Need your help on Being a New Slumper

candala · Post by **candala** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 8:20 pm

I am getting a paperweight mold for my little kiln. I have never used molds, I'm a simple pendant (dichroic) fuser. Do I just fill the paperweight mold with glass and fire? How do I get the piece to be 3 dimensional to show dichroic colors in the center? Also, how does one grind a larger piece like this. I have the regular all star grinder and I don't think I"ll be able to maneuver a 4 inch dense piece around a little grinder head. What does everyone do with respect to grinding when they slump let's say a plate? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dani · Post by **Dani** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 8:35 pm

I don't grind plates at all... have found no need to since getting the fusing schedule tweaked to eliminate any spiking. On extremely small pieces, I touch the corners a wee bit. The simpler, the better is my motto.

Tony Smith · Post by **Tony Smith** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 8:38 pm

Hi Candala,

I don't know that I've ever seen a paperweight mold, but I'm assuming it is closed so the glass can't flow out.

With that in mind, I'll make this suggestion: Coat the mold with kilnwash and use tile nippers to break up some clear glass into small pieces 1x2" with some variation. Somewhere in the middle of your pile add some dichroic (on clear) and then add some more pieces of clear glass. Turn the kiln on and bring the temperature up to 1600Â°. Hold for 30 minutes. Wearing high temp gloves, open the lid of the hotbox and check to see if all is level. The hard part will be controlling the anneal. Since the piece will definitely be a couple inches thick, you will have to hold the temperature for at least a couple hours at 960, then control the descent through the annealing range at no more than 50Â°/hr. That is just a guess, since the piece is much thicker than what I'm used to. In fact, you will probably have to control the descent down to around 400Â°. Any glass blower would be able to help you there since they do work this thick all the time. Probably the easiest way to do this will be to shut off the kiln when you are happy with the fusing and wait for the temperature to drop to about 1000Â°. Then start adding heat back in (increasing the dial on your infinite switch) until the temperature stops dropping. Hold there for a couple hours, then lower the heat by decreasing the dial on the infinite switch. The temperature should start dropping. When the temperature stops dropping, decrease the dial some more until you get below 400Â°. As you can see, this process would be simplified by using a contoller, but it should get you a first article. When you become proficient at the kiln control (or decide to add a controller) you can vary the effect of your dichroic inclusion by plaing the dichroic at an angle or letting it drape over other pieces of glass.

Good luck. Let us know how it works out.

Tony

ps: Bullseye has a chart on its website for annealing thick glass. http://www.bullseyeconnection.com/pdfs/ ... _thick.pdf

Dani · Post by **Dani** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 12:39 pm

Okay, I'm totally confused now.... are we talking about casting here? Or fusing and slumping?? Thanks for clarifying.

Tony Smith · Post by **Tony Smith** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 1:36 pm

I thought she was talking about open face casting a paperweight... now I'm really confused.

Tony

Dani · Post by **Dani** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 9:04 pm

You don't think it's an aging thing, do you? Oh, sheesh, all I need is more symptoms!

D.

Tony Smith · Post by **Tony Smith** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 9:32 pm

What? Can you speak up????

too young to be getting old boy

Kristalwick · Post by **Kristalwick** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 10:00 pm

andala,
I'd LOVE to know where you purchased a paper weight mold????

Thanks!
Kristal

Cynthia · Post by **Cynthia** » Sat Apr 19, 2003 12:17 am

Okay, between lifting and separating, progressive lenses in my new trifocals and looking at my husband dumbfoundadly and saying "What?", more often than not, I expect that our years of experience are catching up with us.

I interpreted the post to mean that the it might actually be a paperweight mold for use with a small glory hole which doesn't mean that one couldn't cast a paperweight in it.

If I am right, you can grind down the aperature part, but I would expect that you will need to cold polish it to tge N'th degeree, or chemically polish with hydrofluoric acid...Don't try this at home. Hire it out or have the appropriate disposal opportunities along with the protective gear to utilize this technique. It's hazardous to you and the environment, nasty nasty and seriously caustic.

Dani · Post by **Dani** » Sat Apr 19, 2003 9:21 pm

Okay, you're really over the hill when you say, "don't try this at home." The realization that one is no longer invincible... it's a sign, definitely a sign.

Dani

Jason Boebinger · Post by **Jason Boebinger** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 9:40 pm

Ive seen the paper wieght mold in the ed hoy catalog but no picture. I would be very interested in a discription from some one who has used it.

Terrie Corbett · Post by **Terrie Corbett** » Sat Apr 26, 2003 9:57 pm

You can buy the paperweight molds from Art Glass House. They are somewhat shallow. When the glass is removed after firing, the "top" or rounded side of the paperweight (which came in contact with the kiln wash) will need some cold work. I suppose you might try to fire polish it, but it may sag. I used home-made dichroic frit.

Terrie

Don Burt · Post by **Don Burt** » Sun Apr 27, 2003 8:31 am

Terrie Corbett wrote:You can buy the paperweight molds from Art Glass House. They are somewhat shallow. When the glass is removed after firing, the "top" or rounded side of the paperweight (which came in contact with the kiln wash) will need some cold work. I suppose you might try to fire polish it, but it may sag. I used home-made dichroic frit.

Terrie

I wonder if the hot and torch workers will be thrilled to learn that warm glassers will now be adding to the inventory of unsold paperweights. Somone should devise a kit to turn them into computer mice.