Pot Melt too hot? cloudy underbelly

steve_hiskey · Post by **steve_hiskey** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 5:30 pm

Please excuse the post if it is a repeat. I thought I posted the question, but cannot find it anywhere.

I am really enjoying the Pot Melt directions and pictures... so I decided to try it (twice so far), with mixed results.

specifics:
System96 and Spectrum (COE96 blown glass chunks)
first time, top temp was 1700
fast to 1650, hold 30
300dph to 1700 hold 10
2nd time, top temp was 1650

Both times, I had two problems:

1) massive pickup of the kiln wash (new) on the back of the piece.

I thought, OK, it is because the glass is "moving" from center and hits the hot kiln wash... So, on the second run, I put a big round blank (clear) of System96 under the pot. Same problem

2) hot glass fused through the kiln wash to the kiln

it took chunks out of my kiln shelf. In the 2nd run, it broke the piece as the shelf and glass cooled at different rates.

Any suggestions that you dont mind sharing? Can I pot melt onto fiber paper? would that help? Does the pot melt only work with BE?

thanks!

Steve

charlie holden · Post by **charlie holden** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:16 pm

1700 is pretty hot. You probably don't need to go above 1600, if even that.

I use a plaster/silica mold under my pot melts. I have found that fiber paper gets eaten by the glass the same way that your kiln wash was eaten.

ch

Randy W · Post by **Randy W** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:35 pm

I take my pot melts up to 1675Â° and hold there for two hours. I agree, 1700Â° may be a bit high. The two hour hold allows the glass to level out and for the colors to swirl.

You probably didn't have enough kiln wash on your shelf. I put on about 14 coats.

I use Spectrum96 all the time for my pot melts. I stay away from using white because lately I have been having problems with cracking.

Randy

steve_hiskey · Post by **steve_hiskey** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 12:06 pm

thanks! I will give a lower temp, bigger hole a try.