Okay, you’re thinking
I’ve run out of hot topics, if I’m writing about something as trivial as firing
surfaces. But firing surfaces actually have a significant impact on the physical
appearance and manufacturing cost of your finished fused glass artwork. In my experience,
those two important factors make further study into the best practical uses of the
many different options worthwhile. So, let’s get to it.
Ceramic Kiln Shelf: The advantages of using a ceramic kiln shelf are many. A well
primed (kiln washed) ceramic self will give the backside of your fused glass a smooth,
professional looking finish. Re-priming a ceramic shelf is fast and easy. Plus,
doing so makes little dust or mess. (I prime my ceramic shelves with 3- 5
coats of primer before every use.) And, using a primed shelf is the least
expensive, most cost effective way to fire glass.
One disadvantage to a using
a ceramic shelf is the primer’s dry time. You can speed up the dry time by placing
the wet shelf in the sun or by heating it in a vented kiln set to 500 degrees
for 15 minutes. (Be sure to let the shelf cool completely before placing any
glass on top.) Another drawback is weight. Ceramic shelves are heavy, so moving
them in and out of the kiln can be awkward. Size is another thing to consider.
Ceramic shelves tend to be cut considerably smaller than the kiln’s interior
therefore reducing the number and size or projects you can fire at one time. By
cutting a larger, tighter fitting kiln shelf from fiber board, you can increase
the number and size of projects that will fit.
Fiber Board as a Kiln Shelf: The fiber board we’re referring to here is a
high refractory material purchased at your art glass supplier specifically to
use inside a kiln. It’s available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. The sheets
I use are ½ inch thick, 24 inch wide and 36 inch long. This fiber board is
primed with 3-5 coats of primer before every use. The pros: it’s lightweight
and cuts easily to fit tightly inside any size kiln to maximize the firing
space. It becomes smoother with every coat of primer and soon produces a finish
that is close to the smoothness of ceramic.
The cons: the porous
material retains moisture like a sponge, therefore its flimsy when wet with
primer (so moving it when wet is not recommended) and it takes longer to dry than
ceramic.
White glass, and some
paint based labels like those on the backside of Grey Goose bottles, will stick to the board even if it’s well
primed. Removing white based projects will pull a chunk out of the board. I
fire these projects on fiber paper or primed ceramic to avoid damaging my fiber
board shelves.
Fiber board is soft. Dropping
glass or other hard object on the shelf will put a hole in the smooth surface. The
up side is damaged shelves can be cut down and used for shelves in smaller
kilns. Or they can be cut into strips and used to dam cast glass projects.
Nothing goes to waste.
Fusing on Fiber Paper: This is special paper purchased at your art glass supplier for
kiln use. It’s a convenient material designed to act as a release between fused
glass and the kiln shelf. Fiber paper comes in a variety of thicknesses.
Thin Fire looks, feels and cuts
like regular paper. It’s identifiable by the name printed on the backside. This
is a convenience product that delivers a nice smooth finish. It’s ideal when you
want to quickly swap projects in and out of your kiln without having to prime
shelves. The disadvantage is cost and clean up. Thin fire costs several dollars a sheet. It’s a onetime use product
that turns to dust after fusing. Clean up involves vacuuming the left over material
out of your kiln.
Thin fiber paper is slightly thicker than thin
fire. It has a smooth side and a textured side. Even the smooth side leaves
a slight pattern behind on the backside of projects. If handled carefully, you
can get more than one use out of the paper. I like to use it to emboss patterns
in the bottom of my artwork. I cut shapes out of the paper with scrapbooking punches.
The project it assembled in the kiln on top of the cut outs and fired. It’s a
fun, easy way to add detail to your work. The disadvantage to using this material
to cover a kiln shelf is the texture it leaves behind and the cost it adds to
the fabrication. Clean up involves vacuuming the spent material out of your kiln.
1/8 inch Thick Fiber Paper is stiff enough and durable enough to contain thick
glass during the fusing process. I cut it into strips and use it to hold cast glass
projects in place. The nice thing is that you can design your own custom shapes
and sizes without being limited to readymade casting molds. It can also be used
to make deep, ornate embossing patterns, in the backside of your artwork. If handled
carefully, it’s possible to get more than one use out of this paper. Due to the
added cost of this thicker material, it would be used to cover a shelf only for
specialized purposes. Another drawback to this particular paper is the visible texture
on both sides. Like it or not, this paper leaves a noticeable impression in finished
glass projects.
Fiber Blanket: This material is very versatile. It comes in several thicknesses
that have multiple uses. I use it to cover the kiln shelf when I want to create
a project with rustic texture and a wavy free form edge. It’s also flexible
enough to drape over slumping molds to achieve organic shaped pieces of art. It
can be primed to give your art a shinier finish or left raw for a frosted
finish. Stored carefully, his material is very resilient and can be used in any
number of ways over and over again. Fiber blanket costs more than the other fiber
materials, but it’s worth having a sheet in your studio due to its durability and for
its experimental value.
When deciding on a
firing surface, I consider what I what to accomplish with a particular project and
then select the best surface to achieve that outcome. I’d recommend having all
of these materials on hand. Then, when a unique project presents itself, you’ll
have the flexibility to fire it on the surface best suited to create your desired
effect.
Keep it hot!
Lisa
Lisa
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Nice Blog, Thanks For Sharing.
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