How to Use Shelf Paper in a Glass Kiln

A glass kiln is a controlled oven that reaches temperatures around 1,700 degrees F to keep glasswork hot, and then it gradually cools down to remove the stresses in the glass. If you do any type of work inside the kiln, such as melting pieces of glass together (fusing), you want to have a protective covering like fiber paper, which covers the kiln shelf and guards against the glass sticking to the shelf during a work cycle.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fiber paper (available from lampworking, stained glass and ceramics suppliers)
• Scissors
• Kiln
• Ventilation system
• Glass piece(s)

1. Determine whether you want to use a fiber paper for a one-time fuse cycle (single fire), such as Bullseye Thinfire Shelf Paper, or if you want to use a multiple-use paper like Unifrax's 110-J fiber paper. The Thinfire paper disintegrates after a kiln cycle, making it easy for cleanup, while the Unifrax paper can be peeled off the shelf and reused for a future firing.

2. Use scissors to cut the fiber paper to the shape of your kiln shelf and place the paper inside.

3. Burn out the binders, unless your chosen paper does not require this, to remove the fibers in the paper. Do this by allowing your kiln to reach 1,400 degrees F and then turning it off and letting it cool. During this process, make sure you have a ventilation system going, such as vented hood system, to remove non-harmful smoke and bad odors.

4. Place your glass piece(s) on top of the shelf paper and proceed to follow a kiln schedule (firing cycle), according to the project that you are doing.

5. Allow the kiln to completely cool down to room temperature and, if using single-use paper, sweep up any fiber bits remaining and dispose of them. Otherwise, cautiously peel away the multiple-use paper and save it for your next project.

References

• WarmGlass.com: Preparing the Kiln for Firing
• Contemporary Warm Glass; Brad Walker; 2000.

Resources

• Delphi Glass Art and Supplies

[coolpapa]

on 12/17/2009 Good 'How To' A great place to get your thinfire is at Blackcreekglass they have the best prices around.