Damming inch thick large rounds

[Britestar]

I'm going to fuse inch thick (three layers) and 18 inches in diameter float glass rounds and am wondering if anyone has suggestions for the best damming materials? I've used thin fire strips backed by eighth inch blanket strips and then contained it with a stainless hose clamp band, but the glass edge took on the shape of the blanket as it folded in order to curve around the edge. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Jackie Beckman]

Have you seen us make mention of the stainless rings? This is the exact application for which they are intended. Look in the classified section to order some.

Good-Luck -
Jackie

[Paul Bush]

Have you seen us make mention of the stainless rings? This is the exact application for which they are intended. Look in the classified section to order some.

Good-Luck -
Jackie

And they work great - I just fired my 12" round ss ring for the first time yesterday, and love it. I used a few fire bricks around the perimeter, just to be sure the mold didn't move.

AND: be sure and kiln wash the rings, even if you're using fiber paper to line it. I forgot this essential step, and will be chipping off some glass today.

Paul

[Bert Weiss]

Have you seen us make mention of the stainless rings? This is the exact application for which they are intended. Look in the classified section to order some.

Good-Luck -
Jackie

And they work great - I just fired my 12" round ss ring for the first time yesterday, and love it. I used a few fire bricks around the perimeter, just to be sure the mold didn't move.

AND: be sure and kiln wash the rings, even if you're using fiber paper to line it. I forgot this essential step, and will be chipping off some glass today.

Paul

Paul

Do you make the interior glass smaller than the ring or basically the same diameter?

[Jackie Beckman]

Do you make the interior glass smaller than the ring or basically the same diameter?


Bert, this tip won't be of much use to you with float because I don't think it smooths over as well, but with BE I've taken a bunch of scrap sized pieces and cast them in the rings. If you're not casting, just cut the glass the diameter of the inside of the ring minus the thickness of the fiber paper. They really are handy - I love mine.

Jackie

[Phil Hoppes]

Check out the classified.

Matt Hoppes
His email is matt@profabllc.com

He can make rings just aobut any custom size from 6" up to 22" or even
larger assuming you have the kiln for it. Send him an email and he will give you a quote.

I think they are great. But of course I'm a little biased.

Phil Hoppes

[charlie holden]

Of course you could always just cut an 18 1/8 inch circle out of the middle of a piece of one inch fiber board and line it with ceramic fiber. Put a fire brick or two in it to weigh it down so it doesn't move.

Or, if you want a certain texture to the bottom and rim you could make a one plus inch thick circle of clay, carve the texture into it and/or build the texture onto it, then cast a plaster silica mold around it and cast your glass into that mold.

If you're going to be making lots of these you could also make yourself a ceramic pan the proper size and bisque fire it. Line it with fiber paper or kilnwash it to death. I used to cast into the clay pans that garden places sell to go under flower pots.

ch

[Greg Rawls]

I bought stainless stell dams from the link below. They work great! To prepare them I heat the dam to 500F, then spray with shelf primer. You can see my use of this mold at my web site:
http://www.gregorieglass.com/glass_latest.htm

link to buy mold: http://www.artglass1.com/slumpingforms.htm

[Jerry Barnett]

but the glass edge took on the shape of the blanket as it folded in order to curve around the edge.

Do all of you Lords of the Ring line them with fiber paper or have you been able to get the glass out of a large ring with only kiln wash on the ring?

To have a smooth edge, do you then cold work the edge?

Jerry

[Paul Bush]

Have you seen us make mention of the stainless rings? This is the exact application for which they are intended. Look in the classified section to order some.

Good-Luck -
Jackie

And they work great - I just fired my 12" round ss ring for the first time yesterday, and love it. I used a few fire bricks around the perimeter, just to be sure the mold didn't move.

AND: be sure and kiln wash the rings, even if you're using fiber paper to line it. I forgot this essential step, and will be chipping off some glass today.

Paul

Paul

Do you make the interior glass smaller than the ring or basically the same diameter?

Hi Bert,

Jackie already answered this - I'm also using the ss ring for high temp fusing of scrap, so there is no starting diameter. But, after cooking the glass at 1700 for an hour or two, there's a lot of cleaning up to do. Felisatti here I come.

Paul