Jam jars

[Intelekt]

 
Hi,

I've just tried to do a casting fuse with frit made from a Dolmio jar 

I've got two questions really,

1: I took the temperature up to 871c with a full fuse in a slumpy pendant mould and it didn't really fuse, just slightly fused... What is the average fusing temperature of jars and wine or beer bottle frit?

2: I was scared to go above 871c using a mould, but now read on slumpys website that clay moulds can go up to 1100c. Is this true? Can the casting moulds I have bought from warm glass and tempsford stained glass go up to this kind of temp?

Many thanks
Ade 

[ajda]

I've done a little casting with bottle glass. There seems to be quite a range of temperatures at which different bottle glasses fuse, and kilns vary of course, so you can really only find out what works for you by trial and error. Sorry I can't tell you at the moment what temperatures/cycles have worked best for me, as I'm away from home and haven't got my fusing notebook with me. And I don't know about your moulds, but I wouldn't be afraid of going quite a bit higher - I've certainly taken some Slumpy's ones over 1000 C without a problem. The main problem I've encountered with high temperatures and/or long soaks, is devitrification, especially with repeated firings, so if you are going to try again it's probably worth starting from scratch each time. Each glass has a range of temperatures where it's most vulnerable to devit (somewhere roughly between 600 and 800 C), so ramp up and cool down as rapidly as you dare through the segment that covers that range. Don't be tempted to mix glass from different jars or bottles as they can be incompatible (even 2 of the same type/brand). If you haven't seen it already, there's some useful info and ideas on this site - http://glasswithapast.com/fusing-with-bottle-glass/

[Pat from Canvey]

You can buy devitrification spray to use on your bottle glass before firing but you can also make a good substitute from a concentrated solution of household borax. You buy the powder and dissolve in very hot water. I believe Cooksons still stock it. It used to be used, I believe, in laundry. See http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/10/30-little-known-uses-for-household-borax.html

[Intelekt]

Thanks for the info Ajda, I'm going to try from scratch again and go higher, what I'm wondering though is if I went to a higher temp, would I need a better mould primer than the primo primer I'm using at the moment?

And Pat, I've been looking for a place to get Borax but I've never heard of cooksons 
Are they a shop or are they internet based?

Thanks again

[Blue Box Studio]

Thanks for the info Ajda, I'm going to try from scratch again and go higher, what I'm wondering though is if I went to a higher temp, would I need a better mould primer than the primo primer I'm using at the moment?

And Pat, I've been looking for a place to get Borax but I've never heard of cooksons 
Are they a shop or are they internet based?

Thanks again

I imagine Pat means Cookson Gold bullion dealers http://cooksongold.com/ they have counters in Birmingham and London but mail order is good too.  Cooksons will sell borax as a cone, jewellers use it.  If you have a good hardware shop near you, you might get it there too.

[ajda]

I get borax powder on eBay for metalworking, but haven't used it yet as a devit solution - thanks, Pat.

[Moira HFG]

All this information is good and accurate - but if you'll forgive me drifting away from your question: you've spent good money on moulds and a kiln and all the other bits you need for fusing.....why not splash out a few pounds on some frit that will behave nicely?

Glass Studio Supplies sell sample packs of Bullseye that are great to give you a range of colours in small amounts to experiment with.  For a tenner including postage you could get this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bullseye-Kiln-Fusing-Glass-Frit-Sample-Packs-Summer-10-x-20g-Bags-/160673083240?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item2568dcaf68

Or you could get Spectrum glass frit at about £2 per pack from here:
http://www.creativeglassguild.co.uk/cat/glass/fusing-glass/frit

(Bullseye is all coe 90, Spectrum is all coe 96, so choose one range or the other but don't mix them)

Either of these options will reward your efforts with easy success and beautiful colours. The kiln schedules you will find online will work, every time.
And when you have more experience doing that, you will find it easier to move on to recycled glass, if you still want to. (I'd go for gin bottles, at least they are an interesting colour!)

[Intelekt]

Thanks Moira,

I have a little experience with bullseye Frits and glass and I have spent the last couple of months making things, but this bullseye and other proper fusing glass is seeming a bit expensive to me, and I love the idea of glass for free 

But yeah, recycled glass is quite a bit harder to work with.

Hmm... I have some old greenhouse glass in the garage, could I use this? Both for fusing and frit?

[cbeadies]

I don't know much about fusing but I have just been looking at a range of fused 'recycled greenhouse glass' jewellery in a nice craft shop here in the Lake District!

[Moira HFG]

I spotted this on youtube today, there's a recommended schedule for bottle glass at the end. (It's in degrees F)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFd_cYmMlxc