Fusing Uroboros 90

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glassconfusion
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Fusing Uroboros 90

Post by glassconfusion »

I have quite a bit of clear uroboros 90 coe scrap glass which i am trying to fire on my kilnshelf to make a new sheet of glass. It is mostly 2-3 inches by 8-11 inches rectangular and i am butting each piece next to each other, firing in my evenheat coffin kiln at 1500 degrees. I held at 1500 after ramping at 250 an hour with a soak at 1000 for 20 minutes. I cooled without venting by having the kiln just shut off after reaching the 1500 temp. The piece fused together partially but there are 4-6 inch long gaps that are 1/4 inch wide. Any ideas from anyone on what i can do to have the entire piece fused without these gaps?
Jackie Beckman
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Post by Jackie Beckman »

1. overlap the strips slightly

2. bevel the edges of the strips so they fit one under the other

3. add a bunch of clear frit over the seams

4. don't expect the sheet to come out of this operation scar-free!

good luck-
Jackie
Linda Reed
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Post by Linda Reed »

Jackie Beckman wrote:1. overlap the strips slightly

2. bevel the edges of the strips so they fit one under the other

3. add a bunch of clear frit over the seams
And dam (not damn, not yet, anyway) the whole lot and go hotter and longer for a bit. Or bash the left over strips into pieces or frit and then pile over other dammed pieces to connect colored bit also.

If you just want to make the clear strips back into clear, you can't (usually) just butt and fire. You have to overlap and fire hot, or dam and fire hot... It's the movement that 'sticks' it back together again, but if it can move away from it's butted piece, it will. If you make it flow, but constrain it so that when it flows, it has no where to go but to its neighbor, it will turn into a single piece...

Typically.

Linda
Tony Smith
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Post by Tony Smith »

Remember, when glass is heated to fusing temps, it's going to pull in and gather until it reaches a 1/4" thickness. If you are only laying down single layers of glass, they're going to pull away from the adjacent pieces. The suggestions offered by Jackie and Linda might work after a fashion, but for your best results, lay up two layers of glass and overlap the seams. Either slow down to 50 deg/hr between 1150 and 1250 or soak for 30 minutes at 1200 degrees before you take it to a full fuse. You'll also have to do a full anneal on the way down or you'll stress fracture the glass.

Tony
The tightrope between being strange and being creative is too narrow to walk without occasionally landing on both sides..." Scott Berkun
Brad Walker
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Post by Brad Walker »

One more suggestion: put the scraps in a large flower pot, prop it up like a pot melt, and fire to around 1650F. You'll get a 1/4" inch, round, piece of clear glass. Enlarging the hole in the bottom of the pot will make this go faster, and it'll help to have access to a sandblaster to help clean up any devit or other discoloration.
Jackie Beckman
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Post by Jackie Beckman »

Brad Walker wrote:One more suggestion: put the scraps in a large flower pot, prop it up like a pot melt, and fire to around 1650F. You'll get a 1/4" inch, round, piece of clear glass. Enlarging the hole in the bottom of the pot will make this go faster, and it'll help to have access to a sandblaster to help clean up any devit or other discoloration.
This is probably the best idea of all, so far. The others all pose various issues that are more difficult to overcome. I didn't think about their not being 1/4" of glass when I posted my options, and Tony's right. That will cause you grief. Brad's idea is best.
Brad Walker
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Post by Brad Walker »

Jackie Beckman wrote:
Brad Walker wrote:One more suggestion: put the scraps in a large flower pot, prop it up like a pot melt, and fire to around 1650F. You'll get a 1/4" inch, round, piece of clear glass. Enlarging the hole in the bottom of the pot will make this go faster, and it'll help to have access to a sandblaster to help clean up any devit or other discoloration.
This is probably the best idea of all, so far. The others all pose various issues that are more difficult to overcome. I didn't think about their not being 1/4" of glass when I posted my options, and Tony's right. That will cause you grief. Brad's idea is best.
Well, I don't know if it's best, but it is one method I use to get rid of clear scraps. If you're feeling adventurous, you can reach in the kiln and remove the flower pot when it's empty, then throw in a bunch of colored frit and stir. It's not Rick Jarvis, but it's getting there.
Nancy Juhasz
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Post by Nancy Juhasz »

Brad,

How would one go about getting the pot out of the kiln. I have tried to move glass a little on a floral former with my welding glove. Burned it in about a second so I know I wouldn't pick the pot up with the glove. Would I use tongs where would I get them a welders supply? Sorry to be so unknowledgable about what to use and where to get it. Never had to think this much out of the box before.

Nanc
Nanc
Brad Walker
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Post by Brad Walker »

Nancy Juhasz wrote:How would one go about getting the pot out of the kiln. I have tried to move glass a little on a floral former with my welding glove. Burned it in about a second so I know I wouldn't pick the pot up with the glove. Would I use tongs where would I get them a welders supply? Sorry to be so unknowledgable about what to use and where to get it. Never had to think this much out of the box before.
Two options come to mind: one is Zetex gloves, which can take the heat better than regular welding gloves (though not perfectly, I wear them over other gloves). Zetex is high temperature Kevlar.

Another option is fireplace tongs, but practice first on picking the pot up from a cold kiln until you feel comfortable with the motion.

And don't forget to turn the kiln off before you open it. In addition to gloves, wear eye protection (I wear welding glasses) and cotton clothing.
Nancy Juhasz
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Post by Nancy Juhasz »

Thanks Brad.

I asked because I have been trying to do pot melts and would like to remove the pot after it is empty or as big as I want my melt. I also liked your idea of throwing some frit on a circle of glass.

Nanc
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