Cleaning your Molds

[Lia Howe]

How do you clean your molds?, ceramic. I have some molds that seem to take forever to get the kiln wash off. I have started to use some candle bridge molds and there has got to be a quicker way to clean the molds. I would love to hear what works for you.Lia

[Brock]

If you apply the KW properly and slump at 1150, you don't have to clean your molds. Ever.
There may be exceptions, but I never did on many different molds.

[Laurie Spray]

If they do get scratched just apply more wash. Maybe you are confusing them with casting molds where you do need to clean them between castings.

[Lia Howe]

Nope not confused been fusing for about 20 years. I am usually firing a little higher than 1150 but I was taught that you always clean and re-kiln wash your molds to assure a better product.Lia

[Stephen Richard]

You need a separator to keep the glass from sticking to the mould unless you fire at very low temperatures for very long times. A separator needs to be in good condition to provide a good product. As batt/kiln/shelf wash does not change its chemical composition below about 700C (causing it to stick to the glass), my experience shows it does not have to be replaced unless its surface is damaged or not suitable for the piece being formed. When damaged, I prefer to clean off all the existing batt wash with a very fine wet and dry sandpaper piece which is flexible.

Not trying to teach you, just saying my reasoning and practice.

[rosanna gusler]

i usually slump/drape at 1261f. i rarely remove wash. when i do, i do it wet with scotchbrite pads in fine/med just untill smooth enough and then recoat. i find that a mix of 50/50 kaolin/alumina hydrate is great on molds. rosanna

[Morganica]

How do you clean your molds?, ceramic. I have some molds that seem to take forever to get the kiln wash off. I have started to use some candle bridge molds and there has got to be a quicker way to clean the molds. I would love to hear what works for you.Lia

I mostly don't, unless there is a bunch of flaking that will marr the underside of the glass, and by then it is loosening anyway. When I do need to remove kiln wash and recoat, I use a jewelers scoop--a small, thin, shovel-like metal scoop atop a long pair of tweezers.

I slip the edge of the scoop under a loose bit of wash and start scraping. Usually the wash peels off. When I've removed the bulk of it, I dampen a green scrubby sponge and attack any residue. There isn't much, usually.

I've heard the always recoat your molds bit, figured it was invented by somebody selling kiln wash. It certainly ensures that your glass will always have fresh kilnwash underneath and not stick. But in the last 10 years of leaving kilnwashed molds alone, I've had glass stick exactly zero times.

[Valerie Adams]

I've heard the always recoat your molds bit, figured it was invented by somebody selling kiln wash.

I took part in a class once where one of the students said Bullseye kiln wash needed to be mixed at a 1/3 ratio. When we questioned her about what a thick mixture that would be, she told us that it helped her business sell more.