WarmGlass.com

Hi all
Does anybody know what Free is and how to use it. Is it worth using.
Thanks Ian

Hi Ian,

It similar to talc or baby powder. Some have used it as a release instead of kilnwash on a mold. It is dry and the way a friend of mine said to use it was put it into the foot part of a nylon, tye it off and you can use it as a powder. I've tried it a few times where kilnwash has worn off some and it seems to work but I've never used it without the kilnwash already there on the mold. With slumping you don't go as high in temperature too and that may make a difference. Another friend uses baby powder and slumps light fixtures out of float glass. He gets a beautiful surface and his slumping temperature is around 1100 or so. He even stacks some of the glass in this process. I'm trying to remember the name of the company that makes "Free".

Hope this helps. Patty

Patty Gray wrote:... I'm trying to remember the name of the company that makes "Free".

Hope this helps. Patty

I think it's Sattelite, but I can't find my can of Free. I've never used it on an unprimed mold either, but that's what the instructions say you can do. Apply by sprinkling on the mold with, as Patty described, a nylon stocking. Fill the toe, tie it off and dust away.

Is it worth using? The advantage of Free may be that you get less hazing potential or drag marks when bending at higher temps. I'd try talc first though since it's readily available. Charlie in Cave Creek uses talc on his shelf for high fire techniques with success.

HI Patty & Cynthia
Thank you for answering my question about Free. It is just that I have a particular problem with one of my moulds. It is a 45 cm deep dish mould and it hangs up on the one side and gives me a wrinkle effect that looks dirty until you look at the wrinkles in the light and then the wrinkles look silvery like mother of pearl. So after speaking to one of our local suppliers here in darkest South Africa he suggested using Free to help the glass slide. At 55 rand (7.48 dollars) for 4 ozs I just wanted to check up with the fundis on the board thet I wasn't wasting my money before buying the stuff. I also wondered if maybe the mould (mold) was'nt perfectly level and the glass was touching on side first and hanging up. I am new at this game and only work in float as Spectrum etc. is way to expensive to use here. I am impressed at the speediness of the help one gets from all you guys.
Thanks once again
Best regards
Ian

Casper2, try http:/www.crestmolds.com
Kay

Hi Kay
Been there done that but there isn't really that much information on their site not to mention the fact that there is no msds for Free anywhere that I can find
Regards
Ian

Ian,
Call them, they are very helpful. It's not on their site.
Good Luck

Are they close to South Africa? The phone call might cost more than the Free! Does the baby powder or talc smell during firing? I mean strong perfumy odor? I'm wondering if using it might eliminate the drag marks from the underside of a piece going through a drop mold.

I apologize, Ian, for suggesting you call from So. Africa. Searched my files and came up with the cost. !.75 for 4oz. Directions are that you dust lighty over the mold. When I called she suggested that the mold be placed on a piece of paper so once the mold is dusted you can shake the excess out and put it back into the jar. Hope this is more helpful than my previous post.
Kay

Dani wrote:Are they close to South Africa? The phone call might cost more than the Free! Does the baby powder or talc smell during firing? I mean strong perfumy odor? I'm wondering if using it might eliminate the drag marks from the underside of a piece going through a drop mold.

not all baby power is talc. some brands only contain corn starch, which i doubt will hold up under firing temps.

i've used talc under pot melts. although my kiln is in the garage and i wasn't present most of the time, no smell was detectable when i went in at top temp to watch it drip through. however, i just used a generic grocery store kind. ymmv.

What a great tip.... thanks! I guess the smell can't be worse than hairspray.