| Author | Content |
mommacat11
Stafford, VA (Zone 7a)
December 22, 2011 7:34 AM Post #8939210
| Hi hoooo,
Ok Clay Kids,
Got my new bead rack... works like a CHAMP for greenware... however there seems to be a small glitch when the pendants are glaze firing. They STICK to the Metal bar. I have been able to get three pieces off.. one is like welded to the bar. I don't know if making the pendants larger would help...grrrrrr.
deb |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA (Zone 9a)
December 22, 2011 10:04 AM Post #8939340
| It's probably the glaze melting onto the bar, unfortunately. If you put a bit of kiln wash either inside the beads or on the racks, it will help. But I'd definitely recommend you clean it off each time so fired kiln wash doesn't get on your beads in the next load.
You can probably break off the stuck bead and then use a Dremel tool or some Wet-Dri sandpaper to get the glaze off the bar. |
rvnsbrk
Leesburg, VA (Zone 7a)
December 26, 2011 4:15 PM Post #8943520
| Kiln wash on the mandrels is the answer. The other thing to do is to clean out the glaze in the hole of your pendant before you fire. I've fired hundreds of beads so I'm familiar with this problem. |
mommacat11
Stafford, VA (Zone 7a)
December 26, 2011 6:38 PM Post #8943639
| hi rvns,
I made sute that the pendant holes were clean when I put them on the bead rack. The glaze must have traveled or dripped onto the holes. So kiln wash the beadrack next time?
We're neighbors! I live in Stafford!
deb |
rvnsbrk
Leesburg, VA (Zone 7a)
December 27, 2011 5:03 AM Post #8943929
| Hey Deb. Yes, kiln wash the the metal wire that you are hanging the pendants from. If your rack is like mine they kind of warp over time too, but using bead release or kiln wash will help. I used to make lampworked glass beads, so I always had graphite bead release here and that works better since it is specifically made to release from the bead mandrel when you are doign glass beads. Works great with ceramic beads. |
mommacat11
Stafford, VA (Zone 7a)
December 27, 2011 1:38 PM Post #8944433
| Heyyy rvnsbrk!
WHERE do I get the graphite bead release? and how would I use it? on where?
Deb |
rvnsbrk
Leesburg, VA (Zone 7a)
December 27, 2011 3:57 PM Post #8944612
| Deb I unfortunately don't remember where I got it. If you google lampworking supplies/ bead release I think you will find it. It comes pre mixed which is great. Use it on the metal rod you are hanging your pendants from in the kiln. |
VetteGirl64
Marysville, WA
December 29, 2011 10:54 AM Post #8946611
| Random question--I'm starting to make buttons, little 1/2 inch and bigger ones. Would I be better off hanging them on a bead rack to fire? (I don't even know if the holes are too small). I've never seen a bead rack. Or, just lay them all flat on the shelves? |
mommacat11
Stafford, VA (Zone 7a)
December 29, 2011 12:58 PM Post #8946771
| Are you glazing both sides of the buttons? If so and you lay them on the kiln shelf then you take a chance of the button sticking to the kiln shelf. If you have any stilts I would getly lay the buttons on the stils.
deb |
mommacat11
Stafford, VA (Zone 7a)
December 29, 2011 2:22 PM Post #8946864
| rvnsbrk,
I looked online and HOBBY LOBBY in Fredericksburg carries the Bead Release. I think we are headed down there tomorrow to get corn for our beloved wild deer.. so I think I'll pop in there and get some. Keep your fingers crossed that this one carries it!
Deb |
rvnsbrk
Leesburg, VA (Zone 7a)
December 29, 2011 4:13 PM Post #8946965
| Vettegirl when I used to do buttons, I hung the smaller ones on the bead rack wires, and the larger ones I stilted. Never had any luck with getting them off the kiln shelves when they were done otherwise. Since I used to make glass beads, I had steel mandrels in all sizes and I used the smallest diameter to hang the buttons on. |
VetteGirl64
Marysville, WA
December 30, 2011 3:34 PM Post #8948173
| Thanks, I originally planned to leave the bottoms unglazed so I could set them on the shelf (well, actually I take them to a pottery place and they fire my stuff for me) so however they do it. But if they have bead racks or if that would work that would be great and I could glaze the whole button.
I guess I will have to ask them how they would fire buttons. |
mommacat11
Stafford, VA (Zone 7a)
January 5, 2012 5:54 PM Post #8956010
| rvnsbrk,
I got the last bottle of Bead Release at Hobby Lobby! I put it on 4 bead rack rods. The bottle is small so I only dipped a small portion of the rods in the bottle. . It is pretty thick and doesn't run like I thought it would. Is it possible to brush it on the rods?
Deb. |
rvnsbrk
Leesburg, VA (Zone 7a)
January 6, 2012 6:01 AM Post #8956436
| Yes Deb you can brush it on. You can also thin it out a little. |
mommacat11
Stafford, VA (Zone 7a)
January 6, 2012 7:14 AM Post #8956518
| Yea!
Kil is on. Fingers are crossed that nothing sticks! A few of the pieces went on with a smidgen of pressue. I hope that the Bead Release doesn't flake off too much and make these things stick.
Deb |
