This might sound like a nerd of a question.......... I'm sorry if it seems dumb.
I am new to fusing and am going about it by trial and error (lots of them) and get most of my information from the internet or books I have bought........ but though I have found lots of references to "fire polishing" I don't know how one goes about it in a kiln?
Hope someone can help me understand this process.
I do glass beads with a hot head torch so I know about fire polishing lampworked glass but in a kiln ?????
It's really the same thing, you just have to get the glass hot enough and it will fire polish. It's often done after grinding, sawing,or sand blasting, to improve the look of the cold working. It works best if you take your cold working up to at least 220, but 400 is better. The temperature is vague, but above 1350 usually works.
For example, you can cold work the edges of a bowl or platter, to 400, using a wet belt sander, putting a flat face on the edge, with a bevel running around the piece top and bottom, and then fire polish that edge treatment to a perfect polish.
Kangaroo Island, eh? How did they get there?
Brock
My memory is so good, I can't remember the last time I forgot something . . .
Thanks - I thought that might have been the case but just wanted to be sure..... trying out things on my own is sometimes scary but being so far away from any sort of glassworking institutions I don't have much choice.
Believe it or not, the internet is responsible for me being here. I originally come from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and now work with the Australian Sea Lions at Seal Bay............
I have fallen in love with glass and hope that some of the ideas in my head can become nice glass pieces in the kiln.
Since getting my kiln (originally just for PMC) I have hardly any time to fire up my torch to make glass beads...... !!!!!!!
I only work with small pieces for jewellry.. when you say work it to 200 - 400.... I'm not sure if I understand........
I do need to sometimes grind some of the edges off if they did not fuse round enough and I have to clean fragments of fiber paper off the back as well as smooth the surface out (it is annoying that the backs take on an ornage peel texture when fusing)......
So does that mean that I just have to put the pieces into a cool kiln after finishing the bits and pieces and then heat the kiln again up to 1300+ ??
I have just tidied up some pieces and was about to firepolish them and that's when I realised I needed clarification...
I only work with small pieces for jewellry.. when you say work it to 200 - 400.... I'm not sure if I understand........
I mean to cold work the edges of your pieces so that they are up to the finish of a 200 or 400 grit, or higher. The higher the grit number, the easier and finer the fire polish.
I do need to sometimes grind some of the edges off if they did not fuse round enough and I have to clean fragments of fiber paper off the back as well as smooth the surface out (it is annoying that the backs take on an ornage peel texture when fusing)......
Just grinding is really not good enough, it'll take so much heat or time to fire polish that your piece will start deforming.
So does that mean that I just have to put the pieces into a cool kiln after finishing the bits and pieces and then heat the kiln again up to 1300+ ??
Yup!
I have just tidied up some pieces and was about to firepolish them and that's when I realised I needed clarification...
Thanks
Bea
My memory is so good, I can't remember the last time I forgot something . . .
I only work with small pieces for jewellry.. when you say work it to 200 - 400.... I'm not sure if I understand........
I mean to cold work the edges of your pieces so that they are up to the finish of a 200 or 400 grit, or higher. The higher the grit number, the easier and finer the fire polish.
I do need to sometimes grind some of the edges off if they did not fuse round enough and I have to clean fragments of fiber paper off the back as well as smooth the surface out (it is annoying that the backs take on an ornage peel texture when fusing)......
Just grinding is really not good enough, it'll take so much heat or time to fire polish that your piece will start deforming.
So WHAT should I do to avoid the 'orange peel' effect??? My fusing temp is 1470F and I have reduced the recommended 5minutes fuse to 3 minutes because 1 min did not really fuse well enough to the base......
So does that mean that I just have to put the pieces into a cool kiln after finishing the bits and pieces and then heat the kiln again up to 1300+ ??
Yup!
How long for?
I have just tidied up some pieces and was about to firepolish them and that's when I realised I needed clarification...
. . . So WHAT should I do to avoid the 'orange peel' effect??? My fusing temp is 1470F and I have reduced the recommended 5minutes fuse to 3 minutes because 1 min did not really fuse well enough to the base......
The back of any fused piece is going to pick up the texture of the shelf.
Try applying your kiln wash watered down a bit more, or apply a couple of coats of hot water after applying the kiln wash. There will be SOME texture on the back of your pieces, that's just the way it is
So does that mean that I just have to put the pieces into a cool kiln after finishing the bits and pieces and then heat the kiln again up to 1300+ ??
Yup!
How long for?
Till it's done. Look in the kiln. Eventually, if you keep logs, (or have a good memory) you'll know how long.
My memory is so good, I can't remember the last time I forgot something . . .
