Everyone’s favorite game…
…what can I melt in my kiln? The winner today? Kosher Salt.
(above - gratuitous photo of the glass I pulled out of the kiln this morning…I’m loving the grays and blacks…)
In the pursuit to achieve consistent bubbles in my glass, I have been taking suggestions from my friend Andy as to what might either emit a gas once soaked at the fusing temp (1430-1440) or change from a solid to a gas once heated to a high temp, thus creating an air pocket between the layers of glass.
His suggestion last night…salt - and it worked really well.
Up until this point I had either been using this “bubble powder.” My issue with the powder is that a. it’s unpredictable in the bubble size and frequency and often creates bursts of bubbles that resemble boiling water and have a hazy appearance. While, don’t get me wrong, it’s cool too…it’s just not what I wanted.
Kosher salt, as you can see in the clear pieces above (I sprinkled it liberally in between the glass before firing) - produced some pretty consistent, large and clear bubbles…score.
What’s next for this game…you tell me.
