Instructions on How to Fuse Dichroic Glass
Dichroic glass is beautiful to look at. Bernardine.com defines dichroic glass as, “A glass which contains ultra-thin layers of aluminum, chromium, silicon, zirconium or the metal alloy titanium. The colors are almost holographic in appearance.” Many people make jewelry with dichroic glass because it’s so colorful and easy to work with. You can even make beautiful pieces of jewelry right in your microwave with a microwave kiln and a few other tools.
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Things You'll Need
- Small pieces of dichroic glass
- Glass cutter
- Microwave oven
- Microwave kiln
- Kiln wash
- Small paintbrush
- Safety glasses
- Heatproof gloves
- 1/2-inch kiln shelf posts, 6
- Large, unfinished ceramic tile
Instructions
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1
Follow the manufacturer’s directions on the kiln wash package to mix and apply the kiln wash to the base of the microwave kiln with a paintbrush. The kiln wash is applied to protect the microwave kiln base. Allow it to dry completely before placing glass onto the kiln base.
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2
Place the piece of glass you’re going to use as the base on the ceramic tile. With gloves and safety glasses on, score the piece of glass by pushing the glass cutter forward and away from the body. Grasp the piece of glass on either side of the score with an index finger and a thumb, pincher style. Carefully snap the glass apart along the score line. Repeat this step until you have the desired size and shape that you want for your piece of base glass.
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3
Place the base piece of glass in the center of the kiln base. Choose the pieces of dichroic glass that you want for the design and place these carefully on top of the base piece of glass. Be sure that the glass pieces you’re using have the same COE; Coefficients of Expansion. Companies that sell art glass identify the COE of the glass so you can purchase glass with the same COE. If you do not use glass with the same COE, the glass will not fuse properly.
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4
Position the large ceramic tile near the microwave and place three of the shelf posts on the tile to form a triangle. The kiln will be placed here to cool after the glass has been fused.
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5
Place three shelf posts in a triangular configuration on the bottom of the microwave or revolving dish if your microwave has one. Place the kiln base with the glass pieces positioned on it onto the shelf posts. Carefully place the top of the kiln over the base and close the door of the microwave.
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Turn the microwave on for five minutes at 50 percent power to preheat the glass. After the five minutes are up, continue microwaving for five minutes on full power. With gloves and safety glasses on, open the microwave and keeping your face an arm’s length away, lift the top of the kiln just enough to see if the glass has fused yet. If it has not, continue microwaving for five more minutes on high, checking the glass every minute as you did the first time until the glass has fused.
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7
Remove the entire kiln from the microwave after 10 minutes (or when the glass has fused) and place the kiln onto the ceramic tile with the shelf posts. Allow the kiln to cool down for approximately 45 minutes. Lift the lid off the kiln and remove your work of art.
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Tips & Warnings
Microwave kilns heat much faster than a conventional kiln so use only small pieces of glass (approximately 1 by 1 1/2 inches and 1/4 inch total thickness). Larger pieces can’t withstand the rapid heating and will break.
Be sure to handle the glass pieces by the edges or with gloves on. Oils from your hands can cause the glass to break when firing.
