How to Fuse Gold to Glass

Gold on glass

There are many examples of gilt glass in museums around the world. Rulers worldwide still use gold to decorate both functional and ceremonial glass objects. Glass gilt goblets, decanters and serving bowls dazzle and intimidate at state dinners. Today, gilt glass is an important option in creating fused glass.

Things You'll Need

• Glass
• 22 karat gold (foil, liquid or decal)
• Burnisher
• Kiln shelf & primer
• Glass fusing kiln

Instructions

1. Sketch your design. Gold is expensive, so it is generally used as an accent to accentuate the design. Determine where you will include gilded glass in your design.

2. Make or purchase your fused glass. Gold can burn off in the kiln. To prevent burn-off, you will fuse the gold to the glass at a low temperature and as the last step in creating your project. Complete all other fusing before gilding the surface of the fused glass. Be sure the project is ready for the final firing in the kiln before adding the gold surface accents.

3. Clean the glass with an ammonia-based glass cleaner and then rinse off the cleaner with distilled water.

4. Add the gold to the surface of the glass using one of three methods: paint the gold onto the glass using liquid gold and a gold pen; paste a commercial or handmade 22 karat gold decal onto the surface of the glass; or cut out a piece of 22 karat gold foil, add a drop of glass fusing glue to the back of the gold foil and burnish the gold foil onto the glass. Check to be sure the gold and any glue used to affix the gold are dry.

5. Prepare the kiln shelf with primer and allow the primer to dry. Place the surface gilded glass on the shelf in the kiln to fuse the gold to the glass. Your exact fusing schedule will depend on the size and thickness of your glass project. Raise the temperature in the kiln slowly until the kiln pyrometer reads 1,140 degrees F. Hold the kiln at 1,140 degrees for about 20 minutes until the gold fuses to the glass. Lower the temperature of the kiln slowly to prevent thermal shock. Anneal as usual. Do not remove the glass from the kiln until it reaches room temperature.

Tips & Warnings

• This project requires the use of high karat gold foil. Gold leaf is not a substitute for gold foil.

• Gold foil can be fused between layers of fusible glass. Follow your typical fusing schedule when fusing high karat gold as an inclusion, but do not exceed 1,500 degrees F or the gold may burn away. You may need multiple layers of gold foil to get an intense, rich gold look when fusing gold foil between layers of glass.

• Take fire safety precautions when using a kiln.

• Operate your kiln in a ventilated space.

• Never leave a kiln unattended while it is firing.

References

• "Contemporary Warm Glass;" Brad Walker; 2000
• "Kiln Formed Glass;" Brenda Griffith; 1961
• "Warm Glass;" Philippa Beveridge, Ignasi Doménech, Eva Pacual and Eva Pascual; 2003