[canyon fox]

Hi everyone,
I was going to buy nichrome wire for making a rack to glaze fire ornaments being hung, thought it's better then on stilts.
Can I use a piece of an old element instead of nichrome wire?

[Benhim]

I'd probably buy a length of wire and build a rack with new wire and a kiln furniture body mix. Were you thinking something like a tree design with wire nubs inserted into the end of kiln furniture branches?

[Marcia Selsor]

I think you'd be better off to buy an actual rod of heavy gauge rather than kanthal wire which can soften and have structural failure when it is hot.
marcia

[canyon fox]

Thank you Ben and Marcia, I was going to have two posts and a wire between them to hold the ornaments. What is "kiln furniture body mix"?
Would you share?
Thank you. Lena

[bciskepottery]

Agree with Marcia that rods are better than wire. Look at the attached link at the Roselli beadtree holders; rods can be purchased separately. If you are firing at higher than low fire temperatures, a thicker rod will not sag.

http://www.baileypot...ture/stilts.htm

[trina]

bciskepottery, on 02 January 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

Agree with Marcia that rods are better than wire. Look at the attached link at the Roselli beadtree holders; rods can be purchased separately. If you are firing at higher than low fire temperatures, a thicker rod will not sag.

http://www.baileypot...ture/stilts.htm

Hi I have bought this and the thicker rods don't sag but have been unluckey with the thinner ones. Totally sag and I have also found that you definately need to fire them empty first as they flake the first time. Trina

[canyon fox]

trina, on 02 January 2012 - 10:46 AM, said:

bciskepottery, on 02 January 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

Agree with Marcia that rods are better than wire. Look at the attached link at the Roselli beadtree holders; rods can be purchased separately. If you are firing at higher than low fire temperatures, a thicker rod will not sag.

http://www.baileypot...ture/stilts.htm

Hi I have bought this and the thicker rods don't sag but have been unluckey with the thinner ones. Totally sag and I have also found that you definately need to fire them empty first as they flake the first time. Trina

How thick?
Is 15 gauge good enough or should I go for 9? I'm going to fire to ^5,
Trina, thank you for sharing to fire empty first.

[Marcia Selsor]

bciskepottery, on 02 January 2012 - 08:10 AM, said:

Agree with Marcia that rods are better than wire. Look at the attached link at the Roselli beadtree holders; rods can be purchased separately. If you are firing at higher than low fire temperatures, a thicker rod will not sag.

http://www.baileypot...ture/stilts.htm

George Roselli was the chief tech person where I went to school at the Philadelphia College of Art. He was working on those products when I knew him.
The Ceramic Store in Philadelphia is now producing his line.

Marcia

[Iforgot]

Marcia Selsor, on 01 January 2012 - 08:17 PM, said:

I think you'd be better off to buy an actual rod of heavy gauge rather than kanthal wire which can soften and have structural failure when it is hot.
marcia

Yeah, whenever i fire windchimes I get a nichrome rod and prop it up with two kiln posts then hand the pices from the rod, over a glaze catcher.



Darrel