French Vanilla Woes

Post by Morganica »

Pictures would indeed help; your idea and mine of "the distinctive white edge," "somewhat over-fired," "bright white elements stood out from the creamy background," and "whole thing looked patchy" may be very different, so I'd like to see exactly what you're talking about.

French Vanilla has a lot of wonderful characteristics and one of them is that it kinda shows its heatwork history. You're obviously testing for that, from the description of your processes, but if you've got pictures to show the differences that would be helpful. Thanks
Cynthia Morgan
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JenniferB
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:15 am

Re: French Vanilla Woes

Post by JenniferB »

I took some pictures but my camera is not working well so I don't know how "diagnostic" they'll be. Photos DSCN0496 and DSCN 0502 show the bright white elements in contrast to the creamy ones. These were fired using schedule #2 then again using schedule #3. Photo DSCN0500 was fired with schedule #4 and shows the lack of distinct white edges. I don't have a photo of the first piece fired using schedule #1.
Attachments
DSCN0502 em.jpg
DSCN0502 em.jpg (24.46 KiB) Viewed 9621 times
DSCN0500 em.jpg
DSCN0500 em.jpg (29.37 KiB) Viewed 9621 times
DSCN0496 em.jpg
DSCN0496 em.jpg (20.86 KiB) Viewed 9621 times
Dick
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun May 01, 2005 9:34 pm
Location: San Diego
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Re: French Vanilla Woes

Post by Dick »

Have you tried a small sample, with 2 layers of French vanilla, and then accent pieces and fire a little lower, say 1450?
Glass Fever
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Re: French Vanilla Woes

Post by Glass Fever »

French Vanilla is one of those weirdly wonderful colors that forms layers of color when the sheets are made, which is what causes that lighter outline you're looking for. I don't think the lighter squares are overfired, I'm wondering if they're perhaps from a different sheet, or the opposite side of the same sheet. I think your middle photo doesn't have the outline because it was fired lower, the glass just needs to spread out a little more. Try it again with your full fuse schedule, and keep careful track of which side of the squares you place up. I'd like to see what happens then.
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