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Stuck Bowl!

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 3:49 pm
by 1runnert
:( I am fairly new to fusing and 100% self-taught. I've had my share of successes and failures but now something new has happened-a bowl has stuck to a mold. I used a stainless steel mixing bowl which I drilled a hole into and had sandblasted. I also applied several coats of kiln wash and heated it it my kitchen oven at 450 degress between coats. I did this with another bowl and had no trouble slumping over it. This time I tried to slump into the mold and it stuck in one spot. The weird thing is the bowl still looks pretty cool and I would like to try to remove it without breaking it or the mold. HELP!!

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:27 pm
by Judy Schnabel
The general rule is to slump over ss and into clay molds.

Of course there are always exceptions. A few years ago I made lattice bowls (lots of holes) and always slumped them into large ss bowls and never had a problem. There are plenty of clay molds which are meant to be used as drapers (slumping over).

Judy

Re: Stuck Bowl!

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:40 pm
by Brock
[quote="1runnert"]:( I am fairly new to fusing and 100% self-taught. I've had my share of successes and failures but now something new has happened-a bowl has stuck to a mold. I used a stainless steel mixing bowl which I drilled a hole into and had sandblasted. I also applied several coats of kiln wash and heated it it my kitchen oven at 450 degress between coats. I did this with another bowl and had no trouble slumping over it. This time I tried to slump into the mold and it stuck in one spot. The weird thing is the bowl still looks pretty cool and I would like to try to remove it without breaking it or the mold. HELP!![/quote]

If your SS bowl has steep sides, you may have a problem. Try sticking it in the fridge for a while, and see if that helps. Brock

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:43 pm
by Brock
Judy Schnabel wrote:The general rule is to slump over ss and into clay molds.

Of course there are always exceptions. A few years ago I made lattice bowls (lots of holes) and always slumped them into large ss bowls and never had a problem. There are plenty of clay molds which are meant to be used as drapers (slumping over).

Judy
I don't know Judy, I've been slumping into SS for ever, and I've draped over clay.

I think it's the shape of the mold, rather than the material, that is critical. Brock

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:47 pm
by Judy Schnabel
Brock,

I do the same -- into ss and over clay -- over ss and into clay. But like you said, it all depends on the shape. That's why I say there's no hard rules on over and into.

I have a large, gently sloped ss bowl which I slump into all the time and have never had anything stick.

Judy

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:51 pm
by Brock
Judy Schnabel wrote:Brock,

I do the same -- into ss and over clay -- over clay and into ss. But like you said, it all depends on the shape. That's why I say there's no hard rules on over and into.

I have a large, gently sloped ss bowl which I slump into all the time and have never had anything stick.

Judy
You can't fool me Judy, those ARE the same:

-- into ss and over clay -- over clay and into ss.

Heads I win, Tails you lose.

I know what you think you said, but are you sure I know what you meant?

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:54 pm
by Judy Schnabel
I think I'll just go take a nap!!!

Judy

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 5:52 pm
by Bert Weiss
There are rules. Glass shrinks more than clay when cooling. Glass shrinks less than stainless steel when cooling. I have stainless steel molds that I slump in to. It works because the shape of the molds allows for the shrinkage to happen without stressing the glass. Unfortunately stainless steel cooking bowls are not shaped with a friendly draft. A stainles steel wok is though.

I've always wanted to try lining a large cooking bowl with blanket, rigidizing and then slumping in to it. The theory being that the blanket will have enough give in it to compensate for the shrinkage differences. The shape would necessarily be organic because of the nature of draping the blanket inside the bowl.

Re: Stuck Bowl!

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2004 4:07 am
by Tony Smith
1runnert wrote::( I am fairly new to fusing and 100% self-taught. I've had my share of successes and failures but now something new has happened-a bowl has stuck to a mold. I used a stainless steel mixing bowl which I drilled a hole into and had sandblasted. I also applied several coats of kiln wash and heated it it my kitchen oven at 450 degress between coats. I did this with another bowl and had no trouble slumping over it. This time I tried to slump into the mold and it stuck in one spot. The weird thing is the bowl still looks pretty cool and I would like to try to remove it without breaking it or the mold. HELP!!
Try flipping it over and heating it back up to 1000 degrees or so... If it didn't somehow fuse to the mold, it'll probably drop out of the mold before it gets there, so put some ceramic fiber under the mold to cushion the fall.

Tony

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2004 9:37 am
by Pat Loboda
I think Tony & Brock's suggestions are the best ideas. But I have loosened a piece of glass that slumped too tightly to a ceramic floral former by laying a towel over the whole thing and striking it lightly at the top with a rubber mallet. Sounded crazy to me at the time, but I tried it anyway. Sure enough - my glass came loose and nothing broke.

Pat Loboda