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I have actually gotten myself a real kiln shelf to try (I hvae only used fiber board til now). Anyway, I kilnwashed it and it is a lovely peptobismal pink. My question is when it is completely dry is it still pink or do I need to wait longer til it turns someother color? It feels dry, been sitting on a hot kiln for hours, but it is still pinky.

Thanks, Lisa

IMHO it will remain pink until you fire it.

yeah, it lightens up a little, but it stays pink until you fire.
i dont know why they put that coloring in there.

Kitty wrote:yeah, it lightens up a little, but it stays pink until you fire.
i dont know why they put that coloring in there.

So that you know that the shelf has been fired and is ready to use. Brock

Brock wrote:

Kitty wrote:yeah, it lightens up a little, but it stays pink until you fire.
i dont know why they put that coloring in there.

So that you know that the shelf has been fired and is ready to use. Brock

So, I can't use it until it has been prefired and loses the pink?

So, I can't use it until it has been prefired and loses the pink?

I wouldn't on big pieces, say over 150 sq. in., maybe a lot less. Some people get away with it. I've never had a trapped shelf/air bubble since I started pre-firing all my shelves to 1450. It may be overkill, but I prepare 4-6 shelves at a time and a little extra firing time makes no difference to my production. Brock

No, don't prefire it. The pink colour is to let you know that it has not been fired, and you can use it. It will lighten up a bit when it is dry, but will still be pink. After you fire it it loses the pink and turns almost a cream colour.
Joan

joan wrote:No, don't prefire it. The pink colour is to let you know that it has not been fired, and you can use it. It will lighten up a bit when it is dry, but will still be pink. After you fire it it loses the pink and turns almost a cream colour.
Joan

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one Joan. Brock

Brock -- i didnt know about pre-firing the kw. that's interesting. TY 4 the new info.

i just thought the shift from pink to white was to let you know the shelf had been used, but that didnt seem important to me since the glass leaves some shadows on the kilnwash, and the pink/no pink thing seemed superfluous.

next few firings, i'll try you suggestion. always interesting to learn new stuff.

It's not critical on small work, although I have seen shelf/air bubbles in as small an area as 50 sq. inches. Brock

i meant to say i would try it on large work.

i dont use BE on jewelry.
i dont like the feel of the pieces fired on it.
i like 50/50 kaolin & alumina hyd. for jewelry. i think it produces a buttery finish, pleasing to the touch.

Sorry Brock, I didn't know that you could prefire the kiln wash except to 500 degrees to get it to dry faster.
Joan

Hey, don't apologize, I learn stuff on this board every day. It's kind of funny actually, with 110J, fibre shelves, fibre paper, Thin fire and all the other alternatives to kiln wash, it seems to bre going out of favour, and the way to use it is also. When applied properly, it is still the smoothest surface available. Brock

Well, I am actually not fusing on it. What I am planning on doing is using it to get a fused piece flat that my warped fiber shelf distorted a bit. So I am just taking a 1/2" 14x14 piece up to 1170 for 20 minutes. Do you think that would be ok on the unfired shelf?

Lisa

Brock wrote:It's not critical on small work, although I have seen shelf/air bubbles in as small an area as 50 sq. inches.

Got one the other day on a piece that was 3 1/2 inches square. That's 12.25 square inches. And the shelf had been fired once before. I didn't think that was possible.

Just for the record, it wasn't Bullseye kiln wash, it was another brand I was running a test on.

(And I always thought that the reason BE is pink is that Hotline is blue. If I ever make a kiln wash I think I'm going to tint it neon green.)

Go for it Brad! I'll buy some!!

Lisa Allen wrote:Well, I am actually not fusing on it. What I am planning on doing is using it to get a fused piece flat that my warped fiber shelf distorted a bit. So I am just taking a 1/2" 14x14 piece up to 1170 for 20 minutes. Do you think that would be ok on the unfired shelf?

Lisa

Yes, the glass won't become soft enough to become vulnerable to shelf/air bubbles.

Of course you'll go slowly considering the thickness. Brock

Lisa Allen wrote:Well, I am actually not fusing on it. What I am planning on doing is using it to get a fused piece flat that my warped fiber shelf distorted a bit. So I am just taking a 1/2" 14x14 piece up to 1170 for 20 minutes. Do you think that would be ok on the unfired shelf?

I think it would be fine. As I understand it, bubbles form between 1100 and 1300F, but don't emerge until the temperature gets over 1300.

Brad Walker wrote:

Brock wrote:It's not critical on small work, although I have seen shelf/air bubbles in as small an area as 50 sq. inches.

Got one the other day on a piece that was 3 1/2 inches square. That's 12.25 square inches. And the shelf had been fired once before. I didn't think that was possible.

Just for the record, it wasn't Bullseye kiln wash, it was another brand I was running a test on.

(And I always thought that the reason BE is pink is that Hotline is blue. If I ever make a kiln wash I think I'm going to tint it neon green.)

ok brad, now you've confused me - i've got hotline highfire and it's PINK - are they just repackaging be kilnwash then? ;P and their primo is orange-ish when dry and i get bubbles on used shelves when the @#$# shelve isn't totally flat - have a few that are suitable for jewelry only....
D

Me too Dee, but I have blue BE!!