How to correct Fused Glass Decal Mistakes

HOW TO CORRECT FUSED GLASS DECAL MISTAKES and FIRING ISSUES

When working with decals things can go wrong even if you have read and understand out Free Glass Tips and Tricks on How to use Glass decals.

Fusible glass decals are a type of waterslide decal that can be fired in your kiln up to a full fuse. Our newest Black decals are also Lead Free and then packaged in biodegradable materials in keeping with our Eco friendly goals of the A Sanborn Corporation.

1. What Went Wrong with my glass?: As in the fusible glass decal in the photo above, you can see a clear glass cap has slid off the base glass and worse yet it fused to the pendant next to it!

Answer: The fusible glass wolf decal is a decal covers the enter surface of the glass. The clear water slide backing of the decal will burn off and leave just the inked portion of the decal on the glass. In this case, since the entire surface of the base glass was covered with a decal (the smaller tree decal was place on top of the clear surface glass cap), the two glass surfaces did not touch each other so they could fuse together and the cap glass slid off the base glass during firing.

Solution 1: When a decal covers the entire surface of the glass, you really should use them on the top, surface layer, of glass. If the small tree decal had been placed on the base glass and the wolf decal had been placed on the surface, cap glass, then there would have been no sliding issue.

Solution 2: You can place a full surface decal on the base glass but you need to fire it by itself to at least 1,250 degree F for a semi permanent bond. They you can carefully place your top layer of glass and refire. We suggest that you consider a slightly higher than normal slump fuse versus a full fuse to retail the color pigment and crisp lines of the decal. When you fuse fuse both layers of glass are molten and moving, this will cause the enamels to spread and thin out and can distort the fine line details if you over fire your glass.

2. Why did the two pendants fused together?

Answers:

A. Because the base glass had no surface to bond to the top layer, due to being covered entirely with a fusible waterslide decal and the glass cap started to move during the full fuse process.

B. Because the pendants where not placed on the kiln shelf at least 1/2 inch apart, as the clear cap was moving the glass slid and touched the second pendant. And the two glass surfaces were able to attached itself during the full fused process.

C. There is a good possibility that the kiln shelf itself was also not level. Before each firing, it is always a good idea to place a small level in your kiln to see if the shelf is level and if not adjust the shelf or even the kiln to correct.