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Hi Sylvia,
I'm fairly new to the group also. For the last 2 years I have been torching outside when the weather allows. I do have 4 kilns as I have been a potter and a fused glass artist. Always paint on kiln wash as instructed .... this will protect the shelf. Better to fire on a shelf so if anything happens you are not ruining the bottom of your kiln! Not sure about temp as I have not yet used my new small kiln but would assume it would be the same as torching. Hope this helps
Cheers, Jo-Anne
How to protect the bottom of the kiln is a really good question. Kiln wash directly on the bottom of the kiln may not be enough. A major spill can be tough to clean up and there is down time to reapply the kiln wash. Some people like to use a ceramic shelf just smaller than the bottom of the kiln and apply wash to that. When the kiln is cool the shelf can be removed, scraped clean, and recoated if necessary.
Another option is a fiber kiln blanket. This is also the choice for those using a kiln with a muffle instead of fire-brick interior. It is a fibrous sheet about 1/8" thick that you cut to size, just smaller than your kiln floor. Over time a certain amount of spillage dirties the central area and when the buildup seems like it is beginning to penetrate the blanket, just throw it away and put down a new one. I find I use less than two blankets a year so they seem very economical.
When you first use one, put it in a cold kiln to burn off the binder. As the kiln heats, the white blanket turns brown and generates a light smoke about midway in the heating. When firing temp is reached the blanket will have returned to white and is ready to use.
An economical place to purchase this product is alpineglass.com , put25FP18 in the search box. A 24"x24" piece is $14.95. Thompson and some of the other suppliers also sell the product, but for a higher price.
Thanks Vera,
That's great advice! I hadn't thought to try a kiln blanket for the bottom. My only thought about that is that I will be using a shelf with legs....will that stand up steady on top of the kiln blanket OK, or wil it wobble around?
The blanket is thin and would not make the shelf wobble, but if you have a blanket you would not use a shelf. You would just use your fork to set the wire mesh that carries your trivet directly on the blanket.
Now that I think of it, another reason that you might like the blanket better than a shelf with legs is that you will have more head room...if you were to put in a taller item there would be more space for it.
Ok, that's great. I don't have any kiln blanket on hand, so I'll have to order some. I'll check out that link you posted, as the other sites I've ordered from didn't seem to have any. I like the idea that I can just replace it every 6 months or so....that's a nice option!
Hi Sylvia,
I always use a ceramic shelf and coat it with kiln wash . This keeps the bottom of my kiln like new. You can scrape off the dropped enamel and when it becomes too used replace with another. It doesn't really take up much room in the kiln and I prefer the sturdiness to set my trivets on. Usually the standard temperature to fire your enamels is at 1450 - altho transparents like a hotter kiln. Each enamel color has different melting and flow points, so you should read the label or check with Thompsons charts so that you know exactly what that particular enamel color will do in the kiln especially if using it with other colors. Enamels come in hard, medium and soft melting points - which means - the hard and medium take longer to melt then a soft.
You will find the charts inside the Thompson catalogue - I took mine out and encase it in a plastic sheet for easy reference. I will photo mine and upload it on the site for you with some notes so that you can understand the scientific lingo better, as it was explained to me. I would fire the transparents at 1500 - but since you are starting out - stick with 1450, and take your time learning the different aspects of the enamel. Or if you want to experiment on small copper pieces, blast away! remember: if you raise the temp higher, then you don't want to keep the piece in long - maybe a minute - then check it-
Trish, thank you so much for uploading the chart for me! Where do I go to see it?
Trish, this chart looks like the one in the Thompson Enamel Workbook, pages 3 and 4. I didn't find it in the catalog.