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Can anyone tell me what mesh sizes they use for sifting their own frit. Also can vermiculite board be used as kiln shelves and if so can they be cut to fit the kiln?
Thank you
Vicki

Vermiculite board can be cut with regular saws that cut wood. I'd avoid breathing the dust.

Mesh sizes really depend on what sizes of frit you are sifting. Generally you want one just a bit larger than your largest particle. If you look onlime, each manufacturer should tell you their mesh size range, You will get a more precision effect if your frits are sorted with a particular high and low mesh size. Fine particles can fog up the look. I believe that commercial frits are sized this way. If you are making your own, it is a good idea to find a way to remove the fines. In general, the larger the particle of glass, the more clarity there will be in the fused result.

Thankyou Bert

thompsons enamel co sells all sorts of sifting stuff. rosanna

A long time ago I was told that Bullseye frit is sized this way:

Powder: .2mm and finer
Fine: .2 to 1.2mm
Medium: 1.2 to 2.7mm
Coarse: 2.7 to 5.2mm

Assuming that's still correct, you'd come closest with the following meshes (US commercial standards):
Coarse: #3.5 (5.7mm and finer)
Medium: #7 (2.8mm and finer)
Fine: #16 (1.19mm and finer)
Powder: #70 (.21mm and finer)

You start with the coarse sieve, shake your frit through that (whatever's stuck in there is extra-large and can be recrushed). Then you take what comes out of the coarse sieve and put it through the medium--the stuff that's retained is coarse frit, etc., etc.

If somebody from Bullseye (or one of the other frit-making companies) wants to chime in with corrections to this--I certainly don't have this from the horse's mouth--that would be great! (thanks)

I started working with sifted frits through Thompson Enamel. They sell several particle sizings. Their standard frits fit through an 80 mesh sieve. They also make 100, 150, 200, and down to 325 for their finest grade. Their numbers correspond to the number of openings per linear inch. 80 mesh is described as slightly finer than granulated sugar. They also sell a grade called 6/20 In this grade the particles will fall through a 6 mesh screen but sit on a 20 mesh screen, so all particles smaller than 20 are sifted out.

To figure out what size the openings are you need to google mesh sizes.

If you're talking about making and sizing your own frit the precision sieves mentioned can be very pricey. I've been making my own frit for about ten years. This is the set of soil sieves I bought and have used since the beginning. http://www.dallasbonsai.com/product-p/t57.htm Except the price has gone up from the $37.50 I paid.

Jim

Thankyou everyone. I was looking at these ones and wondered if they would be okay but I didn't know about mesh sizes. The one I was looking at says 14" Hand Sieve but it comes in a 7" as well and 3 sieves.
http://www.pshcanada.com/sieves2.htm

The Critter Spray gun should be perfect for applying KW.

Jim

The Hobbyist wrote:The Critter Spray gun should be perfect for applying KW.

Jim

oh yea! love my critter! rosanna