soaker

[dnug42]

hey man- how often should you soak a piece as yer working? Last two days i had made two hammers- 2-piecers- i had been sticking them in the kiln periodically- and when i was about 2 finish...about to work on pulling off blow tube and bladammmmmmmmmmmmmm- cracked...i saved one but the other was a total loss....fug man so figgin pissed- well regardless i guess i am rushing too much- so i just wanted to get a time frame and frequency thing down before i fug up my hard work again...thanks for any.
d
oh yea and also whut is the best course of action once something cracks? i have kept working trying to mend it- but should i stick it into kiln let it heat- then go back....?

[Mr. Wonka]

If the mouthpiece is too close to the opening of the kiln it probably isn't getting enough heat (or time) to soak, which may be the reason for the crackage.

Just a thought...

[somberbear]

you should weld it and stick it back in and work on the next peice, get that handel in there to where you going to to be pulling off to soak....

[Firekist]

i'll ditto tom's solution, and the time soaking depends on the actual temp...how much stress you originally left in the glass while making it, and how thick the pieces are.

usually i work a piece from one side to the other, and never reheat with the flame. the mouthpiece will be cold to the touch. garage that piece for 30 minutes at 1075.. should be ok.

when putting a cold piece like that into a hot kiln, i also "hover" the piece.. i don't let any part of the piece touch the inside of the kiln for a couple minutes.. i've had things crack cause i put them cold onto hot brick.

(letting the piece cool works pretty well unless you have exotic colors, stressed combinations (like black next to white), or attachments.. once attachments are on, garaging more frequently seems to do the trick.

anyway.. you might be surprised what you can save... just put them in the kiln, get it up to 1200 for a while.. then take them out and piece them back together.. at least i don't mind doin this for cheap work/price reduced work..

eh.. z---seth

[gotglass?]

when i do multi part pipes i make the can throw it in the kiln then make the mouth piece and prep it for the seal..... then i take out the can heat up both seals and weld them together. Once i've gone completely around the weld i place it in the kiln. Most times like somber i start another 2 piecer or if i want a real sense of accomplishment i make a spoon and do all but remove it it from the point. By this time (i 'm no speed demon it takes me longer to color a spoon than it does to do all the other steps) my 2 piecer is ready to add marbles and maybe pop the carb( depends on the piece) and into the kiln it goes..... finish the spoon start another or second half of another 2 piecer..... one of the first things i learned as a musician was when in doubt sit it out... don't fuck up the song for others if you don't know what's going on..... if you think it might crack it probably will so better safe than sorry give the piece a rest .... hell give yourself a rest go get a drink go to the bathroom. there's nothing as annoying as having to urgently go to the bathroom at a crucial moment .....

good luck
bill

[dnug42]

thks gee's- i think i learned some important steps...
any crack advice....?....other than dont do it!