How to Make Fused Glass
Glass consists mainly of silicon dioxide, which can be melted down to create artwork, home decor, glass pieces or instruments. Fusing glass together is surprisingly easy to learn; start by fusing different colors and sizes of glass pieces into an artwork design before you attempt to make trickier glasswork such as pressed, blown, molded or poured. You need a kiln in which to melt the glass at around 1300 degrees F or more. These can be hard to obtain and very expensive.
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Things You'll Need
- Kiln Standard bottle of Kiln wash Standard bottle of glass separator Kiln-safe firing plate Gloves Protective eyewear Sheets and pieces of glass in a variety of sizes, colors and styles Grinder Glass cutter Honey
Instructions
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Decide what colors and type of glass you want to use. At crafts stores, most glass samples and packages state on the bag whether they can be fused or not; some glasses cannot. Get thinner glass as a beginner.
You will start by making a sheet of fused glass about 6 to 7 inches in diameter, so get at least one sheet of clear glass that is 3 or 4 inches wide and not too thick. Also try frit, which consists of small pieces of broken glass, glass flakes and stringers (long, thin shards). -
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Prepare the kiln by using kiln wash on the bottom. Brush the wash in one direction with a cloth, repeating the process four times. Leave the wash in the kiln and fire it up to 550 degrees F; let it cool naturally with the lid on. This helps prepare the kiln to be extremely hot.
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Apply glass separator to the kiln's shelf after the kiln has cooled from the wash. Repeat the same process you did with the wash by sweeping it around the kiln and firing to 500 degrees F before letting it cool.
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Position your glass onto the firing plate for the kiln. Break glass pieces off and combine the sheet of glass with other tiny colored pieces, long skinny pieces, blobs, glitter, etc. Do not stack the glass pieces up too thickly, but you may overlap some. Use the glass cutter to create interesting shapes and shards. If necessary, attach glass lightly to the firing plate with a small spread of honey, which will help it stick and will crystallize. Clean the glass pieces well so there are no smudges or marks.
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Place your firing plate of glass into the kiln. Heat up the kiln slowly by gradually increasing the temperature dial over the course of 1 1/2 hours. Then turn it straight to 1350 degrees F. Use the peephole to check on your glass if the kiln has one. Your glass is done firing when its surface is smooth and the sides are rounded; this means the glass has fused together.
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Open the lid of the kiln once your fused glass is done to slowly air it out. Turn off the heat. Do not take your fused glass out of the kiln until it is at room temperature because it may crack.
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Use a grinder or strong file to shape your fused glass into something of use if desired. Once you have the hang of this process, you can move on to fusing glasswork into more substantial items.
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Tips & Warnings
Always be extremely cautious around kilns, as the heat is very intense. Wear protective eyewear.
- Photo Credit Courtesy of Photobucket.
