Fusing Schedule Disaster

Unexpected Results

A black and white object with a hole in the middle

When fusing glass art, a fusing schedule plays a crucial role in the finished piece. However, even the best-laid plans can go awry. 


I recently placed two pieces in my kiln that were screen-printed with EZ Fire Enamel. I was shocked when I opened the kiln. I have never had a fusing result like this. The two layers of glass contracted and expanded losing its form. In the center of the area painted with enamel was a huge bubble. It reminded me of a printer's loupe.


At first, I thought there was something wrong with the kiln. Then it dawned on me that I had multiple schedules for firing enamel paint. Duh, I chose the wrong schedule. The one I should have chosen was for fusing the paint and slumping the piece in one firing. I chose the one for fusing enamel paint as an under painting, a very different schedule.


My kiln has dozens of fusing schedules. What I learned is to slow down and search through all of the schedules before starting one. Perhaps renaming all of the enamel schedules to something that brings them all together in the schedule panel would help.


A black plate with a white cat on it

This Cat plate is what I hoped for. Screen printing with enamel and a single fuse.

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