How to Correctly Handle Fused Glass Decals

HOW TO CORRECT DECAL MISHANDLING & FIRING ISSUES

When working with decals things can go wrong even if you have read and understand our 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 to a full fuse at 1450 degrees. Our newest Black decals (also called a silhouette decal, they are like a shadow) are also Lead Free and made then packaged with biodegradable materials in keeping with our Eco friendly goals by the A Sanborn Corporation.

What Went Wrong with my glass?: As in the fusible glass decal in the photo above, you can see the gold Celtic decal has broken up. There are several reason why this can occur.

Answers:

1. Improper storage of your waterslide decals:

• Temperature: Fusible Glass decals need to be stored at a comfortable room temperature, like you, they do not like extreme heat or cold.
• Storage: Fusible Glass decals should not be stacked or tightly pressed together.
• Humidity: Fusible Glass decals need low humidity.

Solutions: Store the decals in your refrigerator or an air conditioned space, in a filing folder on their sides.

2. Improper Handling of your waterslide decals:

Direct contact: Never touch the surface of the decal whenever possible.

Solutions:

• Leave the protective paper coating on them during the cutting process and leave a small boarder to allow you to handle them more easily.
• Use tweezers to pick up the decal on the clear backing.
• When applying the decal to the glass, use tweezers to position.
• Allow the decal to dry completely before firing to avoid steaming off the decals bond to the surface of the glass.

3. Over firing:

When the glass is going thru a full fuse both layers are molten and the glass is moving.

Fine Metal waterslide decals positioned on a base glass have both the bottom and top, cap glass, layers moving and this can cause the thin metal layer to be pulled in two different directions. High Fire Gold or Platinum decals will tolerate a full fuse to 1450 degrees. Low Fire Decals require you to perform your full fuse first and then do a second firing at a lower temperature, up to 1200 degree so they can bond to the glass and the glass will not be moving.

The broken up results is worse when the decals have not been properly handled or stored and then have to go thru a full fuse.

Solutions:

• Always used a slow fire program for best results.
• Whenever possible fire on the top layer of glass and not as a capped layer.
• For best results: Full fuse your glass, apply you decal to the top layer of glass and fire a second time at a tack fuse.

We also recommend you read Free Glass Tips and Tricks for How to correct Fused Glass Decals.