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Firing Rocks in the Kiln
This is part two of a
multi-part tip on slumping over rocks in the kiln. Click here
to go to part one.
Now that you're certain that the rocks can survive the firing,
you're ready for the next step. You'll need a piece of glass
the right size for your project, and enough rocks to form a "river
bed" beneath the glass. The glass needs to be around 1/4"
(6mm) or thicker. Float or plate glass will work (you may need
to fuse thinner pieces of glass together to get a piece of the right
thickness).
Arrange the rocks on the kiln shelf. You want them nestled
against each other and covering a smaller area than your glass.
Once the rocks are arrange, coat the top surface of the rocks with
kiln wash. Spraying the wash works best, but it's possible to
brush kiln wash on if you're not able to spray. You want to
make certain that the rocks are coated with kiln wash, but there's
no need to apply a thick layer of wash. If you're not sure if
you did a good job of coating the rock, you can also dust the top of
the rocks lightly by sifting on a thin layer of dry kiln wash
powder.
Once the rocks are kiln washed and ready to go, it's time for the
glass. Clean it thoroughly (you don't want fingerprints to
show), then balance the piece of glass on top of the rocks. It
may rock slightly, but that's not a problem -- the firing will help
it settle into place.
Coming soon -- the firing! And what to do
after you fire.
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Copyright 2006 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
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