People
are reporting different behaviours of their thicker fibre papers. Mainly the difference is that small fibres
stick to the glass after a full fuse or kiln carving firing. There also seems to be a different smell from
the burning binders. This is most likely
to be a body soluble refractory fibre paper that is being used.
It
seems more suppliers are selling the body soluble versions of fibre paper. It
sticks and it gives off a smell of volatile chemicals. I don't like it, but I
may have to use it due to the unavailability of that more health risky stuff
that worked very well.
There
are several ways to minimise the fibres sticking to the glass. They all relate to adding a separate coating
of separator to the fibre paper before firing.
Among the coatings that can be used are kiln wash brushed on or powder
dusted over, alumina hydrate, and boron nitride (Zyp is one brand name). Some cut out Thinfire or Papyros to the
shapes required. (It seems to me that a
single sheet of either of these placed over the whole area would do the job, as
they turn mostly to dust upon firing).
Others
have found that simply soaking in water overnight allows the fibres to be
brushed off with stiff brushes.
Body
soluble refractory fibre papers tend to stick to the glass at anything over low
temperature tack fuses. This requires an
additional layer of separator to be applied over the paper.
It
is each person’s choice, of course, but I will continue to attempt to get the
older version of fibre paper.
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