BK #4 - another load

Very happy with the kiln and feeling friendly with it now - easy to use Bartlett V6 controller - is marvelous compared to all the other controllers I've been using -

Highly recommend to Canadians the Tucker - Cone Art Kiln - well made (we bumped and pushed this baby up stairs - into a car and then into the studio  and it held up well)  repair to coils easy  - so very happy with my used purchase

Yes just more bottles for now but I think that will be it for a couple of weeks - want to work on some nice bowls  - or other items

the pile is really growing - hope to do more of those crystal holders soon

 -
I sat in front of my torch - and cleaned the area a bit - so I could end up there on the weekend too

will be off to the creative festival on Saturday - just to relax and enjoy some fun with my 6 year old grand daughter

BK (Big Kiln) run #3

the pile is growing 

med size crown royal - looks kinda blah - will need to do something with it 

I melted the handle kinda funky  but the enamel stayed on 

tonights load - two sizes of crown royal - a lava cloth and another brown jug with enamel on 

The Big Kiln ! 2nd run

Sundays Run - Turned out great as well - added more bottles this time

so the pile is growing 

I have a batch of bottles in - more fitted this time 

I think about 8 this time 

has a brown jug with enamel on - and a crown royal bottle to see how they turn out 

but I will be doing a set with the pattern ceramic this week as well 

putting it on at 6:30 pm the night before - means I get to open the following night 

I check on it to make sure its running ok and again in the morning 

getting used to it now so I can start to do some other things with it than bottles 

Tempered Glass test #2 - Crystal Candle holder

so the results of test # 2 (was 1/2 c A 1/2C B and just a little less than 1/4 c methyl hydrate )

turned out ok -  - I can see the tile at the bottom - the hole itself is pretty small  so

1.  still too much
2. a bit too thin
3. think I really need that 5 x 5 tile so the center is bigger

I NEED MORE TEMPERED GLASS

Looks like a big crystal 

can see the tile at bottom but opening is too small 

so once I get more tempered glass  the next test will be 

1/8 cup (two tablespoons) methyl hydrate 

1/4 cup part A

1/4 cup part B

but I want to find 5 x 5 tiles

Tempered Glass & Resin Candle results

The ice candle results were not 100% - but look pretty awesome

the awesome picture after I beat it up 

Too much epoxy - too thick epoxy  - it ran to bottom  and accumulated- too much  - and it seeped into near the base because it was too thick - you can see the fatish top edges where too much epoxy

but I beat it up and got a pretty nice result on the outside  - - its thicker the bottom but that wont stop me from putting a small glass and candle in the center

Today mix is less (did a full 2 cups yesterday ) today is only 1 cup in total and even that seems to be too much for one candle -  I did  1/2 cup of part A   1/2 cup part B and 1/4 (just under the rim ) of methyl hydrate - was a pretty thin mix

Poured 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the tile

when I finished pouring - I still had 1/2 cup left  - so will see if  1/2 cut thinner is too much as well - I think I may be heavy handed here thinking I need lots - but tomorrow we will see

so next batch for a single will be 1/4 cup of A  1/4 cup of B  and will see if the need to 1/2 the 1/4 cup of the methyl hydrate - will have to see how it ran

New Big Kiln Test Results !

100% EXCELLENT !!!!!
I could not stay up till midnight to look - was tired
so I got up early this morning  and checked

Making the Resin and Tempered broken Glass Ice Candles

Rick Silas has to be give credit here - with a way to rework broken tempered glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrTwq8u83e8

Materials:
EX70 resins - 1:1 ratio - I got at Curry's Art Supplies -   I will sub with my own resins but wanted to follow the instructions as closely as I could for the prototypes
Methyl Hydrate (alcohol) for thinning - you want it a bit thinner to run down into the glass
SmallBucket - I got the 1/2 bucket at home depot
Lots of broken tempered glass - this took one bit tote /2 shoe box totes to fill the 1/2 bucket
Mixing stick - clean - dollar store wooden spoon - dollar store brush - (I prefer the wooden spoon)
Container to mix in -
table cover - poly plastic is good the epoxy wont stick to polyethylene -just in case
5 x5 tile - all I could find at HOme depot was  a 4-1/4 x 4-1/4  white tile for this project

single tote                                                   double tote (not quite full )                                                  

So very anxious - I had broken my glass during the week and put into the tote ( so as of now I have basically 3 shoe box size totes filled with broken tempered glass

I put into the pail and filled to just below the rim so that I was not overflowing (I still have to put in resin and I didnt want a mess)

So bucket is filled and pressed down and I bounced it a couple times for it all to settle

I brought it inside - as its too cold to pour outside (epoxy likes heat to cure ) Put the tile on top (ceramic shiny side down ) and pushed down on it so it was seated well on top of the broken glass

Now - from the video I cant tell how much he used for each candle - so its a guessing game

I want to make more than I need in this case  - as I'd rather have too much than too little

so I measured on a mason jar - 1 cup  of water and poured into the jar and marked it - then put another 1 cup in and marked it to show the 2 cup mark  - emptied the water and dried the jar

I poured the part A in first to 1cup mark - cleaned the spout and put the cap back on
I poured the part B in to the 2cup mark - cleaned the spout and put the cap back on
I poured about    1/4 cup - just a little less of the methy hydrate (this wil et me know how far it seeps down - if not far enough then I'll need maybe the full 1/4 cup next time

Mix - mix - mix

I tore a piece of cardboard from a box to use as spreader

Poured onto center of the tile and slowly pulled to all sides to seep down - poured more
till what I thought was enough - the guessing part

so now I can see what I have left - after the pour




will see how far it seeped - and gauge my next measure based on the results - so fingers crossed tomorrow I see something that looks like one of Rick's candle holders
and off to dollar store today for glass inserts for the candles

once its out I still have to seal the piece - and I may use some alcohol inks to color - will have to see

but what does not stick or covered in resin can be resued on the next candle - which means I should have enough for a 2nd candle ! tomorrow