How to Make Glass Cabochons
Glass cabochons, or cabs, are a popular part of making jewelry. They can be wire wrapped, set in precious metal clay or glued to a pendant hook. They are also used as adornments to clothing, mosaics and other various art projects. A cabochon typically has an oval shape with a rounded top and a flat backside. There are different ways to create cabochons out of glass, although one of the most common ways is through the lampwork process.
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Things You'll Need
- Torch
- Kiln or vermiculite
- 3 clear glass rods: one 10 mm and two 6 mm
- Colored glass rods
- Marble or button mold
- Graphite paddle
- Tweezers
Instructions
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1
Heat a 10 mm rod until it gathers up into a ball.
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2
Push the molten gather into your mold and let it harden. The mold should be larger than your gather of glass to ensure you get a dome shape.
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3
Weld a 6 mm rod onto the front surface. Make sure this is a hot seal so that it does not easily crack off.
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4
Burn off the original 10 mm rod on the back side.
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5
Remove the excess glass with tweezers and flatten the back on the graphite paddle until it is flush with the rest of the back. You may need to flatten four or five times.
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6
Decorate the back of your cabochon with a design of your choice, making sure not to overlap the edges.
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7
Wind another color over the top of your decoration or use more clear glass to cover the back. Make sure the decoration is cool before winding or it will smear.
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8
Heat and flatten the back against the graphite paddle to get it flush again.
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9
Attach the other 6 mm rod to the back as a cold seal so that it's tacky enough to stick but not so hot that it is welded.
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10
Burn off the welded 6 mm rod on the front side. Heat the front enough so that the glass retracts and becomes the dome shape again.
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11
Use the tweezers to grab and hold the cabochon in one hand and then grab the 6 mm rod in your other hand. Tap the rod on top of your torch head so that it cracks off your cabochon.
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12
Fire polish the back to remove the mark from the 6 mm rod and make sure it's flat again.
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13
Place your cabochon in a kiln or bury it in vermiculite to anneal the glass.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Adding a background color to the back of your cabochon will make your decoration more visible. Warm your tweezers a bit before grabbing the glass to make sure it does not shock and crack the glass. Adding more glass to the top will give the cabochon more magnification and clarity of design.
Never work on the torch until you understand the health and safety considerations and are set up with a proper ventilation system.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photograph by Jenny Treviño-Blanquet
