Christmas Ornament glazes

[cp dunbar]

I will make some ornaments this christmas, and need to know which low fire glazes make decent colors, assuming at low fire. I am out of my element here. Don't we have to hang these on special wires to fire them ?  Thank you :)  cp

[Norm Stuart]

These nichrome wires are a little thin but work fine to embed in clay or glass work as an ornament hook.  Molten glaze readily corrodes wires, so glaze shouldn't touch. Some glazes are worse than others. Making "Warm Glass" sheet works in the kiln are heated to a lower temperature so the glass remains unreactive.

Ornament Hooks for Kiln Firing  --  Maximum heat limit Cone 01

Adding tints or oxides to a low-fire clear, which are heavy on the frit or gerstley borate, all make poster paint like glazes.

Or simply leave a hole in the ornament and add a string or wire after firing to Cone 6 or 10. 

[cp dunbar]

so, how do  you fire w/o glaze touching the kiln shelf ?

thank you so much !

[Norm Stuart]

CP - You'll need to also purchase some 8 gauge Nichrome wire to use as a "Bead Bar".  I got 5 feet for $21 on eBay.

This wire is thick enough, about 2/3 of 1/4", it won't bend in the kiln when suspended between two kiln posts lying on their side, or something you build out of clay if you want something more specific. 7 or 6 gauge wires are even thicker.

It's not too much trouble to straighten out, and shocking less expensive than buying an official "bead bar" or similar items already imagined by a clay supplier.

You thread a kiln width of this thicker wire through the ornament loops and place each end on a horizontal kiln post each elevated by two vertical kiln posts.  Works quite well.