Pulling rolls for making sheet glass and methods of making and using

A method of making a pulling roll, comprising the steps:

• a. conducting at least one of a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and a differential thermal analysis (DTA) of millboard disks from ambient temperature to an upper thermal profile temperature that is higher than a pulling roll operating temperature, wherein the pulling roll operating temperature is 1000° C. or greater;
• b. selecting a firing temperature and time for the disks based on the at least one of a TGA and a DTA such that the disks do not undergo a weight loss from thermal perturbations of more than 5% upon exposure to the pulling roll operating temperature;
• c. firing a plurality of the millboard disks at the firing temperature and time;
• and
• d. assembling the plurality of millboard disks on a pulling roll shaft to form a pulling roll, the assembling conducted after the firing step.