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Thanks Carol!
-e

I haven't heard about this show, and I'm in Portland... When is it?
-elin

are you sure you don't have some untapped powers? he he... hmmm... maybe I should look into that... I could probably find a way to use it to my advantage! I wish I had a picture of this phenomena, but it was a couple of years ago. It's so bizarre to me that no one else has ever heard of or seen it....

So, Tony, I have definately felt the electricity before, but have you ever seen the lightning bolt effect that I was describing? It actually goes through the glass, like a crack of sorts... There is a small flash of light when it happens, but then there is a "crack" that remains in the gla...

braided refractory gasket around the lip.

Try the gasket. You can also use strips of 1" fiber blanket 2-3" wide as a gasket. It's soft, so it has some give, and will make up for the gap.

-elin

I find the "flashlight effect" very useful! It helps me see where I am blasting. I think that's what I like best about silica carbide. However, I have experienced something else that led us to ground our nozzle and glass rack. We had a few pieces of glass ruined by a "lightning bolt&q...

Are the bricks loose or cemented together? This is just a thought, but if they are loose, you might be able to pry them out and flip them over. They insulate well enough that even if you can't get all of the glass out, the exterior side of the brick shouldn't get so hot that it would continue erodin...

Yup- done both, Tony's right, although I don't remember the slumping temp either. The only thing I have to add is that blasting acryllic will build up mucho static charge... so watch out or you'll get zapped! (I was using aluminum oxide... maybe it would happen less with silica carbide?...)
-elin

I've used Loctite UV adhesives. I've also used a good resource website--www.gluguru.com. There are several options there too.
-elin

Lynne, What I found, regarding the edge was that soft undulations weren't really a problem. But, if the edge had a "v" shaped indentation that actually came to a point, or if the edge got very thin, it had a slimmer chance of sucess. So, as far as the chipped edge, it would kind of depend ...

Moisture is a whole other issue. Here in the tropics I have auto valves before an air dryer and at the tank. Cost $900.00. Dry air is good to breath and good to blast with. Wet air clumps like spit balls. We have the same issues here in Oregon. I have found that leaving the pot empty between blasti...

First, I've recycled 120 grit Silica Carbide in a pressure pot before with no problems. I've done the same with 120 Alumina Oxide. No problems at all, as long as you run it through some screens to sift out the junk. The Carbide retains its cutting power even after it's been used better than the Alum...

I have had a lot of success tempering cast/textured/sandcarved float glass. I've also had a few failures, and some of the tempering facilities I've used have stopped providing the service due to the risk involved, and the inconvenience of having to clean up a shattered piece. All of the broken glass...

Hi, I just saw this thread, and thought I would add a bit of info.... We make small clamshell table-top kilns for fusing, as well as beader kilns... and since no one else has come up with any suggestions, I thought I would jump in. They are fiber kilns, clam style, with top elements (quartz encased)...

Ahhh, I understand pattern bars now... OK. Mullite shelves are available at ceramic supply stores-- it's better than just any kind of ceramic material, because it is a refactory material but I am not really sure of the details... You may very well be able to make shelves yourself out of some kind of...

Hi Ruth, I might be able to help answer some of your questions. Regular kiln shelves tend to be made of mullite. Using this type of shelf might help hold more heat-- and a thicker one-- like 5/8"+ would probably hold even more heat. I am a little unclear about your annealing/cracking issues-- c...

Hi there, When Paragon people ran you through tests, they probably had you check to see what kind of thermocouple your controller is configured for, and a couple of other settings, right? I don't suppose your thermocouple tip is right by some elements? ... no, didn't think so..., that wouldn't expla...

Elin, are the venting chimneys manually opperated, or are they tied into the programmer? One of the kilns I looked at was indeed a FuseStar. The chimneys are manual. There are also viewing ports on all four sides which can also be un-plugged for crash cooling, if necessary. I like the mini kiln ide...

Well Bert, The truth is, I build the things, but I do not design them. I am still learning as I go, but for now, I basically do as I am told... I wish I had more information for you. I'm not sure if having the elements inside the tube would be problematic. I don't know anything about straight elemen...

I work at EK Miller Co. in Portland. We build FuseStar kilns, which have the cooling system Bert described-- and there are quite a few of our kilns in use in the area, and also in the bay area. I think it works great-- cool air is never actually being introduced into the kiln, but heat is being remo...