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firing red decals
Submitted by cv2400 on Sun, 08/14/2011 - 21:34.
I tack fused a red glass low fire decal on to a full fused coaster. It did not stay red, it turned pink. I followed the firing directions tht came with them.
300 to 1000 hold for 30 min (cracked the kiln for this)
400 to 1325 hold 10 min
9999 to 950 hold 40 min.
It probably was to hot. Since I would like them to stay red does any one have suggestions?
You probably fired too hot.
You probably fired too hot. Lowfire decals should not be fired over 1250. Some of the colors will burn out. Red is the worst.
Also try venting the kiln up to 1000F. Helps oxidize the pigments.
Barry Kaiser
Web Site www.kaiserglass.com
Glass Classes: www.Kaiserglass.com/classes.html
Tutorials www.kaiserglass.com/tutorials.html
red decals
Thank you for your suggestion. I will give it a try.
decals
Thanks for the info, I was wondering the same thing. Also have another question (only been fusing a couple of weeks now). I ordered both high fire and low fire decals and I have already done some of the high fire ones with a clear cap on top (after the first firing applying the decal). Can I apply a clear cap on low fire ones? Or since you can only go to 1250 will it even melt and round the glass?
capping decals
You should ask your decal supplier, but generally decals aren't capped.
Maybe others do, but I never do.
Firing Reds
Kaiser Glass probably explained it best in a recent newsletter:
"All the colors are pretty stable at temperature except the red color. The red color is a metal oxide. It needs to hold that oxygen in order to give that luscious red color. When the metal oxide is heated in an oxygen poor atmosphere, it will give up its oxygen pretty readily to another element that wants it more. In our kilns that element is carbon. This comes from burning thinfire paper (organic binder) or any other organic material in the kiln."
The cure is to vent the kiln to 1000F.