stringers...

Started by sandmor1, June 16, 2014, 07:01:30 PM

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sandmor1

recently I placed 4 black stringers on top of an 20cm square with the clear layer on the bottom. 

The stringers didn't remain straight on the join lines, they kinked all the way down.

Could this have been caused by the high fusing temperature...should I perhaps have waited and put them on before slumping instead.

Thanks

Sandra

Zeldazog

Not exactly sure what you mean by kinked all the way down, but slumping is the lowest temperature process, lower than fire polishing or tack fusing..  You wouldn't get a full fuse, and you might not even get them tack fused to the surface depending on what temperature you slumped at.


sandmor1

Quote from: Zeldazog on June 16, 2014, 07:30:32 PM
Not exactly sure what you mean by kinked all the way down, but slumping is the lowest temperature process, lower than fire polishing or tack fusing..  You wouldn't get a full fuse, and you might not even get them tack fused to the surface depending on what temperature you slumped at.



Hi Zeldazog

Kinked...crooked...instead of a nice straight line, I got something resembling a kirby grip...(Are you old enough to remember kirby grips)

Could it have been just because I placed them on the seams where two different glasses met ?

Sandra

Zeldazog

Yeah I know what a kirby grip is, lol

Jane C ♫

Can you show us a pic?
Hand Painted Silk and Fused Glass Artist.
Lampwork Beginner!
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sandmor1

Quote from: Jane C ♫ on June 16, 2014, 09:25:17 PM
Can you show us a pic?

I can't show you a pic as I put glass rods on top and refired the piece.

It's only for me so it isn't important but I was wondering what I had done wrong. It was a square dish made up with a small square in the centre and the 4 equal size oblongs on the outside

I have scattered stringers with frit on a pieces previously and they all remained straight but this time, when I really wanted them to lay in straight lines and outline where the 4 pieces of glass met..they just zigzaged along the lines. All four of them not just one or two.

I will have another go and see what happens this time.

Thanks

Sandra


flame n fuse

I have had stringers kink and move a bit. tacking them into place with glasstac or fuser's glue seems to help

Zeldazog

My guess would be that it was one of two things, possibly both.

Even though where you've broken the glass, it looks straight, and you may have done a clean break, it won't actually be an absolutely perfect straight line - put two of those together and you won't have an perfect join - when you do this with just two different pieces of glass, they will flow together.  The stringer possibly melted slightly into any gaps there might have been.

In addition to this, although the glass is all the same COE, different colours soften at different temperatures - I wonder if this has caused some 'pulling' distorting the line.

If you want an absolute clean line, you could perhaps fully fuse the base glass and then add the stringer in a later firing (but before slumping for reasons stated before)

sandmor1

Quote from: Zeldazog on June 17, 2014, 10:21:36 AM
My guess would be that it was one of two things, possibly both.

Even though where you've broken the glass, it looks straight, and you may have done a clean break, it won't actually be an absolutely perfect straight line - put two of those together and you won't have an perfect join - when you do this with just two different pieces of glass, they will flow together.  The stringer possibly melted slightly into any gaps there might have been.

In addition to this, although the glass is all the same COE, different colours soften at different temperatures - I wonder if this has caused some 'pulling' distorting the line.

If you want an absolute clean line, you could perhaps fully fuse the base glass and then add the stringer in a later firing (but before slumping for reasons stated before)



Well Zeldazog

I think you have hit the nail squarely on the head because I fused another dish, flipped it and put the stringers on the lines and ...guess what...absolutely dead straight lines....perfect.

So now I know..thank you.

Can I ask another question please. I would like to make a number plate for outside my porch. Is fused glass frostproof ? If so..would 2 layers be sufficient or should I go for 3 layers ?

Thanks

sandra

chas

Quote from: sandmor1 on June 18, 2014, 02:44:17 PM
Quote from: Zeldazog on June 17, 2014, 10:21:36 AM
My guess would be that it was one of two things, possibly both.

Even though where you've broken the glass, it looks straight, and you may have done a clean break, it won't actually be an absolutely perfect straight line - put two of those together and you won't have an perfect join - when you do this with just two different pieces of glass, they will flow together.  The stringer possibly melted slightly into any gaps there might have been.

In addition to this, although the glass is all the same COE, different colours soften at different temperatures - I wonder if this has caused some 'pulling' distorting the line.

If you want an absolute clean line, you could perhaps fully fuse the base glass and then add the stringer in a later firing (but before slumping for reasons stated before)




Can I ask another question please. I would like to make a number plate for outside my porch. Is fused glass frostproof ? If so..would 2 layers be sufficient or should I go for 3 layers ?

Thanks

sandra

We work almost exclusively with float - and the answer there is one layer would do: it's window glass.

I would expect all other fusing glass to 'behave' the same, but if you want a certain chunkiness then two or even three layers. I seem to remember, a long time ago, being told optimal fused glass  thickness is 6mm.

Chas

flame n fuse

we made a number plate for our house by filling a mould with frit. It has stood up to several Scottish winters and is still as good as new. We also made one with 2 layers of bullseye which is absolutely fine.