WarmGlass.com

Have aquired some 18 gauge stainless steel for rings. Has been cut into 3/4in. strips. Even though it will be lined with paper. should the SS, be prefired. Thanks. Mike

Mike Boos wrote:Have aquired some 18 gauge stainless steel for rings. Has been cut into 3/4in. strips. Even though it will be lined with paper. should the SS, be prefired. Thanks. Mike

Hey Mike, I got some of those rings from Matt Hoppes and I blasted, and primed them just in case. Can't hurt, don't know if it's necessary. Brock

You can prefire it but if you are using fiberpaper it really doesn't make any difference. You need to be sure and use 2 layers of fiberpaper with rings. The inside layer needs to cover the seams of the outside layer and the seams should never line up. The fiberpaper should fit snug also.

Has the SS been TIG welded shut or has it just been rolled? If it is open it's not a problem but you should brick it up good at the seam so the glass does not push it open. If it was welded be sure the weld was ground smooth on the inside or the bump will reflect into the side of the glass.

Phil

Brock, Phil, thank you both. Phil, it has been welded up, I will follow the recommendations of you both. Thanks Mike

If you do not fire it first, make sure it is cleaned well to get any oil off the stainless steel.

Tim

Thought I'd share a couple problems I had with my stainless steel rings - a little off subject. For my first project with my rings, I filled it with bits of glass and lots of frit. I loved the look once it was fused, but 2 things happened to ruin it for me. First, the ring didn't stay circular, so my piece ended up a rather lopsided circle. Second, I cut the fiber paper for lining the ring too tall, and it fell onto the glass during fusing and left scum marks.

Lessons learned: Block the edges of the ring to keep it circular, or use a blank for the bottom layer. Cut the fiber paper shorter or figure out some way to attach it to the top of the ring so it doesn't fall over.

Pat Loboda