Borax info
 

G'day all,

I am trying something new, and get devit with this one particular type of
slumping project, coming off 720oC / 1328oF or so, but only with this one
recent project.
Normally work with float, and coming off same programmes have no devit
problems, but this is bottle glass. I don't crash cool, usually my
programmes finish (at my workshop location) at 3am or 4am, having cooked
when cheap power comes online from 9pm.

Ok, I have the formula for Borax spray, and thought I'd give it a try.
I have heard of Borax, but the local hardware tells me they think Borax is a
brand name cleaner, no-one seems to have it though.
They also have a Borax fungicide, but feel that this is not what I'm after.

Found the 20 Mule Team info online, and this :
20 Mule Team® is composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. (The
scientific name for borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate.)

So, what on earth is a substitute?
Or do I just have to go check out all the cleaners about in the laundry
section of the supermarkets ?

If I find one with sodium tetraborate decahydrate listed as the ingredient,
will certainly give it a shot.

In the meanwhile, any thoughts / info appreciated.

Regards,
Les
Adelaide, South Australia

Borax is the common name for the stuff you mentioned, its not a brand
name so I suggest you try a better hardware store. You might want to ask
at a chemist also and if that fails a jeweller. Borax can be used as a
flux for silver soldering. I think its often found, as you suggest, in
the washing section of supermarkets.

figjam62 wrote:

G'day all,

I am trying something new, and get devit with this one particular type of
slumping project, coming off 720oC / 1328oF or so, but only with this one
recent project.
Normally work with float, and coming off same programmes have no devit
problems, but this is bottle glass. I don't crash cool, usually my
programmes finish (at my workshop location) at 3am or 4am, having cooked
when cheap power comes online from 9pm.

Ok, I have the formula for Borax spray, and thought I'd give it a try.
I have heard of Borax, but the local hardware tells me they think Borax is a
brand name cleaner, no-one seems to have it though.
They also have a Borax fungicide, but feel that this is not what I'm after.

Found the 20 Mule Team info online, and this :
20 Mule Team® is composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. (The
scientific name for borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate.)

So, what on earth is a substitute?
Or do I just have to go check out all the cleaners about in the laundry
section of the supermarkets ?

If I find one with sodium tetraborate decahydrate listed as the ingredient,
will certainly give it a shot.

In the meanwhile, any thoughts / info appreciated.

Regards,
Les
Adelaide, South Australia

20 Mule Team Borax is what you are looking for, in the cleaning section of
grocery store.
20 Mule Team is the brand, Borax is the product.
Do not get Boraxo, which is a detergent with borax in it, the soap will
mess you up.
For what the Borax does, there is a possibility that boric acid (the boron
without the sodium) will work and it is available from ceramic supply
places, drug stores, and hardware stores where it is sold as roach killer
powder (cheapest at ceramic, most costly at drug stores)
If the fungicide really is Borax with nothing stupid added, and it could
be from other uses of borax and boric acid, then it should be perfectly
usable.
I will warn you that borax is hard to dissolve if you try for too high a
concentration - use hot water and follow the directions you have - too much,
like trying to make a paste, and you get a hard crust solid at the bottom of
the liquid which probably reproduces the salt lakes it was dug from.
--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit47.htm Latest notes

"David Billington" wrote in message
...
Borax is the common name for the stuff you mentioned, its not a brand name
so I suggest you try a better hardware store. You might want to ask at a
chemist also and if that fails a jeweller. Borax can be used as a flux for
silver soldering. I think its often found, as you suggest, in the washing
section of supermarkets.

figjam62 wrote:

G'day all,

I am trying something new, and get devit with this one particular type of
slumping project, coming off 720oC / 1328oF or so, but only with this one
recent project.
Normally work with float, and coming off same programmes have no devit
problems, but this is bottle glass. I don't crash cool, usually my
programmes finish (at my workshop location) at 3am or 4am, having cooked
when cheap power comes online from 9pm.

Ok, I have the formula for Borax spray, and thought I'd give it a try.
I have heard of Borax, but the local hardware tells me they think Borax is
a
brand name cleaner, no-one seems to have it though.
They also have a Borax fungicide, but feel that this is not what I'm
after.

Found the 20 Mule Team info online, and this :
20 Mule Team® is composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. (The
scientific name for borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate.)

So, what on earth is a substitute?
Or do I just have to go check out all the cleaners about in the laundry
section of the supermarkets ?

If I find one with sodium tetraborate decahydrate listed as the
ingredient,
will certainly give it a shot.

In the meanwhile, any thoughts / info appreciated.

Regards,
Les
Adelaide, South Australia

"figjam62" wrote in message ...
G'day all,

I am trying something new, and get devit with this one particular type of
slumping project, coming off 720oC / 1328oF or so, but only with this one
recent project.
Normally work with float, and coming off same programmes have no devit
problems, but this is bottle glass. I don't crash cool, usually my
programmes finish (at my workshop location) at 3am or 4am, having cooked
when cheap power comes online from 9pm.

Ok, I have the formula for Borax spray, and thought I'd give it a try.
I have heard of Borax, but the local hardware tells me they think Borax is a
brand name cleaner, no-one seems to have it though.
They also have a Borax fungicide, but feel that this is not what I'm after.

Found the 20 Mule Team info online, and this :
20 Mule Team® is composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. (The
scientific name for borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate.)

So, what on earth is a substitute?
Or do I just have to go check out all the cleaners about in the laundry
section of the supermarkets ?

If I find one with sodium tetraborate decahydrate listed as the ingredient,
will certainly give it a shot.

In the meanwhile, any thoughts / info appreciated.

Regards,
Les
Adelaide, South Australia





Take a look at that:http://www.warmglass.com/basic/making_your_own.htm
It gives all the info you are looking for.

Deet

Mike Firth wrote:

20 Mule Team Borax is what you are looking for, in the cleaning section of
grocery store.
20 Mule Team is the brand, Borax is the product.

Makes sense. From the original post:
Found the 20 Mule Team info online, and this :
20 Mule Team® is composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and
water. (The
scientific name for borax is sodium tetraborate
decahydrate.)

Now, sodium is obviously sodium; tetraborate is boron and oxygen; decahydrate is
(ten parts) water. So, sodium-tetraborate-decahydrate IS sodium, boron, oxygen,
and water.

(Makes a good insecticide, too. And relatively harmless to pets.)

Thanks all for those tips etc, I have a good chance of finding this when I'm
dashing about in the next few days.
Good link to warm glass info, I had this from previous surfing, (but many
thanks all the same).
I've also read a few drops of dishwashing liquid is good, and after the
initial mix to dissolve, let settle a little and decant into another
container to get rid of the stubborn particles of Borax.
Will post my experiences and results.
BTW, I meant to ask, does it leave any sort of residue on the glass, or
become like a permanent glaze ?
Regards,
Les


"figjam62" wrote in message
...

G'day all,

I am trying something new, and get devit with this one particular type of
slumping project, coming off 720oC / 1328oF or so, but only with this one
recent project.
Normally work with float,
snip

"figjam62" wrote in message
...

Thanks all for those tips etc, I have a good chance of finding this when
I'm
dashing about in the next few days.
Good link to warm glass info, I had this from previous surfing, (but many
thanks all the same).
I've also read a few drops of dishwashing liquid is good, and after the
initial mix to dissolve, let settle a little and decant into another
container to get rid of the stubborn particles of Borax.
Will post my experiences and results.
BTW, I meant to ask, does it leave any sort of residue on the glass, or
become like a permanent glaze ?
Regards,
Les


the soap is to let the water flow out better, as it lowers the surface
tension. it will be ugly until fired. let dry before firing. don't get any
on the bottom as it will cause wash to stick. it acts like a low temperature
flux, and is actually a new glass surface. you need to take it over 1430,
ime, to get it to flow out well and disappear.

"figjam62" wrote in message
...

G'day all,

I am trying something new, and get devit with this one particular type of
slumping project, coming off 720oC / 1328oF or so, but only with this one
recent project.
Normally work with float,
snip

"Charles Spitzer" wrote in message
...

"figjam62" wrote in message
...

Thanks all for those tips etc, I have a good chance of finding this when
I'm
dashing about in the next few days.
Good link to warm glass info, I had this from previous surfing, (but
many
thanks all the same).
I've also read a few drops of dishwashing liquid is good, and after the
initial mix to dissolve, let settle a little and decant into another
container to get rid of the stubborn particles of Borax.
Will post my experiences and results.
BTW, I meant to ask, does it leave any sort of residue on the glass, or
become like a permanent glaze ?
Regards,
Les


the soap is to let the water flow out better, as it lowers the surface
tension. it will be ugly until fired. let dry before firing. don't get any
on the bottom as it will cause wash to stick. it acts like a low
temperature
flux, and is actually a new glass surface. you need to take it over 1430,
ime, to get it to flow out well and disappear.


Hey Charles, thanks for the extra info, especially the temp tip.
I have never taken my kiln to 777oC before, so will be interesting. Someone
once told me it's good for the elements, stretches 'em out and relaxes them.

Looks like I'll have to use kiln wash on the shelf. I have some kiln wash
powder, but don't use it in the way the directions say (usually I use it to
powder between glass to STOP them sticking, when doing multiple bending).
I have had to odd plaything (experiment) stick to the floor of my kiln, or
partially on a shelf, brick, or fibre ceramic board etc, but I don't
generally have a problem with float at up to 720oC / 1328oF that much.

I have had great success just sprinkling the powder very lightly, and
brushing dry on a tile, for example, before placing the glass, it stops it
sticking, and you just wash the residue powder off later under water.

Has anyone else tried this at the 720oC / 1328oF ?
If so, was it successful ?

Regards,
Les

Borax is used as a flux for welding expecially with brass. Try a welding
supply company.
LEE Gundlach

Pottery supply companies are also good; I order most of my raw materials
from Seattle Pottery Supply Co.

Sue Gundlach wrote:
Borax is used as a flux for welding expecially with brass. Try a welding
supply company.
LEE Gundlach



--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com