1st kiln unloaded. The monkey looks good. The color on the soda bottle label completely burned out. Might be a blank slate for something else. The green bottle looks good, too.
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Last bottle out of the kiln. Nice! The bottle slumped a little off, but you can consider it an artistic presentation.
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Nice. Picture on the bottle came out great
Very happy with the way ours turned out.
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Probably should have supported it better. But, hey, it looks great! I’m happy with it Remember the Alamo!
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Beth, I picked up my bottle and some of the kiln wash (I think) stuck to the bottle. When I brushed it off some of the Alamo picture came off with it. If you remember the mold seemed to take the wash differently, so I don’t know if the wash was too thick. I think maybe that mold may need a complete wash off of the kiln wash, but I wasn’t sure what to use. I left the bottle on the table so you could see it. I’ll be up there Sat. morning if you’ll be there
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I had really wanted to take your class but somehow missed it when it became available. It looks so fun!
It would be interesting to see the before photos also … Having never done this I’m curious what the before and after looks like.
On the bottles, they look like bottles. You prep the molds by painting them with kiln wash. You prep the bottles by painting them with a devitrifying solution. Actually, an anti-devitrifying solution. And then you put them in the kiln.
One does make sure that the bottle isn’t substantially bigger than the mold. As it slumps, it shouldn’t hang over any of the edges. We’ve got some options for fun designs on the finished bottle. The only fun mold we used here was the one for a “dish”. You can also just slump them flat.
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Hello,
Sounds like the class went well. If the picture wiped off the bottle when washing that would indicate the temp was a little to hot for the enamel. It would not be a kiln wash issue.
The forms are heavily kiln washed since they have been used multiple times. From time to time the kiln wash with start to flake and chip. At that pont the form would need to be washed down to the bisque and the kiln washing started all over.
I will have the kiln classes back up in January. This is a set of 4 classes teaching how to use the kilns for personal projects. After a written test and a firing schedule manually entered into the kiln panel, the students are then cleared to use the kilns.
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I’ll be up there tomorrow and can wash the mold. What do you use to clean it? I would be interested in the kiln class. TY
Anita mentioned the sticking was the kiln was too hot, I’d have more of these and want to try again. I know this is a good learning experience. What were the settings for this fire? TY
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The top temp was 1385.
Liz ask beth for her schedual, then when you test out and cleared to use the kiln you can give it a shot. Enamels on bottles are tricky, no bottles are the same firing temp. It’s a crap shoot and pleasent surprise when it works.
I think we should schedule a day to wash all the bottle molds down to the bisque since it has not been done in a long while. The microwave pods also need to be kiln washed. And the area need a good dusting.
I’ll schedual a cleaning day on a Saturday in January.
Message me your phone number. When I put the kiln classes up next month I’ll send you a text.
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Any chance we could do a Sunday afternoon? I’ve given my availability to Block, and I’m free on Sundays. It’s a crap shoot on Saturdays at this point, as I’ve said I’m available to work on all Saturdays.