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I bought 2 of those metal bands that you tighten with a screwdriver from Ace, and they assured me that it was made entirely out of stainless steel. I'm planning on using them to hold a thin sheet of stainless steel in a round shape. I'm not going to fully melt the pieces of glass I'm putting inside the ring, I just fire to 1240 degrees to slump a structure I've made of glass. I've done this many times with a rectangular shape, so I don't have a problem with what's going to happen with the glass. These metal bands seem to be the perfect way to hold the metal together. Is it too good to be true? I just don't want to find molten metal blobs in the bottom on my kiln. Thanks! Kate

If in doubt fire without any glass on it to see what happens

Kate Saunders wrote:I bought 2 of those metal bands that you tighten with a screwdriver from Ace, and they assured me that it was made entirely out of stainless steel. I'm planning on using them to hold a thin sheet of stainless steel in a round shape. I'm not going to fully melt the pieces of glass I'm putting inside the ring, I just fire to 1240 degrees to slump a structure I've made of glass. I've done this many times with a rectangular shape, so I don't have a problem with what's going to happen with the glass. These metal bands seem to be the perfect way to hold the metal together. Is it too good to be true? I just don't want to find molten metal blobs in the bottom on my kiln. Thanks! Kate

I have used Home Depot 'repair clamps' http://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Plu ... hose+clampwhich I always called 'hose clamps' that are stainless steel. The clamps can be combined to make as large a circle or oval as needed. The form desired must be provided by the glass itself i.e. glass circles placed inside the rings lined with fiber or the lined clamps inside a shape (I make mine of ceramigard) so that the clamps push outward against the shape. If using a shape on the outside of the rings, divots must be made for the adjustment (screw) fixture. I have fired the rings to as high as 1500F. There is spalling, but the rings can be used multiple times until the adjustment device becomes clogged. These are relatively inexpensive, so I don't bother too much with them once they are clogged.

The reason I do not fire directly in the ceramigard shape is that the clamp compensates for (rounds out) irregularities in the cut shape so I don't have to be so meticulous when cutting the ceramigard by hand. So, if the ceramigard shape is sufficiently accurate, just line the ceramigard and fire within that shape. I weight the ceramigard to avoid movement within the kiln. I have fired ceramigard to 1600F; and usually prefire it to 1000F.

Thanks so much for the information! I'm just beginning to do more sculptural pieces and this information will be quite useful. I usually don't mind doing a test run-through
before I do a piece, but I really didn't want to risk a metal melt in my kiln. Thanks again, Kate

Metal bands used in firing? AC DC for classic mood, Soundgarden for punkish metal, but Dragonforce when I need some serious Dungeons and Dragons-themed speed metal. Honestly though, I tend to avoid metal when fusing and listen to Dylan, Kate Bush, Art of Noise and Boston.

Alexis Dinno wrote:Metal bands used in firing? AC DC for classic mood, Soundgarden for punkish metal, but Dragonforce when I need some serious Dungeons and Dragons-themed speed metal. Honestly though, I tend to avoid metal when fusing and listen to Dylan, Kate Bush, Art of Noise and Boston.

I will use stainless, but generally avoid heavy metals except maybe Lead Zeppelin.