WarmGlass.com

At last I have an answer all thanks due to Skyglass (via a private communication): Optul COE 82 Topaz is reported (with a beautiful photograph) to produce the kinds of dichroic effects shown in my pictures above. WOOT! These colors depend on heatwork, and range from violets at the more minimal ends ...

Alexis, perhaps this is the explanation of staining you are seeking. https://boppardconservationproject.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/facts-about-glass-silver-stain/ You may have to cut and paste the link. Thank you, Lynn, that educates me about stain. But I think stain is more or less unrelated to my o...

The instructions were clear when I learned. Stains down on a thin bed of throw away whiting and paints up. Thank you so much for the reply, Kevin, but I am still at a loss to understand what do you mean by a stain ? (I have been writing about powder , i.e. glass frit that has been crushed to a very...

effectively you have a silver stain which may be difficult to track down these days. If you have not used stain before and it looks like you did with those pieces, it is advisable to fire face down or risk have stain fumes reappearing on your glass work at the least opportune later time. Thank you ...

I'm pretty sure they're the same, made by OPTUL Spezialglas GmbH in Germany. As I recall, Armstrong imports their FloatFire from Germany. http://optul.de/en-arc-82.php The only place I know that carries it in the US is Armstrong, but you could contact OPTUL via their website and ask if they have an...

About 10 years ago I purchased 250g of amber powder from C & R Loo. This color turned out to be reactive due to silver in the formulation, and it produced amazing optical effects. In fact, these were dichroic effects, where the reflected colors (viewed through the opposite side of transparent gl...

I notice that Armstrong Glass ' COE 82 'FloatFire' catalog is identical to Optul 's... not just the color selection, but the actual codes for the color selection (e.g., FF3100 is lead-free opaque white, FF3120 is lead-bearing opaque white for both catalogs, etc.). Which company, if either, possibly ...

I am interested in drawing patterns on SLS glass using a cutter, and then inducing devit along the scores themselves. I have worked with intentional devit using laminate technique following much of the late Brian Blanthorn's ideas, but haven't been able to figure this one yet. I have tried a soak at...

Do to the water needed for grinding this is NOT a reasonable approach. I would recommend you consider a wet belt sander to expand your capabilities. With a variety of belt grits you can grind and polish perfect bowl rims (square, round, oval, etc.) plus numerous other applications. A WBS will allow...

I am interested in expanding my studio's powered grinding capacity beyond a Glastar-tyoe grinder. Can run-of-the-mill bench grinders be easily configured for wet grinding? Are there particular brands or models especially suited for glass?

I fear I may need to replace the top elements in my kiln. Currently I have a ceramic ceiling with elements embedded in it. I have written to Paragon for their input on ceiling replacement options, and am wondering if the forum has any input? I really like the embedded elements and the lack of ceilin...

Oi smallbits! There's heaps of stuff the glass studio that your do not want in your lungs ! Surgical masks will not protect you from these things (they protect from the spatter of large droplets, that' about it). I would recommend investing in your future by purchasing and maintaining a P100 particu...

Hi All, I have a new project coming up emphasizing lamination of plate glass. I have had quite satisfactory experiences with Loctite 349 and direct sunlight as my UV source. I saw the Nano470 recommendation, and wonder: 1. What are your current favorite clear UV curing glass glues with bond strength...

However, in ceramic kilns, old kiln was becomes hard and flakes off on everything. Kiln wash on the floor of your kiln will not get on anything except the floor of the kiln. I do kiln wash the floor of my kiln (quite thick). When rejecta from thinfire paper, fiber paper, kiln washed furniture, glas...

My schedules (based on Graham's and various other sources on float) have the strain at 977ºF/525ºC.

Morganica wrote:You can also put a piece of 1/8 inch fiber paper in the bottom,; which will give you a lipped base that is kind of cool.

Ye Gods, you just made the solution to a problem I was way over-thinking for a few years.

Thanks!

If you go the Dremel route, be sure to immerse the piece or to run water over it while knocking the needles off: it is surprisingly easy to create thermal shock through the friction of grinding tools. Better safe than sorry.

To add on to the collective wisdom shared already, Graham Stone's Firing Schedules for Glass are all based on float with adjustments given for various and sundry other glasses. Although I tend to work most with 6mm glass, I have had much success working with 3mm, 2mm and even 1mm glass (that would b...

A painted and fired piece I did at Pilchuck became silver stained on the back. The instructor, Albin Elskus, protected the painted side (the front) with contact paper (vinyl) and washed the silver stain off in an acid bath. It all came off leaving the glass surface perfect and did not damage the pa...

Thank you both! I am going for it! Nice tip on just using blanket, too!