Slumping dichro strips

crystalflipz · #1 2013-09-19, 9:04pm

Has anyone tried slumping their own dichro strips? I want to start cutting and slumping my own dichro strips, and am looking for a slumping schedule for my Regular Guy kiln. I'll be working with 104 glass pretty much exclusively, and any guidance would be really appreciated.
Thanks!

28676bhe · #2 2013-09-19, 9:28pm

Very easy to do! Get some chalk, side walk or the blackboard size. Sand down one side just enough so that the pieces don't roll. Lay them side by side, close. Then take every other one out. Lay your dichro strips on top and bring your kiln up to 1250 for about 25 minutes, and then turn off. If you keep your strips at 3/8" you really don't have to fuss a lot here. You'll wind up with zig zags. If you want to just prefuse some, same schedule, dichro side down. Don't worry about shelf marks because those will disappear in the flame. You can even stack them by using a couple of drops of Rave hair spray. Just don't put dichro side to dichro side. Dichro to clear only to fuse together.

PolychromeBeads · #3 2013-09-19, 11:48pm

What are zig zags? Pictures?!?

Aimee

28676bhe · #4 2013-09-20, 8:31am

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Like that, but rounder and spaced further apart.

You could also use stacks of fire paper or fiber board.

It just gives a flat piece some fun dimension.

2xMI · #5 2013-09-20, 9:32am

If you are trying to minimize scumming when you use the dichro on a bead, you need to fire polish the edges of your strip. Cut the strips to the desired width (usually 1/8" to 1/4"). Clean the strips well and place on kiln-washed surface. You can place the strips dichro up or dichro down-- it'll give a slightly different look in your finished product, so see which one you like better. Try a test run with some strips-- place them far enough apart so when you look in your kiln you'll be able to see if the edges are rounded and glossy. That's when they're done. Try 500 per hour to 1350 and hold for 15 minutes-- start checking how they look at 1300 to get a feel for how long they'll take (it depends on your kiln, whether the dichroic is on clear or black, how accurate the thermocouple is, etc). Once you like their look, you can switch your kiln off (I think the kiln you're using is a fire brick?). These are thin enough pieces that you won't need a full annealing cycle. If you're using a fiber kiln, control the cooling down to avoid thermal shock.

You don't need to go as high as full fusing temperatures, as that will change the look of the dichroic and the shape of your strip(s). Just a high enough temp to gloss the raw edges and round them out a little.

If you're talking about slumping-- using a mold, for example, to change the shape of the strips-- that's done at lower temperatures.

Mimi

Emily · #6 2013-09-20, 1:45pm

Mostly I do what Mimi said, except that I set my kiln for 1400 and start watching the strips when they've been at 1400 for five minutes. Usually they take longer than five minutes, but I like them just to have the edges softened, so I watch carefully. (I have a kiln with a window in the door.) If you let them go too long, the strips dome and get too rounded for my taste. You'll have to do some trial runs to figure out the optimum temperature for your kiln.

When I first started doing dichro strips, whoever gave me the directions told me that after the strips were as rounded as I wanted them, I should open the kiln and let the temp drop to 1000 degrees, then close the door and let the kiln cool. With my firebrick kiln, I can just turn it off. With the fiber kiln (SC-2), I set it to go down to 800 over a couple of hours, then shut off.