How to make your own glass frit (and frit combinations) using any COE glass.

1.  To make sure your glass is all the same COE, use a Fuse It Test Card. 

A convenient and money-saving device that tests the compatibility of glass. Cut a 1 1/2" section of clear glass (of a known COE) and a 3/4" square of the glass you wish to test and fuse together. Sandwich the fused glass piece between the two layers of film above a bright light. If there is no halo around the glass, the two glasses are compatible. If a light halo is seen around the glass, this signals stress within the glass and incompatibility.

Use this test card when you are not sure of your glass compatibility. Now you can fuse bottle glass, including wine bottle glass and recycled glass easily with this card! Create imaginative recycled glass art by using this test card. An excellent tool for multiple melted bottles to shape and use in glass molds. If you have fusible glass laying around (or you were given fusible glass), but forgot which COE it is, you can easily test it's compatibility with this cost efficient tool.

Watch the video to see how it is used: Fuse It Test Card How-To Video.

2.  use an Aanraku Frit Maker

All steel glass crushing frit maker.
Includes instructions and rare earth magnet.
Overall height: 11-inches.
Piston diameter: 3-inches.
Chamber depth: approx 5-inches.
Weight: 7.2 lbs
Welded steel
Use for making your own lampworking glass frit and also fusing frit. Create your own color combinations and sizes.


We know that this is not a new tool, but it is a must have for lampworkers and fusers!  Use your lampwork rod pieces and shorts and other rods (maybe ones that are shocky or too thick to use easily), to create your own glass frit and glass frit combinations.   It's just another great way to use up those rods that are just too short to hold anymore.  You can do the same thing with glass fusing.  Take those smaller pieces of fusible glass and make some of your own frit.  Be sure to always use the same COE glass when creating frit and using it.

3.  Finally, use a set of Frit Sorters to sort your hand-made frit.
Includes 4 galvanized nesting steel cups with stainless steel sorting screens.

Bottom cup 0.20mm, fine mesh Stainless steel
2nd cup + 0.20mm 1.20mm, mesh Stainless steel
3rd cup + 1.20mm 2.70mm, mesh Stainless steel
Upper cup + 2.70mm 5.20mm, mesh Stainless steel

Cups size: 6" diameter, 4" deep. 

Use these different sized sorters to allow for you to use powdered frit for delicate fusing and lampworking to large chunky frit for a different effect.

Slumpy's Bubble Technique Video

This is a great video to watch, it not only shows how to create purposely planned bubbles in fused glass art, but it also shows new glass fusers how to cut glass to fit their fusing molds!  

This is how Slumpy's described their video:
Learn how to create a one of a kind glass piece with bubble accents. Use clear glass stringers to create floating bubbles or contrasting stringer to create a grid bubble effect. Turn your glass 90 degrees to create a crisscrossed grid effect or 45 degrees to create a diamond grid effect. The possibilities are endless!

Watch the video here!

 

Screen Printing with Bullseye Glass Powders - video

This is a nice video made by Warm Glass UK,  explaining how to screen print with dry glass powder.  And it looks fairly easy.  Just remember to use a good respirator if you are going to try this method.

Click here to watch the video

Vitrigel Glass Medium

I just found this new product being offered for sale by my glass distributor.  You mix Vitrigel with powdered glass frit and fire it to get three dimensional glass pieces and more! 

 

 

Create lines, texture and 3-D elements with glass... It's quick and easy! Mix Vitrigel with powdered glass frit: use in squeeze bottles or pastry applicators to create lines, or tool it to do custom textures, unusual shapes and sculptural elements to fire on their own or add them to other kiln formed work.

Cost effective-1 lb makes 20 or more Quarts! Comes in reusable jar with mixing instructions and suggested creative uses.

 

And now you can click here to purchase: Harrach Glass on Etsy

 

 

ArtGlass Clay looks amazing!

I'm not sure if the new, premixed ArtGlass Clay has been around for a long time, but I just discovered it.  And I'm super excited about it.  I can't wait to buy some and try it out.  Check out this link, ArtGlass Clay, and read up about it. 

If anyone has used it, or tries it sometime soon, let us know what you think of it. 

Working with Powders on Sheet Glass Video

This video made by Bullseye Glass Co. has a lot of information and is excellent!   They have a lot of  great ideas, too.

Click here to watch the video.

Video showing how to make a plaster mold

This video isn't made for glass fusing, but it really shows how to make molds and if you use the correct glass mold making materials, you can easily create glass fusing molds this way! 

Click here to watch this mold making video.

CBS Dichroic Extract with Kate MacLeod - Video

Dichroic Extract (a fine Dichroic coating powder) is a fairly new product available from CBS and it looks amazing, especially when you see Kate MacLeod using it.  Dichroic Extract has no COE which enables glass artists to use it on any type of glass.
 

Click here to view this video!

Pattern Bar, Segment Slab Video

Learn how to make beautiful yet easy to create pattern bar designs for fusing in your kiln.  Use this information to develop your own unique glass art.  This is one of our favorite videos!  Made and uploaded by Bullseye Glass Co.

Watch the video here!

Devitrification on glass when doing pot melts into small molds

I have been experimenting with pot melts into some small molds that I have, but I always seem to have devit on the top side!  I have been looking online for an answer to what I'm doing wrong, but as of yet I haven't been able to figure out why this is happening.  

I found this post here:

"Paradoxically, aperture pours (pot melts) and high fire slabs, which are often fired above 1600F and held there for long periods of time,  usually resist devitrification. This is because the glass is continuously moving, flowing, and presenting new surfaces during the period of time the temperature is very high."

I'm thinking that the artist above is making larger pot melts or has a better kiln schedule!

So I discovered so far that it doesn't matter what type of glass I'm using, I always end up with devitrification.  I changed my kiln schedule so that I would quickly heat up the kiln to a slightly higher temperature than my original kiln schedule, that way I wouldn't have to hold it there as long, yet I still ended up with devit.  So right now the only solution I know of is to use a lap sander on my pieces, or sandblast the devitrification off.  

I am planning on manually venting my kiln down to the annealing temperature next go around to see if it makes a difference. 

If anyone has any suggestions, please comment below!  Thanks

Now you can use any stainless steel and glazed ceramic items for slumping and draping!

We recently discovered Universal Mold Coat by Boyce Lundstrom and thought we would share the  information about it with our readers.  This is a glass separator product made for stainless steel and glazed ceramics. 

So now it is possible to use ANY stainless steel items and glazed ceramic pieces such as plates and bowls, when slumping or draping.  The possibilities are endless when using this glass separator!  Test it out on garage sale or thrift store finds.

It comes in powered form which you then mix with latex or acrylic paint (even Kilz) and water.  It's for use on non-porous surfaces, especially glazed ceramics.  When used on stainless steel, only one coat is necessary, and the stainless steel doesn't need to be heated first, just apply, dry and use!  After applying, the application usually lasts between three and four firings.  To remove, wash in water using a sponge.  After mixing, this liquid coating can last approximately two months before it begins to gel. 

Check out this link to see more about the product.

Dichroic Extract video

Our brand new online retail artist supply shop, Harrach Supply Store, will be carrying Dichroic Extract by Coatings by Sandburg Inc., soon! We found this YouTube video on their webpage, made by Glasscraft which shows the extract being applied to a piece of sandblasted glass.  The extract has no specific COE which allows glass artists the ability to use it on all types of glass.  Click here to view the video.

How to make fused glass hearts, video

This is a great video for creating fused glass hearts!  Click here to view the video.  It was created by Chewysmum who has a bunch of nice videos on YouTube.

Video showing how to make simple fused glass pendants with Dichroic glass

If you are new to fusing glass and want to see how to create some great yet very simple Dichroic Glass pendants or earrings, click on the link below.  The video was made by Chewysmum and found on YouTube.

Click here to view video: Fused Dichroic Glass Pendant Video

Chart for filling Colour de Verre glass casting molds

If you use Colour de Verre molds and are unsure how much frit you will need to fill certain molds for glass casting, we found this very important chart on the Colour de Verre web page that has all of their information!  Click on the Colour de Verre link to buy their excellent molds and find out more information.  The weights are listed in grams.

Creating fused glass art design elements with a craft punch, tutorial

This tutorial should give our glass fusing readers a bunch of other creative ideas so that's why we are sharing it with our readers today!  It can be found on the Bullseye web page along with a lot of other excellent information.  Follow the product links below to purchase the glass and supplies used in the project from Bullseye Glass.

Holiday Punch

Holiday punch plate, 8" x 13", slumped on Rectangular Slumper, Mold 8929. The holidays are coming — break out the punch! (The paper punch, that is.) Combine punched silver foil design elements with Tomato Red Opalescent for something truly festive. Layup Arrange silver foil (007217-FOIL) punches on Tomato Red (000024-0030-F). You can use GlasTac (008232-GLUE) to keep them in place. Cap with 3 mm Clear (001101-0030-F ) and invert the whole layup so that the clear sheet is against the shelf and the Tomato Red is the top layer – or arrange the foil on the Clear and cap with Tomato Red. In addition to Tomato Red (left), try Red Opalescent (000124-0030-F) and Deep Red (000224-0030-F). The pieces shown here were fired "design down," so the side facing the shelf in the fuse becomes the front of the piece. To achieve an effortless semi-matte finish, slump with the shelf-side up. Hint: Sandwich silver foil between sheets of paper before punching out shapes (or cutting them with scissors). This creates a toothy structure that cuts cleanly and keeps the foil from tearing. Be sure to remove all traces of paper before firing. Firing We've had success firing this layup with an initial heat range of 200-400°F in the first segment of a full fuse. Remember Reactivity A dark reaction will develop around foil elements as a result of a silver-sulfur reaction with Red Opalescent. Reactions near the edge of the piece may "feather" because there's more airflow there. Some yellowing between Clear and silver may develop (this is called silver stain). Expect variation. It's part of the beauty of this combination. Firing with silver foil between layers of glass usually contains the silver. To protect your kiln shelf from silver contamination, place the foil elements at least 3/4" from the outer edge of the project. If firing with silver on the perimeter, keep it within the footprint of the base without any overhang.

Patty Gray dam mold set-up information

We were excited to open our newly shipped order from our wholesaler D & L Art Glass Supply the other day because among other things,  we also bought two Patty Gray 8" x 10" x 1/2" fusing dams!  We've been interested in Patty Gray's fused glass techniques and work for some time now especially after viewing pictures from some of her classes!  Maybe someday we will be lucky enough to attend one of her fusing classes!  Until that time, we will be on our own.

To use as our own studio's future reference and for anyone else who reads our blog and is also unsure how to set up their mold, we thought it would be helpful to share this mold's set-up information especially since it has specific sizes and layout that should be followed!

This mold is designed to produce a glass slab 8" x 10" and up to 1/2" thick with rounded edges and will require no coldworking.  The glass can be used as a finished piece or slumped to shape or even be sliced into design elements for later work.  Use cut sheets, strips, scrap, frit, rods or any form of glass that inspires you.

New mold preparation:
Use MR-97 (Boron Nitride Mold Release for Glass Casting and Slumping)
Spray mold holding can and mold upright; only spray for 3 seconds.  Wait 5 minutes and spray again for 3 seconds.  Cut ThinFire, Papyros, or comparable kiln shelf paper to 7-7/8" x 9-7/8" and put on the bottom of mold before fusing.

Filling the mold:
Cut base glass to 8" x 10" and notch the corner (about 1/8") so the glass will fit into the tray.  Design your piece to have at least two layers of glass- up to 4 layers or 1/2" thick.

Placement in kiln:
For best results, elevate your mold from the kiln floor with kiln posts, placing the posts under only the edges of the mold.

8" x 10" Patty Gray Mold Firing Schedule

Degrees                Target                  Hold time
per hour                Temperature    

150°                      1000°                  15 minutes

300°                      1225°                  15 minutes

AFAP                   1470°                  30 minutes
As fast as possible                          

AFAP                    950°                    1 1/2 hours

100°                      700°                     10 minutes

Off

Open when room temperature

After the mold has been used:
Spray mold with MR-97 only lightly (about 2 seconds and only around the inside of mold edge).  Cut shelf paper to 7-7/8" x  9-7/8" and put on the bottom of the mold before fusing.  Cut base glass to 8" x 10" and notch the corner (like stated above) so that the glass will fit into the tray.  The design the piece as usual!

Update:  12/13/12

We think that it would be best to slow down the final ramp up temperature on thicker pieces.  We noticed that on one of our thicker finished plates that the center had indented and thinned out, it was possibly going to form a bubble in that area.

Perhaps it would help to ramp up 200°  per hour, to get to 1225°  .   Then instead of ramping up AFAP, (as fast as possible), to 1470°  we suggest the kiln be ramped up at approximately 400°  per hour instead.  

Microwave kiln tutorial

This is a nice tutorial for making fused glass draw pulls using a microwave kiln created by delphiglass.com!
Click here to view the tutorial.

COE's for different types of glass

Type of Glass	Coefficient of expansion
Bullseye tested compatible (Also Uroboros 90)	90
Effetre (Moretti) sheets and rods (some variation; should test)	104
Spectrum System 96 (also Uroboros 96)	96
Borosilicate (Pyrex)	32.5
Window (float) glass (Also includes most bottles)	83 to 87 (depends on manufacturer) May be even higher or lower

Repairing a cracked or broken glass mold

#1. Magic Mender - 4 oz. container is for sale on the Slumpy's website. Use Magic Mender to repair chipped or broken slump molds. Use magic Mender to fuse two molds together. Fix hairline cracks in molds. Just apply magic mender to area to be fixed and fire at 1700 degrees F. 

Helpful Hints for Magic Mender:

While the mender is still moist, the joint will be fairly delicate, so be careful when cleaning the mold. The Menders must be fired to become permanent. Keep unused portion in jar tightly closed. The mender has a long shelf life and will not spoil! After firing, the repaired area is stronger than the rest of the mold. If you clean well before firing you’ll never know the break was there.

How to fix hairline cracks:

Use a knife tool or dermal to open the crack. (You must get the mender deep into the crack for it to work, otherwise the crack will reappear.) Dip a brush in the mender and in some water so that you have a flowing consistency. Allow the mender to flow into the cracks, then let dry. If you need a second application, do so, then clean the mold and fire.

#2. You can also use a resin based cement that is used in kiln building called "Sairset". It should be available in all ceramic suppliers.  Make the edges to be joined wet. Spread some Sairset on the joint. Wipe all of it off the working surface with a wet cloth or sponge. Back up the repair with more Sairset on the back. Wash all tools used immediately or the Sairset will never come off. When dry, fire to about 800C. , then wash the mold and you are ready to go.