Fuseworks Q & A

@Lynn.mueller You can use your current fusing schedule and add in a segment that will hold once you reach 1225* F. For small pieces such as your 4" square we suggest holding at a minimum of 30 minutes. For larger pieces (12" or up) we recommend holding for 60 minutes. For your 10" piece you could meet in the middle at 45 minutes. You can't over hold a piece so you could always holder longer if you prefer.

@comments8 I have a large Skutt glass kiln and am using a slow fuse program. do you suggest I add more time to the heating segment? It happens to both small 4x4'" pieces and 10x10" pieces. And then is there anything I can do to fix it?

@Lynn.mueller When working in the microwave kiln or any kiln for that matter. When glass gets hot quickly it can trap air. In a standard kiln we do what's called a bubble squeeze however for the microwave kiln since you can't program it you could try running it for a short time then adding more until you achieve the desired fuse vs doing 1 quick firing. This should allow air to get out before the edges heat and seal it in.

I m having trouble with my glass fuse with bubbles all around my middle glass. How do I avoid this? How can I fix it? Lynn

@mary p. It is not recommended to use casting molds within the microwave kilns.

PL?EASE can you use casting molds in the microwave kilns

@Lunasarthur You need to use a bubble squeeze in your program. This will usually allow the top glass to "outgas" before the two fuse together. Try going slowly through the temperatures from 1175 to 1250, maybe taking 45 minutes for small pieces.

1. Place a stack of newspaper on a flat work surface. **Wear safety glasses.** Grip the mold firmly in one hand and bang it upside down (and levelly) in the center of the stack of the newspaper. Don t be too delicate about it. A few good whacks often will release the glass. 2. If the above doesn t work, try placing the mold in the freezer for an hour or two. Retrieve it from the freezer and immediately repeat the above process while it is cold. 3. If this still doesn t release the glass, sometimes soaking the entire mold in a bath of hot/warm water will allow the wash to dissolve and will help loosen the glass in the mold. It may need to soak only a few minutes, or may take several hours. Periodically the mold can be removed from the water and banged on the newspaper to attempt to pop the glass free. With any luck, by this point the glass has popped loose and you can cold-work any burrs off the glass to finish the project. If the mold had to be submerged in water to free the glass, it is essential that it is allowed to dry completely before it is re-washed and used again. Note: any of these techniques may cause the glass and/or the mold to crack or break. I also emailed this information to you along with more details on why this happens. Good luck and I hope it comes out.

I purchased one of the jewlery molds and kiln washed it before use. I put in the glass frit and fused it following the recommended firing schedule, but the glass will not release from the mold. Any suggestions?

@dlstressed Yes, at a certain point it will be dark as the binder burns out, but once the firing is complete the residue in your kiln will again appear white. The only time you would notice this is if you open the lid while fusing to peek at your glass or if you have a kiln with a viewing window.