blackthorn

Mark's comment on eating Fair food and getting ill reminded me of the time I got food poisoning and my wife had to do the tear down and packing all by herself as I writhed, sweating in agony. Subsequently I planned my fasts around events and just drank tea and water. Two or three days was not a struggle. Not a very exciting response to the original question I suppose but there it is. I'm extremely unlikely to eat street vendor food from any location ever again.

Ok. Like you, one of my goals is to create an absolute permanent image, and, as it happens for my part, to make it on ceramic. While I like the cyanotype process, my next project involves the other video link I posted - Carbon Transfer. What I'm doing is creating the emulsion of Potassium Dichromate, Mason Stain and Gelatin. I pour that on Yupo and let it dry in full dark. After dry, I get the enlarged negative of choice and expose it. I've also prepared a bisqued slab coated with a mix of gesso and Whiting which is then coated with gelatin and hardener. The exposed Yupo/gelatin substrate is sandwiched with that slab and set in a tray of hot water until the gelatin releases from the Yupo and adheres to the slab. Yupo is peeled away and washing continues melting away all the unexposed gelatin leaving the exposed (hardened) image. Now it's such a thin coat of gelatin that during firing, as it melts, the actual image suffers minimal distortion. One down side is getting an image onto something thrown or more dimensional than a slab. Of course the absolute major challenge is to find an image that integrates into that form and not just having an image on it for the sake of having an image. I'll post an image of then when successful.

Thank you Min! It's actually in my front yard pretending to be just that, along with some fossils I made just for that purpose.

As for the cyanide gas release during the firing, yes, the kiln is outdoors and well away from any human traffic. Even so, the amount of hydrogen cyanide is really quite small given the coverage of the pieces you see above. As you say, you want to render your image permanent on the glass. Firing is both unnecessary and most likely ruinous. In order to use glass as an initial substrate like the fellow in the link below the glass has to be of reasonable thickness to allow for handling as well as support of the image. That would make it at the very least 1/16th of in inch thick. Regardless of how the image is affixed to the glass when is fired that image will most likely go all Salvador Dali and become unrecognizable. Could be interesting but it's a grand toss up. As you mentioned wanting to commit your artwork to glass specifically, so here are some links to two fellows doing just that. Keep in mind that their works are finished pieces and would never survive a firing at any temp. And your point about the Liquid Light is true, given the melting point of Silver Nitrate is something you can accomplish in your household oven, right around 450º F. There are a few ways to render a permanent image on high or low fired ceramic surface but to the very best of my knowledge they don't involve an initial glass substrate. Then again, I could be wrong. Here are ways to render images on glass pretty permanently - without firing: Cyanotype on glass: Carbon Transfer Printing on Glass:

@jsmoove My background is also in photography and my projects of late have revolved around getting a stable photographic image on ^10 ceramics. I've not tried any glass work but am having plenty of success with a handful of techniques, most of which involve direct contact exposure with a large format negative. I've previously posted a few imageson the forum here so won't take up additional space re-posting those but the ones here are more recent takes on the two most successful techniques: cyanotype and gum bichromate. Cyanotype is lovely, both unfired and fired. Although it's main light sensitive constituent is iron, the iron is fugitive at higher temps. I've not yet tested it's high limit but at bisque it comes off a nice toasty brown. The gum bichromate is just like the paper print process though instead of watercolor pigment typically used, I mix mason stains or Manganese Dioxide with either Gerstley Borate, Frit 3124 or some clear glaze recipe as a binder. So far all of my tests are on slabs but I'm constructing an exposure unit that will allow for 360 degree exposure for taller thrown work. I know it's a bit off topic from the ground glass rod query in the op but it does speak to the process of fixing true photographic images onto a ceramic substrate. There are a couple of other processes I'm exploring but the results have been a bit weak so far, but still have some possibilities. Happy to discuss if you're interested.

We have a couple of dozen of these at the local college and I'm in the process of buying another dozen. As for cleaning off glaze drips, it's much easier than the older shelves. My friend is a crystal glaze enthusiast and he takes pretty good precautions for the runny mess at the bottoms. However while I was unloading the kiln I noticed that two pots got away from him. With mild dread I anticipated a major clean up or damage shelving, but no. With 30 seconds of scrubbing with a hand grinder the shelf was back in service. I do take extra care to keep them well covered when not in use. Rainfall here in the desert is minimal but we still keep them safe and dry. Covering with trash bags in the kiln storage area works just fine. My friend is 86 and even when I can't load his work he can easily handle these shelves. In that respect they are definitely worth the extra cost they go for.

Personal Particle Accelerator

The acrylic is definitely repelling the glaze. I use acrylic or gesso frequently as a resist on both green ware and bisque. Everything Babs says is perfect and will solve your problem. And welcome to the forum. Lots and lots of useful information here and many experience crafts people as well.

Perfect! Thanks!!

After reading the lively posts on thiamant's vent topic I'm thinking I don't need any venting on mine since it's located outside on a 3 sided patio. Right?

Thanks for the helpful info and you're right, a grand is not cheap. Like Mark said, it's also a bit overkill. I do like the idea of the Olympic Electrositter. Something I may look into when I've spent some more time firing this unit.

so very well put!

Yes, I was able to acquire a Thomas Stuart Revolution last fall and very happy with it.