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Dealing with Trapped Air Bubbles
Once an air bubble has been trapped in glass, it can be very
difficult to remove. Most potential solutions will change the
look of the piece, and all will require at least one (and sometimes
more than one) additional firing.
One option that sometimes works well is to
simply flip the piece over and re-fire. While this won't get
rid of the bubbles, it does change their shape and appearance.
This approach has the best chance of succeeding if the bubbles in your piece are pea-sized or smaller.
Re-firing
will sometimes cause them to change their shape or move around
slightly. With luck, this will improve the look of the piece.
Of course, flipping and re-firing will change the orientation of
the piece, so it's often necessary to flip again and re-fire a
second time, with the original side up. This process will
definitely change the look of the piece (often making the finish
more matte in appearance), and it is prone to devitrification, so
it's a good idea to use a devit spray if you re-fire more than once.
Also, take special efforts to make sure the piece is well-cleaned
between firings.
To summarize, flipping and re-firing can help when you have small
bubbles that are randomly scattered throughout the piece, but it
won't work in all cases. And it will definitely change the
look of the piece.
Click here for more suggestions on
ways to deal with trapped air bubbles in your pieces.
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Copyright 2006 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
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