I've been fusing blanks - top layer is 90 irid, irid up - bottom layer is clear. My last blank (of course), the 25th one, for this design series has ONE BLUMP (a bubble/lump). This BLUMP is in a 10" x 16" cranberry pink irid (gorgeous and expensive) so I'd like to not have to cut it to a smaller blank. I am taking these pieces to BMAC in Feb.
I am thinking I can drill the blump from the back side of the glass, then fill it with frit. However, I don't want to take it back up to full fuse because of the irid top. With this particular design, next I tack fuse at 1350, then slump during a third firing at 1250.
I can alter the tack fused design elements slightly to cover the re-fired blump. Has anyone had this situation - and have any other ideas? I am hoping to make this blump go away as best as possible.
Robin, you did not say where the bump is located but since you propose to drill it from the back I assume it is between the clear back and the pink layer. Would it be possible to drill from the top and cut away enough of the pink (1/8" to 3/16" ) so that the pink could settle back down in an extra 1350 firing then position tack fuse elements over the slight depression left and proceed with your regular tack fuse and slumping firing? The trick with this is to have an opening in the top layer large enough to allow most if not all of the air to escape before it seals up again.
Robin, you did not say where the bump is located but since you propose to drill it from the back I assume it is between the clear back and the pink layer. Would it be possible to drill from the top and cut away enough of the pink (1/8" to 3/16" ) so that the pink could settle back down in an extra 1350 firing then position tack fuse elements over the slight depression left and proceed with your regular tack fuse and slumping firing? The trick with this is to have an opening in the top layer large enough to allow most if not all of the air to escape before it seals up again.
Best wishes,
Tom in Texas
Hi Tom:
The blump is trapped 3" in from the left side of the 16" measurement, halfway between the 10" measurement . The back clear side is absolutely flat. The blump is a total of 1/2". There is a smaller bubble which is mostly clear and measures 1/4". Surrounding that is a "halo" of more trapped air that is cranberry/clear. So, in re-looking at the problem after your suggestion, I think drilling in from the top would work better. This would leave the backside unmarred as it is now.
Do you have any feel for what will happen to the irid if I put it through the extra 1350 firing?
The blump is trapped 3" in from the left side of the 16" measurement, halfway between the 10" measurement . The back clear side is absolutely flat. The blump is a total of 1/2". There is a smaller bubble which is mostly clear and measures 1/4". Surrounding that is a "halo" of more trapped air that is cranberry/clear. So, in re-looking at the problem after your suggestion, I think drilling in from the top would work better. This would leave the backside unmarred as it is now.
Do you have any feel for what will happen to the irid if I put it through the extra 1350 firing?
Absolutely nothing! Drill from the front, fill or not, because you'll have to cover that spot later, as the irid will be gone where you drilled. I would drill, fire, tack-fire, slump. Unfortunately, 3 firings to fix it. Brock
Thanks Brock. I would much rather do all those firings to save this piece than not. I'll refire it today and post the results as soon as I can take it out of the kiln. (Then I'll give the electric company their share of the profits as soon as I sell it - probably sooner).
If you want to get rid of the halo as well as the larger bump you will have to open it up in as many places as it has segments to allow the air in them to escape too.
A question that comes from this fix for me is this:
Since this platter is part of a specific limited edition series and the tack fused elements are "fixed" because of this particular design (normally the tack fused elements are 1-1/2" from the edges on two sides). I would have to make this platter differ from the rest of the series because the blump is 3" in from the left side. So, I will be moving the tack fused design elements in by another 1-1/2".
Question is: Would you sell this as a second? An expensive second because of the cranberry irid - but still a second?
Robin Evans wrote:A question that comes from this fix for me is this:
Since this platter is part of a specific limited edition series and the tack fused elements are "fixed" because of this particular design (normally the tack fused elements are 1-1/2" from the edges on two sides). I would have to make this platter differ from the rest of the series because the blump is 3" in from the left side. So, I will be moving the tack fused design elements in by another 1-1/2".
Question is: Would you sell this as a second? An expensive second because of the cranberry irid - but still a second?
Would love to hear some thoughts from y'all.
Thank you,
Robin
In my opinion, it's not a second if you fix it. As you are the creator of the piece, you can alter/change/transmogrify your design element placement as you wish. Brock
Would it be possible to used the expensive fused base with totally different tack fused elements that cover the problem area to produce either a "one of" piece that is not a part of the original limited edition or perhaps even a start of another limited edition ? When you get lemons make lemonaide.
What I often do with the "blumps" is flip the piece over and fire top down (I also do that to prevent them happening). Of course I usually end up blasting the surface that has been down to clean it up. and then I flip and fire again, or go straight to slump. This might not work for you because of the irid surface (though I like the way irid roughs up when it has been fired face down)
(Brock, I am not too lazy to do the chads, they just don't always work with my designs....)
Good luck with the fix!
Barbara
Barbara
Check out the glass manufacturer's recommended firing schedules... LATEST GLASS
So far so good - I peeked in my kiln and the blump has filled in quite nicely. When I'm able to take it out, I'll see if I want to use it as originally intended or use it as a base for another new design.
Thank you Tom, Brock and Barbara.
If I can figure out how to post my digital shots of before and after, I will do so as soon as I can open the kiln.
