Finding mullite dams for glass project

[GlassK]

I want to try the orchid melt sculpture from "A Beginner's Guide to Kiln-Formed Glass. I am suppose to use mullite dams to hold the orchid pot to melt the glass. Where can I buy mullite dams? Can I use dams cut from fiberboard instead?

I'd appreciate any feedback.

Thanks...GlassK

[Greymatter Glass]

I've made damns out of SC shelfs and wash them with kiln wash. Cuts easy with a diamond saw.

You can usually get mullite from refractory suppliers. It's used to line fireboxes of stoves and fire places... or you can maybe get it from a ceramics supplier.

I wouldn't use fiber board, it's too light and the molten glass will just push it around.

Silica carbide kiln shelfs are heavy and work great.

-Doug

[Swampy]

I've used 25mm fibreboard as dams for making 300mm square blanks.

Use some woodglue to hold a strip of fibrepaper against the hot face.

Use copper wire as a staple to stop the dams pulling apart.

I have a picture somewhere if you need to see it for a better description.

Still a lot of work cleaning up afterwards but I took the slabs to the local glass shop and they polished the edges, they have all the kit.

[GlassK]

Thanks so much for the suggestions.

GlassK

[menty666]

Here's one source: http://cdvkiln.com/menufusingsupplies.htm

Just make sure you kiln wash them first. Don't ask me how I know that :)

By the way, I think BE sells them too and they might fall under the stuff eligible for the discount. I don't have the sheet in front of me a the moment though

[UmaJulz]

Delphi sells dams... http://www.delphiglass.com/index.cfm?page=itemList&viewcat=2185

Is that what you mean? They are stupidly expensive... I think the other options make more sense.

[Swampy]

I found the pictures, much better to look at and understand than I could even try to explain.

The first one shows the 25mm fibreboard dams assembled to contain strips of BE cut into 20mm strips.

You can see the 'staple' made from copper wire. This prevents the joint pulling apart. If you look carefully, you will see another piece of straight copper wire inserted parallel to it, through the front face of the piece of fibreboard nearest you.

The second shot is a mold made from 316 stainless, I had a local blacksmith knock it up in the days before these were commercially available. There is a supplier that regularly advertises in the classifieds on warmglass.com for these and various other shapes.