The Professional Fast Cure Method using the NO Days Universal Curing Station
Using the Professional Fast Cure Method of construction with No Days Glaze pre-formed glazing strips or No Days pre-glazed lead or zinc came, you build and solder the window, and heat set the glazing with the Universal Curing Station. The No Days Universal Curing Station is available in standard sizes from 12" x 12" up to 48" x 24". Curing stations are available in custom sizes up to 8 square feet.
The curing station works by transferring heat through the lead or zinc causing the NO Days Glaze to flow. This curing station shows the heating elements that are under the protective steel cover. It’s important not to place anything on top of the elements of the curing station. This could prevent them from heating properly.
After you’ve built your window, you’re ready to solder. It’s important that your soldered joints are flat with the lead came. If there are globs of solder sitting on top of the lead came, then the heat from the curing station will not be able to heat the lead properly and melt the No Days Glaze.
After you’ve soldered and cleaned the flux off of your window, lay it on a flat, non-flammable work surface such as metal, wood, plywood, or Medium-density fibreboard (mdf), making sure that your workspace is clear of anything that may melt or is flammable. The curing station will reach temperatures of up to 220 degrees F (104 degrees C).
Place the curing station on your window, then plug it in and let it come up to temperature. It’s best to let the window and curing station come up to temperature together, that way there’s less of a chance that you will thermal shock your glass. If glass warms or cools too quickly, it may crack. This is an especially important point to remember when working in a cold studio.
If your window has jewels or bevels that are taller than your lead came, you’ll need to flip the window so that the jewels are facing down and cure on the flat (back) side of the window.
When you first begin to use the Curing station, you should keep a close eye on your piece to familiarize yourself with the station and how long it takes to cure a window. If you leave the curing station on the window for too long, the glazing can overheat and run out of the lead channels. If this happens, you can easily clean the excess glaze with a razor or mineral spirits, or even wipe it off while it’s still liquid. But, if you know how long it takes to cure the No Days Glaze, you can skip this unnecessary step and save yourself time.
As the temperature strip on the curing station reaches the 203 degree F (95 degrees C) mark, the No Days Glaze should be starting to reach it’s phase change temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
Using a bit of No Days Glaze placed near the lead came as a guide can help you see how long to cure the window. Lift the curing station occasionally and watch for the guide to melt. Then, you’ll know when the glazing material inside the lead channel has melted.
Once you’ve become familiar with the timing for the curing station, you’ll be free to work on other projects while you’re waiting for the window to cure.
If your window is larger than your curing station, you can heat set the window in sections.
When the No Days Glaze has liquified, remove the curing station and set it aside, placing it on a heat proof surface. If your studio is especially cold, you may want to throw a towel, blanket or even pieces of newspaper over the window to insulate it and help it slowly cool back to room temperature. This will help avoid thermal shocking the glass.
There’s no need to turn the window over to cure the other side, unless the window will be directly exposed to outdoor elements as a single pane window. Heating from both sides of the window will help to ensure that all gaps are fully sealed.
Once the window has come back to room temperature, the No Days Glaze will solidify and be ready for installation. There’s no need to putty the window, and no need to wait to move it off of the table. Clean up is easy.
The No Days Universal Curing Station can also be used with the NO Days Mosaic Adhesive Film or NO Days Mosaic Mesh.
For more instructional videos, visit http://Streuter.com.
For ordering information or help with questions, email: Info@streuter.com.
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