shelf paper

[missy]

I am new to this, so i really dont know enough to ask intellegent questions…..but, why does my shelf paper burn up?  In all that i have read it is reusable.

[wefinneys]

Shelf paper isn’t reuseable.  During the firing process it almost turns to a powder.  If you can lift the piece of glass without disturbing the fired shelf paper it can be reused but that is hard to do.

 

Pat

[steve worcester]

What he said, but the only real difference between shelf paper (thin fire) and kiln wash is ease of use. And in this context, maybe re-use. Thin fire, or any shelf paper for that matter is a one-time use product. Unusally. With careful lifting, etc., you can reuse, but not a great idea. Mix up a good batch of kiln wash, with good application technique and once dried on a smooth shelf, you can go over it with a nylon and get almost as smooth a surface (and often better) as the paper.

Now if you are carving or texturing with the paper, then you already know the results, but it is still usually a one-time use product.

Steve Worcester

http://WWW.TURNINGWOOD.COM

[Anonymous]

In addition to ease of use, shelf paper provides a slight escape route for air during firing and can reduce bubbles.

If you are able to get your work off the shelf paper without disturbing it you can spray it with hairspray (the cheap stuff like AquaNet or White Rain) to “re-bind” it so it doesn’t puff up dust when you put new work down on it to fire.  Make sure to spray from above so that the spraying doesn’t blow the used shelf paper all over the place.

And always wear a mask – shelf paper without the binder is nasty stuff to be breathing in.

Paul 

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Paul
FusedGlass.Org
Helios Kiln Glass Studio
PaulTarlow.com

 

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