Fusing multiple cookie cutter shaped pieces

With cookie cutter molds the problem is you need
a lot of them to be productive.


A solution to that problem is to: 
- roll a slab of clay,
- cut several holes into it with cookie cutter
- bisque fire
-kiln wash

and use.

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.

Creating a fused glass bowl with a steel fusing ring, then slumping in a mold, video

This video is shows how to make a fused glass plate by first using a steel ring and then slumping in a mold.  You will see that the finished piece didn't work and the glass artist explains what he did wrong.  Excellent information!

View the video here!

Chunk glass casting video

This video was made by the Corning Museum of Glass and shows how a chunk glass casting is done!

Click here to view the video!

Kaiser Lee Board video tutorial

This video shows how to make a glass fusing mold using Kaiser Lee Board.  It is a type of mold material that is excellent to use when creating your own personalized,  one-of-a-kind fused glass pieces.   You have the ability to make your own shapes and designs unlike mass produced art glass molds!

CLICK here to view the video.

Step by step fusing project by Danielle Moore

Today we are lucky enough to get to share with our readers these wonderful fused glass pieces that were made by Danielle Moore from Hanging Valley Art Glass, http://www.hangingvalleyartglass.com. We especially love how Danielle documented, with such excellent photography,  every step in her fusing process!   

So now in Danielle's words....

I was asked to design a series with sea turtles as a Birthday gift by a dear friend.

I began with starfish; these are starfish 'bodies' scattered about for the large 12" x 12" platter.

Placing starfish on their foreground for measuring the underwater 'beach'.

Once I figured out the size of the 'underwater beach' for the starfish, I cut it and began adding design elements of the reef and turtle shells. This was a 'design' as I went project - what fun!

Progress on the 12" x 12" platter; each piece individually and custom cut to meet 'the vision'.

Love is in the air...I laid the glass sheet on the last previous shot (once the turtles had their heads!) and drew the heart cut out-water shapes on clear green glass.

After cutting the heart shape and water shapes for the ocean water and placing them on the platter blank.

I added baby sea turtles to represent these two love birds children!

I filled in the empty space on the platter with 4 types of fit for extra depth.

Love turtle detail pre-fire.

Fire 1 complete! In this photo, the blank is ready for slumping and is returned to the kiln, sitting on top of the mold that it will relax and take shape.

Finished piece! Love the rainbowy iridescence reflecting in the light - it's electric!

At a different angle, the glass appears quite transparent.

The beginning of the accompanying 8" x 8" plates.

Cutting reef.

Designing and cutting water.

Love the bubbles going up the sides of the reef! I was not happy with the color of the turtle and eventually traded it out for the black shell with brown legs and head.

Adding frit...

Both plates on the kiln shelf and ready for firing!

Almost finished! Another fused, blank ready for slumping. I added the design on the shell before another firing on plate 1.

Fused blank - plate 2.

And...drum roll...final slumped plate 2!

Nice!

Final plate 1 - the iridescence on this plate took on a smooth, settled water like appearance.

The three piece set! The two turtles on the small plates represent each adult turtle swimming individually. I used the same turtles on the platter, added the 'child' turtles and heart to represent them coming together.

Stained glass stepping stone tutorial

Garden art gives your garden or landscape a personality and stained glass stepping stones provide that personality a unique look all its own. This afternoon craft project is easy to create and will last for years of enjoyment. Let's get started on a stained glass stepping stone.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Draw A Stained Glass Pattern

     Draw your stained glass pattern and size it to fit into the stained glass stepping stone mold you are using. This wolf head will be used in a 14" round mold. Print out two copies of the stained glass pattern. One print out normal and one printed as a reversed image. If you can not print a reversed image then print out two normal patterns. Turn one pattern over and trace the pattern on the back. This will be used to assemble your stained glass pieces in Step #3.
   • 2
     Stained glass stepping stone glass pieces.

     Stained Glass Stepping Stone Pattern Pieces

     Number and color code each piece of your pattern and cut the pattern pieces out. Use these stained glass pattern pieces to cut your stained glass pieces. Number the pieces and grind as needed.
   • 3
     Stained glass pieces for stepping stone.

     Assembling Your Stained Glass Stepping Stone Pieces

     Take the reversed copy of your stepping stone pattern and tape it down to your work table. Cut a piece of clear contact paper the exact size of the stepping stone mold. Place the contact paper over your reversed pattern, stick side up, and use masking tape to tape it down. Match each stained glass piece with the corresponding number on the pattern and place it, upside down to fit the reversed pattern, on to the contact paper. This process will assemble your stained glass stepping stone pattern reversed and ready to transfer to the mold.
   • 4
     Stained glass stepping mold with cement mixture.

     Stained Glass Stepping Stone Mold Process

     Take petroleum jelly and put a light coating on the side of your mold. This will ensure the stepping stone will easily come when ready. Un tape the contact paper with the stained glass pieces on it and carefully transfer it to the mold. Press each piece of your stained glass down to ensure it is stuck tightly to the contact paper. Mix the Dura-Crete craft cement according to the directions on the box and pour the cement into the mold. Tap on the side of the mold for a minute or two to get all the bubbles to the top. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. As soon as the cement is hard to the touch carefully turn the mold over and let the stepping stone come out of the mold.
   • 5
     Stained glass stepping stone clean up.

     Clean Up Your New Stained Glass Stepping Stone

     Carefully remove the contact paper from the stepping stone and use a clothes pin, cut in half, to clean the cement off your stained glass pieces. This should be done quickly since the cement will dry fast when exposed to air. Let your new stained glass stepping stone sit for 15 - 20 days to ensure it cures thoroughly.

This great tutorial was created by braniac, who is an eHow User.         

How to put kiln wash on a stainless steel mold.

Some molds, notably those made of stainless steel, do not always respond to the room temperature brushing or spraying techniques that are used with ceramic and other items. As a result, you need to heat the stainless steel mold in order to get the kiln wash to stick.

To do this, place the stainless steel item inside the kiln. Leave the lid or door of the kiln open slightly, just in case any fumes build up and need to be vented. Then heat the kiln to a temperature of about 500 degrees F. Control the kiln so that this takes about half an hour. Taking longer is perfectly acceptable.

While the kiln is firing, prepare your kiln wash materials. You'll need some kiln wash and either a soft, wide brush or a sprayer or airbrush. Lay the items you will need on a surface that won't catch fire if something hot is placed on it. 

You may use either a brush or a sprayer, but be aware that using a sprayer or airbrush on stainless steel molds will result in a smoother finish than using a brush. In addition, some artists also use a mask when mixing and spraying kiln wash. This keeps you from accidentally breathing in kiln wash particles, which can be harmful if inhaled.

Once the temperature in the kiln reaches 500 degrees, turn off the kiln. Put on your gloves, reach inside the kiln, and carefully remove the stainless steel item. Place it on the nonflammable surface, next to the kiln wash.

Spraying on kiln wash is a simple matter of applying a thin, even coat of kiln wash on the outside surface of the mold. The kiln wash will sizzle as it goes on. That's the sound of the water in the mixture evaporating and leaving the protective powder behind.

If you've decided to apply your kiln wash with a brush, make certain you've selected a brush that will resist the heat of the stainless steel. Foam brushes (and some haike brushes) will not work, but most good quality paint brushes can withstand the heat.

Quickly use the brush to apply the kiln wash. Cover all areas that might come into contact with the glass. As with a spray application, the kiln wash will sizzle as it goes on. Once the stainless steel item is covered with kiln wash, allow it to dry completely and return to room temperature.   If you wish, you can return the mold to the still warm kiln to help it dry more quickly, or you can just let it air dry.

One application is often sufficient to cover the stainless steel item. If not, simply reheat and coat again. You may want to sand lightly between coats. Once the item is dry and room temperature cool, check to make sure that none of the air holes at the bottom have been filled with kiln wash and are in need of opening.

Some people rough up the surface of the mold prior to applying kiln wash to help it stick better. If you decide to do this, use very fine steel wool (000 works well) and make certain you wash the mold well before applying the kiln wash.

When you finish, the mold should be smooth to the touch, with no visible gaps or bumps. The kiln wash application should last for several firings, but if it flakes away, starts to look thin, or discolors slightly, you should reapply the kiln wash. For best results, lightly sand the mold with very fine steel wool before reapplying.

Many thanks to the Warm Glass website for posting this important information.  Click here to read the Warm Glass website!

Pattern Bars

A pattern bar is a thick bundle of glass that has been fused together to form a solid mass. The size of pattern bars can vary, but most are one or two inches by about an inch and several inches long. When formed, these bars can be cut into slices with a glass saw, lapidary saw, or trim saw and then re-fused to make unique items.
Pattern bars are related to murrine, mosaic cane developed to its height in Italy and often formed using lampworking techniques. Millefiori ("thousand flowers") are the best known of these canes, which can be sliced and used in fusing projects. If you wish to make similar items using a kiln, the pattern bar methods described in this section will help you get the job done.

• Cold bundling

This technique, in which strips of glass or stringer are bundled together to form one large pattern bar, works well for simple forms. The glass bundle should be wrapped in fiber paper, then tied together with a high temperature wire (such as nichrome wire) and stood on end in the kiln. Fire to full fuse, then anneal and cool. Because of the thickness of the fused glass, care should be taken not to anneal or cool too quickly.
Stacks of glass strips may also be fused to form pattern bar strips. To maximize the evenness of the strips and minimize the likelihood of distortion during firing, the stacks should be supported by fiber paper, fiber board, and kiln furniture, as illustrated in the photo to the right. This layout allows you to form a large number of patterns bars at one time.

• Using a stainless steel

A alternative to bundling, this method of making pattern bars involves the use of a stainless steel mold to hold the glass strips. For best results line the mold with fiber paper, then arrange the strips inside, fire, anneal, and cool.
This approach has several advantages over simple bundling. First, unless carefully prepared the bundled strips have a tendency to deform or even topple over in the kiln. Second, using a mold allows you to use frit and other irregular shapes that can't easily be used when bundling. Finally, the small shape allows it to use space that would otherwise be wasted in a casting or full fuse firing.

• Using a plaster/silica mold

This technique, which is really a simplified version of kiln casting, involves using a plaster/silica mixture to form a mold for containing the glass to be fused together. Wax is the best substance to be used to form the mold, but other items can be used, including small wood strips.
The section on Kiln Casting (see advanced topics) discusses how to create the model and manufacture the mold. The spaces created by this technique can be filled with strips of glass or frit, then fired to full fuse and annealed and cooled.
When cool, carefully break through the plaster/silica mold. Slice the pattern bars into cross-sections and re-fuse to form a new object.
One advantage of this technique is that round items can easily be made by selecting a round shape to form the hole. Round slices are particularly fascinating to fuse together because they deform and form hexagrams when fused together side by side.

• Using Styrofoam

This final technique builds on the plaster/silica method by using Styrofoam to form more complicated shapes. Start with a block of Styrofoam the size and shape of the pattern bar you desire. Then cut the Styrofoam lengthwise using a hot wire Styrofoam cutter.
Take the two (or more) pieces cut from the Styrofoam and use them as the models to be encased in the plaster/silica mixture. Although they fit together, mold them separately. If you burn out the Styrofoam, you'll be left with a form the shape of the Styrofoam model.
There are several ways to get rid of the Styrofoam. One method is to pour acetone onto the Styrofoam.  This will dissolve it, but care must be taken when handling acetone.  Another procedure is to use a small propane torch to burn out the Styrofoam. You can also use a well-vented kiln (fire to about 1200 F). In either case, avoid inhaling the fumes and make certain you have adequate ventilation.
Once your Styrofoam has been removed, you're ready to fill the remaining form with glass. You can use strips or frit (as in the other types of pattern bars), or you can simply fill each form with a different color of glass.
When you're ready, fire to 1500 to 1550 F, soak until the glass settles (you may want to top up the form), then anneal and cool.
Once the forms are cool, carefully break away the plaster/silica mixture. Slice the bars with your glass saw and fit the shapes together. Re-fuse this assemblage to form a uniquely patterned warm glass object.

This very helpful information was found in http://www.warmglass.com/pattern_bars.htm  an excellent site for art glass information.  We highly recommend this site to all glass artists!

So now that you know how to make pattern bars, perhaps you are wondering what you can do with them.  Cut into small pieces and used in jewelry, such as pendants and earrings, you can create beautifully stunning one of a kind pieces.  A lot of glass artists also use slices to create boarders on plates as well.  Actually the possibilities are endless, it's just up to your imagination!

How to use a bisque mold for slumping glass!

The information I posted today is great for any glass fuser that is looking for different ways to create some great art that is more unique than by just using the usual fused glass molds available through glass retailers.  Thank you geltdesigns for this great information! 

Glass slump molds are useful for turning fused glass into useful objects such as plates, bowls and platters. This tutorial will explain how to take a piece of unpainted ceramic bisque purchased from a ceramic supplies shop and turn it into a fused glass slumping mold.

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Bisque
• Drill
• Drill bit
• Water

1. • 1
     Select bisque.
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     Select the bisque ware you want to turn into a slumping mold. In this case, we have selected a ceramic bisque plate.
   • 2
     Select glass and tile bit
     

     Select a glass and tile drill bits. We often use tile drill bits made by Black & Decker.
   • 3
     Insert bit into drill press.
     

     Insert the tile drill bit into the chuck of your drill. Although any drill can be used, a drill press or a bench drill press is particularly well suited for drilling bisque.
   • 4
     Drill the bisque to create slumping mold.
     

     Add water as a lubricant when drilling. The water will reduce friction and prevent the bisque from cracking and breaking when being drilled. Drill slowly. Lift the bit from time to time to allow the water to continue to coat and lubricate as you drill. Continue to drill until there is a hole through the bisque ware.
   • 5
     Repeat to add additional holes. The number of holes needed in the slumping mold will depend on the size and shape of the mold.
   • 6
     Coat slumping mold with kiln wash.
     

     Once you have drilled the holes, coat the slumping mold with several layers of kiln wash before using. Be sure the holes are well coated with the kiln wash.