How Do I Support These In The Glaze Firing?

[jrgpots]

I have bisqued the flutes and glazed them with wax resist at their ends. I was going to fire them "standing up on end." But I am afraid they may fall during firing. I could try to support them through the note holes with stilts.

 

Please help.

 

Jed

[oldlady]

why do you assume they will fall over?  is the floor in the kiln space springy?   i would suggest making  supports for them so they could lay on the hole side.  put a largish lump of clay with a wire that will take the temp you are going to.  it would look like a giant thumbtack.  two toward the middleish may work well enough but 3 would be better.

 

just a thought.

[Min]

Do you know how much this clay slumps? If they are on their side with stilts you might need the stilts fairly close together to avoid slumping. I can see why you are worried about them tipping if fired upright, as the clay shrinks they are going to contract and move a bit. Do you need a glaze on them? How about no glaze then firing to maturity then sanding smooth with wet/dry? I could see some glaze on the mouth area so maybe glaze fire them raw then try a brush on thick low fire glaze on the mouth area and a low refire on stilts. Okay, now I'm rambling.

[jrgpots]

No, the kiln floor is sound. I had made supports from clay. I like the idea of using high temp wire. I think I have some old element wire that wound do the trick. Thanks.

 

They are still in the experimental stage. I tuned them in the greenware stage. It will be fun to see what key they end up in after glazing.

[perkolator]

bar stilts and fire horizontal an option? then just touch up the spots with a grinding stone when finished firing.  they might stand up ok since they are already fired once.  if it was greenware they might warp and fall over, but since you're going to maturation i'd support - making a peg-stand they can be held up with might be good idea if going vertical...try a nichrome bar made for a bead rack, stuck into clay/wadding.  element wire won't be strong enough.

[Benzine]

I would second the bar stilt idea.  Beyond that, when I arrived at my current classroom a couple years ago, I found odd stilts.  They initially looked like a standard three armed stilt.  Upon closer inspection there is a thicker metal rod, sticking up from the center.  I've not been able to use them, especially since I don't know what they are for.  As long as that center rod was think enough, that would work well for your flutes, as it could go through the hollow center.

[jrgpots]

Do you know how much this clay slumps? If they are on their side with stilts you might need the stilts fairly close together to avoid slumping. I can see why you are worried about them tipping if fired upright, as the clay shrinks they are going to contract and move a bit. Do you need a glaze on them? How about no glaze then firing to maturity then sanding smooth with wet/dry? I could see s

ome glaze on the mouth area so maybe glaze fire them raw then try a brush on thick low fire glaze on the mouth area and a low refire on stilts. Okay, now I'm rambling.

The next batch I can fire to cone 5 with Rio and slip applied to raw clay, then saggar fire them. A low fire glaze could be applied around the mouthpiece during the sagger firing.

 

Jed

[jrgpots]

I would second the bar stilt idea.  Beyond that, when I arrived at my current classroom a couple years ago, I found odd stilts.  They initially looked like a standard three armed stilt.  Upon closer inspection there is a thicker metal rod, sticking up from the center.  I've not been able to use them, especially since I don't know what they are for.  As long as that center rod was think enough, that would work well for your flutes, as it could go through the hollow center.

I could add a small clay button on the end of the wire to help stabilize.

 

Thanks

[jrgpots]

Any idea of the diameter I would need?

[perkolator]

i think the bead bar only comes in one diameter - it's around 1/8" thick and maybe 8" long.  significantly thicker than any nichrome wire i've ever seen.  if you're only firing them with iron oxide wash, slip or underglaze on them (except mouthpiece) i'd say just fire directly on the shelf and let the mouthpiece hang over the edge.

[Diane Puckett]

If you are going to make these on a regular basis and want to glaze them, consider making clay supports for firing and just keep reusing them. I am thinking a wide base with a narrow piece sticking up in the middle. If you do glaze them, please post photos of the finished flutes.

[neilestrick]

I would leave them raw, just glaze the mouthpiece. A nice dark clay like Standard 266 would look great.

[Pres]

I fired a few flutes a few years abgo, same problem. I put nichrome wire in clay buttons, fired in bisque and glaze. Heavy wire was cut to 11/2-2" long. Put 3-5 lined up to holes and turned the flutes upside down on homemade stilts. One stuck at two holes, but a dremel and cone shaped did wonders once the wire was broken loose. As always, gloves, pliers and goggles are a necessity.

[jrgpots]

I fired a few flutes a few years abgo, same problem. I put nichrome wire in clay buttons, fired in bisque and glaze. Heavy wire was cut to 11/2-2" long. Put 3-5 lined up to holes and turned the flutes upside down on homemade stilts. One stuck at two holes, but a dremel and cone shaped did wonders once the wire was broken loose. As always, gloves, pliers and goggles are a necessity.

If you still have a pic, I'd love to see your work.

 

Jed

[Pres]

Sorry, this was a once done deal with some experiments while teaching whistles to Theory & Harmony of music students had just bought Mud to Music.