There are
some reports of properly prepared kiln wash (1 part powder to 5 parts water by
volume) clumping or going onto the shelf or mould unevenly.
My experience
is that this happens on shelves that have been kiln washed and fired several
times. The dry kiln wash that has
already been fired absorbs the water quickly leaving unevenly applied kiln
wash. The water is absorbed so quickly
that it leaves unevenly distributed kiln wash over the existing, already fired kiln
wash.
The immediate
response of diluting the kiln wash even further leads to a lot of water being
absorbed into the shelf leading to longer air-drying times. It also risks getting insufficient kiln wash
over the existing kiln wash. This risks the kiln wash sticking to the fired
glass, which is the opposite of the intention of using fresh separator.
When the new
kiln wash solution begins to clump, it is time to stop adding more over the top
of the old. It is time to remove the old, clean the
shelf and start with a new smooth kiln washed shelf. It does not take long and gives the
satisfaction on knowing the bottom of your pieces will be flat.
Applying new kiln wash repeatedly over old leads to uneven application and clumping of the new.
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