1.
The first step is to prime the earthenware mold with
Hotline Primo Kiln Wash Shelf Primer or a select glass
separator or refined kiln wash using the manufactures'
written instructions. After priming assure that the earthenware mold is
free of moisture by heating the Little Fritters mold to 300 degrees
Fahrenheit before filling with frit.
2.
After the Little Fritters mold is primed, select the frit colors
and grain sizes to work with to
achieve your desired design results. Fine frit works great for detail
work. You can fill certain areas with fine frit by
carefully pouring a small amount of the fine frit into the detail area
and sweeping it into the desired areas with a small soft brush, or you
can apply a small amount of fusers
glue to the desired detail area and sprinkle the fine frit into the glue
area. Larger frit pieces will work great to fill the majority of the
mold cavity over the detail areas. Using larger pieces of frit to
fill the majority of the cavity will give a more transparent, less
bubbled finished product. The amount
of frit to use in the
Little Fritterscavity is subjective. Frit
"shrinks" down when fired as the glass melts and turns to a
liquid state and fills all of the cavity and air pockets.
If you want your finished
Little Frittersto be a heavy paper weight, you can fill the cavity by mounding the glass such that the
peak of the mound is taller then the top of the cavity. This can be 6-10 oz of frit depending en the
Little Fritters.
If you want a finished
Little Frittersthat is
thinner and lighter, the cavity should be filled with less frit,
(between 4 and 6 oz) however, you
should always mound the frit with a peak in the middle. As the top of
the mound melts it will roll down creating less sharp edges on
the sides of the mold.
3.
After the frit is placed into the
Little Frittersmold, fire the mold and glass between 1450 and
1500 degrees Fahrenheit at a rate of
800 degrees/hour. (The fusing temperature of the frit will depend
upon the COE of the glass- COE 96 glass fuses nicely at 1480 degrees
Fahrenheit). Hold the kiln at the fusing temperature for 30 minutes and
allow the kiln to cool slowly, ideally holding at 900 degrees for an
hour and then naturally to room temperature before opening. (If
you are operating a kiln that works
with a cone, a cone 012 will work nicely. The temperature of a cone 01 2
is higher then required however, typically kilns that work with cones
don't have a "hold" option and the higher temperature will compensate for this.)
4.
After the kiln has
returned to room temperature, release the glass casting from the mold by
inverting the mold. The glass casting should easily release from the
cavity. Occasionally a sharp glass
spur will be on the edge of the glass casting. The spurs can be ground
using a diamond file or other suitable device using the
manufactures' written instructions.
