More adventures in glass fusing
February 10th, 2008 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kalihaSo I got the kiln back out again today.
I decided to start off with something a little more adventurous in my glass making today. I took my bloody ages to cut all the glass only to discover that the green glass isn't compatible with the microwave kiln.
How did I find this out? By nearly blowing up my microwave. Oops. I left it for a bit and it seems to be working okay again now.
My second attempt, black, blue dichroic and clear with a channel filled with fibre blanket to make a stringing hole.
Can you believe that I used to ruler to measure these out "to the same size" :( I need a Morton Portable Glass Studio I think.
The paler bit of orange is the molten glass
You can see it a bit better there.
I think some nasty fumes come out of it judging by the dirty marks. Eugh.
If you look through the hole you can see the pendant annealing (this is a slow cooling process that strengthens the glass.
And there it is. However, the layers haven't fused together as much as I wanted.
you can still tell that it's three seperate bits of glass. So back in the microwave it goes.
After the second firing it looks a bit like this. The bottom two laters are more fused but the clear layer is still a bit bobbly and I want a nice seal all the way round.
You can tell better from this angle.
So I put it in for a third firing and although it still isn't quite how I wanted it I'm still quite pleased with the result. I think the trick is to make the top bit of glass about a mm wider than the bottom layer. Maybe also use 2mm glass instead of three as it's melt quicker.
But it's still all a learning process.
I decided to start off with something a little more adventurous in my glass making today. I took my bloody ages to cut all the glass only to discover that the green glass isn't compatible with the microwave kiln.
How did I find this out? By nearly blowing up my microwave. Oops. I left it for a bit and it seems to be working okay again now.
My second attempt, black, blue dichroic and clear with a channel filled with fibre blanket to make a stringing hole.
Can you believe that I used to ruler to measure these out "to the same size" :( I need a Morton Portable Glass Studio I think.
The paler bit of orange is the molten glass
You can see it a bit better there.
I think some nasty fumes come out of it judging by the dirty marks. Eugh.
If you look through the hole you can see the pendant annealing (this is a slow cooling process that strengthens the glass.
And there it is. However, the layers haven't fused together as much as I wanted.
you can still tell that it's three seperate bits of glass. So back in the microwave it goes.
After the second firing it looks a bit like this. The bottom two laters are more fused but the clear layer is still a bit bobbly and I want a nice seal all the way round.
You can tell better from this angle.
So I put it in for a third firing and although it still isn't quite how I wanted it I'm still quite pleased with the result. I think the trick is to make the top bit of glass about a mm wider than the bottom layer. Maybe also use 2mm glass instead of three as it's melt quicker.
But it's still all a learning process.
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(no subject)
Date: Sunday, February 10th, 2008 11:02 pm (UTC)I definitely think just from looking at the photos that thinner glass may do the job better.
(no subject)
Date: Monday, February 11th, 2008 12:57 am (UTC)Glad your microwave is functioning now!
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 04:54 am (UTC)I shall content myself with creating vicariously through your work. Please do keep posting pics!
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 05:34 pm (UTC)