Alternate idea for dams/kiln shelves - What do you use?

[Flowers]

Hello - I know that it is good to use ceramic dams for glass but I just wondered is it possible to dam with Ceramic Fiber Thermal Insulation Board (2732F) it is aluminosilicate- Inorganic - Flame Retardant, Heat Resistant?  Also looking for an alternate kiln shelf could I use this do you think if I cover with Thin Fire or Papyros paper?  Thank you

[Dietmar]

Hi,

if you have that material for free, try it over regular kiln shelf, supported by 5mm of whatever works for you under the corners. For the dams it's worth a try, as well. It might be a good ida to prefire that material first without glass to check how it reacts to the heat. If it stays solid and heavy enough, it should work as dams. If it is still in allmost unfired condition, it might work as shelf as well. Maybe you'll need to support it in more spots than ceramic shelf. It should work nice with those papers, eaven better than with paint on separators. There is a third alternative: dry powder separators, based on diatomeous earth. They make more rough textured back sides and you can do sculpturing actions with them. Just add some more or make shallow grooves... Kilntop is the limit ;--)

[Moira HFG]

Hi Flowers, some reservations spring to mind regarding using materials in the kiln that weren't intended for that purpose.
Is it stable at kiln temps? It might crumble if heated repeatedly.
Does it give off fumes?
Does it give off water vapour that will create bubbles in your work?

You can probably find the answers to some of these by checking the manufacturer's data sheet.

But overall, I would say dams aren't that expensive, often you can get kiln shelf off-cuts on eBay for very reasonable prices. You only need to buy them once, after all. Is the alternative material worth the bother?

By the way, how did the Roman Wall go?

Moira