Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Working with Carefree Luster® Decals
HOW TO APPLY DECALS:
First, clean glass surfaces completely, with alcohol to remove finger smudges, grease etc. If your glass has both surfaces textured I suggest you to place in kiln and bring up to full fuse, this will flatten out the surface so that decal adheres completely.
Using a plastic or glass container larger than any section of cut out decal material add 1/2"- 1" room temperature distilled water. Normal drinking water has too many minerals in it and will leave spots on the surface of your glass. Place one decal cut out into water with paper side up, (or luster side down) to prevent excess curling. It will take between 1/2 - 1 minute. It may curl up a bit, but just push it down with your fingers. Take it out and test by applying a slipping motion between your thumb and fingers. The decal/luster should start to slip from the backing paper. If not, just put it back into the water again for a while. ( Note for future work, if you are working with very fine pieces, you may wish to use a pair of fine tweezers such as is used with cloisonné work.) Now slide the decal piece just a bit on the paper and then gently pull with tweezers or push off paper with fingers sliding it directly onto the area you wish. Place the length of your first decal strip on the test piece across the bottom width of your glass piece.
You may slip it around a bit for position. If it has been moved around too much it may lift a bit around the edges as there may be a lack of gelatin. In that case, take a small scrap of decal sheet (without luster) and using a small artists brush, which has been dipped into the distilled water, swirl the wet brush onto the gelatin side of the scrap of paper. Then slide the brush under the lifted edge of the decal to re-wet the decal with some of the gelatin from the brush.
HOW TO SQUEEGEE DECAL
With a chipboard piece that has a straight edge, begin in the middle of your decal/luster and squeegee outward in all directions until ALL WATER has been squeegeed out.
When you begin, it works best to drag the chipboard and when you think you have all the water out, start again in the center and push chipboard gently forward looking very carefully ahead of the leading edge of the board to check whether there is any slight "wave" of water being pushed ahead under the decal. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL WATER BE EXPELLED from under the decal. Also make sure there is no air trapped. You may re-cut edge of chipboard as it gets wet for a fresh edge to work with so you can use the same piece many times. You can get this material at most art supply stores or use matchbook covers as that is the thickness of cardboard you need.
Using a small scrap of paper between your finger and the decal, hold the decal down in place while gently wiping all excess luster or gelatin from the remaining surface of your glass/enamel with a, slightly dampened with distilled water, soft tissue or paper towel. Wipe away from the center of the decal in all directions so as to not disturb the edges. If you do not place a scrap of paper between your finger and the decal you risk the decal sticking to your finger and lifting off the glass when you try to remove your finger!.
DO NOT PANIC IF SOME OF THE LUSTER HAS LEAKED OUT FROM UNDER DECAL, it is just a bit of excess and some colors do that. They will fire just fine.
FIRING TESTS FOR GLASS
To determine the proper firing temperature, you need to know the temperature at which the surface of your glass becomes sticky. This is the temperature at which to fire up to with the decal/luster. This material will bond directly into the surface. If the surface is not quite sticky enough (hot) you will notice a lot of the luster material rubbing off after firing and cooling leaving a thin transparent coat on the glass. If you can't rub your design off after firing you got it right! There may be some excess rub off, however your design should look solid and the luster even.
KEEP RECORDS!!!!
After all decal material has been applied to the glass test piece, you may begin firing immediately. Just check your piece to see that all of the decal material is firmly stuck to the glass. If your edges appear to have lifted off, go back and apply more gelatin and re-squeegee.
ACTUAL DECAL FIRING FOR GLASS
Set kiln to arrive at 800 °F. after one hour. This is with kiln vented. When I am doing really little pieces (like the test piece or jewelry) It isn't necessary. If you have a large kiln and are firing large pieces with a lot of decal material it is necessary. You may need to vent your shop with an exhaust system if you have one. At this point (since I have a front loading) I can take a peek. The decal cover coat material should look kind of dark brown to tan. Now close up kiln and fire away in your usual manner. I take a peek again at 1000 °F. just to be sure cover coat is completely gone and luster looks good. Now you only have to worry about your final temperature for each glass you use. Take up to that point. I use GNA & FSA and fire between 1350 °F - 1475 °F. This is dependent upon the softening temperature of each glass. When you later are doing fusing of several glasses all in the same firing (and they are fuse compatible) they may have different softening temperatures. This material is quite flexible in it's ability to bond, so just take it to the temperature of your highest softening point. When you get there, hold for 15-30 minutes. Anneal and cool. I don't bother crashing the kiln unless I am in the highest ranges and I am usually curious to see whether edges are rounding up nicely.
FIRE AWAY! AND HAVE FUN!
CAREFREE LUSTER® DECAL SHEETS are available through:
- Thompson Enamel, 650 Colfax Avenue, Newport KY 41073. Phone: (859) 291-3800. Fax: (859) 291-1849. Telex: 214 558.
- Ed Hoy's International, 27625 Diehl Road, Warrenville IL 60555-3838. Phone: (630) 420-0890. (800) 323-5668 U.S. & Canada. Fax: (630) 836-1362. Email: info@edhoy.com Website: www.edhoy.com
- Eastman Corporation, 7447 Via De Fortuna, Carlsbad CA 92009. Phone: (760) 603-8646. Fax: (760) 603-0823. Email: kayeastman@aol.com
More complete instructions and ideas printed in :"GLASS ON METAL" Oct. 1996, COMMON GROUND: GLASS" Winter 1996, "COMMON GROUND: GLASS" Spring 1997 and "GLASS CRAFTSMAN," Oct. Issue 1997.
Please call me with any questions or problems.
Pat DIACCA Topp - The Topp Shop & Gallery
709 W. 5th Street - Marshfield, WI 54449 - Ph: 1-715-384-2627
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