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Hey Bert,
I've been watching the board for a week or so, hoping to read the news about the kiln building workshop.
I see that you aren't back to CT. yet. For those of us that weren't able to make it, can you fill us in?

Bert, It looks as if playing in the sand box will require some knowledge and use of physics. I'm a bit lacking in the knowledge department. (that's why I'm here) I understand the principle of adding larger granuals to the mix to create a more stable bed to support the glass. I think I read a thread ...

You have stumbled on to the need for larger particles in the matrix. Welcome to the club. Thanks Bert, I am honored to be the newest member of the NSCGA, or is it the NSBA? BTW, The bentonite was showing that in its "green" state. Now that I've fired it, the binding quality is totally gon...

Here R some thoughts on Shrinkivity My guess is first fire bentonite will shrink as its a clay But next should B OK I guess same is true of dry plaster May B fire slightly over ur temp first fire Stuff like alumina should not shrink Brian Brian, Good call. I aborted my first attempt, because I noti...

Kelly, I was very surprised to see what that article said about this matter. Twenty some odd years ago, when I first got into sandblasting on glass, I had a glazing manual for the apprentice program for the state of California, that said you could safely etch to a depth of 1/32" on tempered gla...

Thanks Brian, I will be using a dust mask when I'm working with the bentonite. I'm just doing a test in a small kiln. I'm going to take a 15" diameter steel ring 2 1/2" tall, place it on a kiln shelf and fill it with bentonite. I will tamp it down just a bit, then make a pattern impression...

Doesn't that sheep ever trip?

I am looking in to a new insulation setup. Skamol 375 vermiculite board backed up with calcium silicate board. Bert, Can you tell me what the wall thickness for the sides and the top is for the tests that are being conducted? My current configuration calls for 3" of insulation in the sidewalls...

Thanks Fellows, I learned a lesson the hard way once before, in regards to health matters. Years ago, I got involved in kinetic sculpture racing, (human powered) vehichles that had to be able to negotiate sand, mud and water, besides asphalt. I unknowingly zapped my lungs real bad with a toxic vapor...

Bert, I'm a bit confused here. I thought I had a fair understanding of grit/mesh sizes. (Grit and mesh are both the same, grit is the size of the partical that will fit through a mesh sreen, the number specifies how many per inch, right?) I'll have to drive to S.F. to get the olivine sand but, I wan...

Harry, I would recomend using a kiln fired paint, if you aren't already. The only downside to this technique, is the size of the glass you are going to be able to laminate without trapping any air pockets. If you are going to laminate large sheets, I would recomend using a resin such as Glasslam or ...

This looks like a simple drop mold made with 1" HD board with a hole for the drop. Bert, That is what I thought too, when I first looked at the thumbnail picture. Then I clicked on the thumbnail, to get a closer look. It appears to have a very sharp corner at the transision point where the dro...

Charlie, I want to shelve these plaster moulds and go get some sand! I went to Warren's site. did you see that piece in his available works section called the Vessel? How in the world did he achieve such a sharp corner at the surface transision point? Thank You so much for bringing sand casting into...

Yaa, I gotta get my hands on some geen sand too! I will have to drive six hours one way or have it shipped. Bert, what impressed me most about the table, is how shiny it came out. That's the control I want to achieve with float glass, without all the cold work. Charlie informed me that this thread w...

Bert, That sounds fantastic; saving in construction and enegy costs and simplified construction. Please keep me posted as to if their test pans out. Are Skamol products easier to obtain as compared to Unifrax? I live in the "real" Northern California, behind the "Redwood Curtain"...

Charlie, I looked at Bert's thread on sand casting the coffee table, awesome! I think sand and bentonite might be a direction for me to explore. On a larger project for architectural purposes do you think there would be a problem with the weight of the glass causing problems with the pattern in the ...

Bert & Charlie, Thank You, for straightening me out on that one. All of the kilns around here that I've looked at on the inside had blanket, like yours Charlie. I like the idea of putting the board towards the inside, to give me a more durable finished inside surface. That changes the waste fact...

Hey Kiln Builders, I don't know if I misinterpreted the information in the archives, but for some reason I lead myself to believe that the best way to configure the insulation for the bell is to install 1" HD board on the sides and top first to the inside of the bell frame, then finish the insi...

Thanks Charlie, I found a good thread in the archives, where you mentioned the chopped up paper technique. I take it that you have an automitic mixer if you mix the dry parts up that long. Thanks also for advising me to continue with my testing before I get my bell kiln built. I can see now, that I ...

Greg,
I like the idea of putting a steel collar around the perimeter. Obviously, if you are doing that, there must not be a problem with the plaster and steel expanding and contracting at different rates, right?