Step 5: Firing Your Fossil Vitra
Here’s the kiln schedule for firing your piece:
(°F per Hour) | TARGET (°F) | HOLD | NOTES |
300 | 900 | 60 | Our major concern here is avoiding thermal shock. The one hour hold is to ensure the plant material, fiber paper binder and hairspray burn off completely before the glass softens. Venting the kiln during this segment is recommended. |
100 | 1225 | 30 | A bubble squeeze at 1225 minimizes the chances of any trapped air causing bubbles. |
FULL | 1425 | 5 | We are looking for a sufficient fuse to fully melt the powder sandwiched between the glass and fiber paper – but not so hot that our single layer of glass starts to pull up and thicken around the edge. |
FULL | 900 | 30 | This is our anneal hold (using Bullseye’s new recommended 900°F). |
200 | 725 | 0 | This is the anneal cooling segment. |
400 | 100 | 0 | This is the final cooling segment. |
As with any kiln schedule, you may need to make adjustments for your kiln. If your kiln is small and your glass is very close to the elements, you may want to consider slowing the ramps in the first and final segments. If your base glass is made of more than one layer of glass you will need to adjust the first and final three segments accordingly.