Tamra

I have made my 7.25" diameter wood turning that will be my negative, I may put it back on the lathe tomorrow and sand it with even higher grit as I bought some 800 emory cloth today at the hardware store. I will shrink wrap it in plastic and use the smoothest surface section for the negative portion of the mold. It seems reasonable that any pine knots that are in the turning are going to show up in my glass, and I really don't want texture in this glass project. I ordered clay tonite and should receive it next week. I'm thinking of a slab about 3/8" thick initially to allow clay to shrink in the drying stage - next week it might hit 80, so this is good timing for a slow dry... I anticipate I will need to drape, and not slump because I didn't make my turning large enough, even though I do understand the properties of clay shrinking when drying and then shrinking again when it is fired.... While I'm waiting to receive my clay, I will try to do some modeling and 3d print something that is flexible and apply it to the turning as i hope to control the oval shape... and to build this into my mold. I think my Elegoo resin printer is large enough. If this plan fails, will go the torch method, or may try the torch method anyway... just for fun, but I don't want to torch the turning yet; yes I do know it is soaked in water, did a intro glass blowing classes at Benton Harbor, MI.

I only have experience at the present time slip casting with Porcelain fired to Cone 8. I strain with a kitchen strainer. You can purchase finer metal cloth for straining too at Jewelry supply stores and can place the metal cloth (used for enameling) over the ordinary kitchen handheld strainer. Good Luck! Tamra

Well at least I got the #1 Pottery plaster correct... Following... Tamra

Callie, thank you for chiming in... I don't think it is 2 mm thick glass... I will measure it, but I do like the idea of using wood and trying this first with a torch. Likely 1/32" thickness or .80 mm. I need 4 windows slumped... I need to go to talk to the local guys about getting fuel for my glass blowing torch... and will try to find a glass forum. Tamra

I do have a glass blowing torch, but I have not connected it to a fuel source, so I might be able to slump with a torch and just anneal the glass in a kiln... I'm thinking, very thin glass will not take much time to slump.... Tamra

Hi Min, I think? I have to fire the plaster mold in order to get the glass to slump over or into it. I think it is likely that the plaster is going to shrink with firing, so I will likely make my turning a larger diameter, and then attempt to heat the mold up to see how much it shrinks. The walls of the structure are not made, so what ever piece of glass that I get the wall can be curved around it, but I do need 4 pieces, or 1 for every corner. I always try to do the hardest part first. I should measure my kiln before I turn on the lathe! I can get lazy and heat up some acrylic, but I love glass... The only slip that I have is porcelain around here for dolls, but I'm open to ALL Suggestions or recommendations for videos or books. I don't have a large block of pottery clay, but can certainly buy. Thanks - Tamra

I want to make a 7.25" diameter wooden turning on a lathe. Split the turning into Quarters (you glue paper in between so you can split. Then use 1/4 of the wood turning as the negative component of my mold that I want to create. The plan was to create a plaster mold and then slump micro thin glass into the plaster mold. Micro thin glass measures 1/32" thickness with calipers. It is ordinary picture frame glass. Suggestions are appreciated if this new person is way off. This might be a rectangle or an oval. I have a 3d filament printer that I can use too, but prefer to use wood for my model as it is heavier. This is going to become a 1/12th scale curved window at the corner of two walls. Thanks - Tamra

Correction: The wall with the controller, arrived DAMAGED. The issue with purchasing an entire kiln body section is that I don't even know if it works at this point, and I'm just pouring money down a pit. The alternate is to glue it back together and see if it fires. There is nothing holding the elements in place, so literally, I'm going to have a hot mess if I plug this kiln in and test it in this condition; and it doesn't seem wise or safe to see if I can bring this to 2350 degrees. If anyone has experience trying both Pyrolite and Kiln cement, I would welcome the feedback.

If you are shipping a kiln, advise the shipper DO NOT SHIP with anything in the interior of the kiln. I will get accurate cuts with a hand saw because I will set something up to cut accurately. Photo is the bottom of the kiln facing the camera.

When I purchased this kiln, used, the seller shipped the shelf kit inside the kiln and it damaged 3 of 4 walls. If the bricks are 8.5" length x 3" h x 2.5" wide the bottom 3 bricks have 1.5 up to the heating element groove broken. I didn't think anyone would ship a shelf kit inside the kiln. The shelf kit arrived without damage, though, but not the kiln. (They did refund 50% of my cost.) EACH wall is $120.55. If I purchased 2 walls and then use the remaining parts of the two walls to repair the 3rd wall, I have an entire kiln. The wall with the controller arrived undamaged. Is is possible to resaw kiln brick with a hand saw? I have reasonable hand saw skills. (Very comfortable with hand woodworking tools and lots more experience with wood then ceramics - so I'm trying new things :-) If I should not use a hand saw, what is the recommendation tool for sizing kiln brick for replacement? Would you use Paragon's kiln cement or Pyrolite? If I just order 10" bricks, what kind of router bit is used on kiln bricks so I can route the groove for the elements. I ordered some bricks off eBay, and while the match perfectly for the element placement, and met the spec for 2350 degrees Fahrenhiet, they are beveled, and I don't think this is going to hold heat with that much brick absent . I have not even turned the kiln on. I already own an Evenheat 810. This kiln will allow me to fire miniature pottery, and keep my Evenheat for porcelain only. Are there any Kiln repair pro(s) out there in Chicago, SW Michigan or Indiana, down to Indy area that actually will talk to you on the phone? Thanks in advance for any wisdom you can share.