104 COE & scupltures...

[dulceisler]

I want to make small sculptures with my moretti glass and wanted to know if its the same procedure as the beads? Do I put it into the vermiculite and then into the kiln or do I preheat the kiln and put it directly there?

Is there a rule of thumb -- if the scultpure is bigger than X put it directly into the kiln??

Any help would be great!!

THANKS!

[prairieson]

It depends more on the thickest part of the object rather than the size of the object, and of course heat control.

Take a look at work by folks like Lucio of Gianni. Much of their work never sees vermiculite, or a kiln at all until they anneal, or if they anneal.

[theglasszone]

Originally Posted by prairieson

...Take a look at work by folks like Lucio of Gianni. Much of their work never sees vermiculite, or a kiln at all until they anneal, or if they anneal.

GOOD LORD!!! How incredibly lovely!!! I want all of it!!!! Ha................

So do you mean to say that they DO NOT anneal their stuff? That can't be...or maybe you mean that they ALWAYS GO DIRECTLY INTO THE KILN? Duh, what can I say? My kitty woke me up and 5 a.m. this morning and I'm dead on my feet!

Clarify for me, please!

DeAnne in CA

[Tink]

When I bought a sculpture from Lucio, I said something about getting it after it was annealed. His response: "Annealed? You want annealed? I anneal, no charge." So it was annealed, but I don't believe that was the original plan

[theglasszone]

Thanks so much, Tink! I figured that is what was meant - I just couldn't conceive of such a thing in my wildest dreams!!!! I'd be terrified that it would blow up out of nowhere with the slightest breeze or change in climate/temp. Wow, you own one of these? I wouldn't be able to stop staring at it for months!!!!

Hugs,
DeAnne in CA

[Tink]

He wasn't planning on annealing it, but was willing to do so to make me feel better about spending beaucoup bucks on it. LOL!

Here she is in all her glory: The Inner Tink

[lripster]

Oh, that's so cool, Tink!!!

[castaway]

I have been working in this technique for some years now for figures, animals and insects. The way you work is important it must be a continual movement along the piece and you must never go back where you have been except to heat the tips of sections to add on. this continual working along and not going back causes the piece to cool slowly just behind where you are working. when finished the piece will survive for some days before annealing but should be annealed if you are going to sell it or keep it. Now comes the tricky part, if you anneal this type of work at the temperatures that a lot of you seem to use for beads, it will slump, you should do some small fine pieces to test and also place a clear air cooled lolly pop in the kiln at the same time(control) I have 4 kilns in my studio all controlled by Shimaden laboratory type controllers acurately calibrated to their centraly placed thermocouples, all of these kilns agree that pieces like these slump if annealed above 475C( I soak at annealing temp for 30 mins) the clear lolly pop when checked under a polariscope is perfectly annealed
hope this is of some help, Bernard
PS nice piece Tink !

[Reenie]

LOL...I'm glad that's you Tink and not the Banana girl. Should banana's really be peeled?