Tools needed to melt wine bottle and other glass

Occasionally someone will ask me how I melt my wine bottles and other art glass projects.  As crazy as this sounds, I have seen, from looking around online, that some people are actually trying to melt bottles in things like barbecue grills and fireplaces.  And of course that won't really work!  It may be possible to somewhat melt the glass but it will probably permanently stick to where ever it was melted and ruin things.  And that process is never precise.  So I found this information on WarmGlass.com with great information on how to really get started properly!  I hope this helps. 

Aside from the glass, the most important item you need is a kiln. Most kilns used are electric and are capable of reaching temperatures of around 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Kilns are available in sizes ranging from less than a cubic foot to big enough to fill a room. Kilns made specifically for ceramics can be used, but it's better to have one that's specifically engineered for firing glass.

Your kiln must have the capability to accurately monitor and display the inside temperature. This is usually done with a pyrometer, a precise thermometer that is often coupled with a controller, a device that helps manage the firing of the kiln. A controller can greatly simplify the task of precisely directing and monitoring the temperature changes inside the kiln. You can get by without a controller if you're willing to keep a closer eye on the kiln, but a pyrometer that can accurately measure the temperature inside the kiln is essential.

In addition to the kiln, you need a shelf to set the glass on and (if you want to slump) a mold to help shape the glass. Shelves are generally made of clay or a lightweight refractory material, while molds can be made of clay, stainless steel, or various kinds of cements and plaster mixtures. The key is that both the shelf and the mold can withstand heating up to a temperature of 1700 degrees Fahrenheit or so and then cooling back to room temperature.

You'll also need some sort of glass separator to keep the glass from sticking to the kiln shelf and the mold. The separator can be a special kind of paper that glass won't stick to at high temperatures (called fiber paper) or it can be an emulsion that you apply to the shelf, then allow to dry (commonly called a shelf primer or kiln wash). Without this separator, glass will stick to the shelf or mold when it gets hot and your piece of artwork will be ruined.  

  

That's it. If you have some glass, a kiln, a shelf or mold, and something to keep the glass from sticking, you have the basic ingredients to begin fusing and slumping. Add some tools to help cut and the glass and a few essential pieces of safety equipment, and you're ready to begin.

How to set up a glass art studio.

We found this information on Dummies.com and it is excellent information for anyone who is interested in setting up a stained glass studio.

Creating stained-glass and warm-glass designs can be a fun and addictive hobby, but to get started you need to go shopping for some basic tools and supplies and develop basic skills. Then you can practice and perfect the different techniques to your heart’s content.

Stained Glass For Dummies

From Stained Glass For Dummies by Vicki Payne

Creating stained-glass and warm-glass designs can be a fun and addictive hobby, but to get started you need to go shopping for some basic tools and supplies and develop basic skills. Then you can practice and perfect the different techniques to your heart’s content.

A Stained-Glass Shopping List

Stained glass is a hobby that requires quite a bit of equipment. Thankfully, most of the equipment is rather versatile and can be used for both copper foil and lead came projects. Some supplies, though, are specially designed for a particular technique. Print off the following shopping lists and take them to your nearest glass or hobby shop to make sure you have what you need for whatever project you’ve set out to create.

General stained-glass tools and supplies

The following tools are needed for both copper-foil and lead-came projects:

·      Basic drafting supplies: These supplies include a metal ruler, white pattern paper, a pencil, and permanent markers.

·      Combination breaking-grozing pliers: You need both breaking and grozing pliers, but you can save a little money by buying just one pair of combination pliers. You can use your combo pliers to help you break glass and fine-tune unwanted glass shards.

·      Flux and brush: Flux is a chemical you have to use to clean any surface on your project that you want to solder; you can’t solder where you don’t flux. You can use a basic disposable brush to paint the flux onto the foil and lead surfaces of your project.

·      Glass: When you first start out with stained glass, you should work mainly with clear glass because it’s less expensive than colored glass. Then, when you’re ready to create your first full-color project, visit a glass shop or go online and purchase some smooth, colored glass (smooth glass is easier to work with than textured glass).

Always buy 25 to 50 percent more glass than you think you’ll need for your project.

·      Glass grinder: This must-have power tool has a diamond wheel that allows you to grind away any unwanted glass edges so your pieces fit together perfectly on your pattern.

·      100-watt soldering iron: A 100-watt soldering iron gives you plenty of heat for all your stained-glass soldering needs. Note that stained-glass artists don’t use soldering guns.

·      Project patterns: All stained-glass projects — even simple sun catchers — start as designs drawn on pattern paper, so the first step in any project is to find a pattern. You can find hundreds of patterns to work with online or in stained-glass books.

·      Safety glasses: Select glasses that are comfortable to wear so you’ll be sure to wear them whenever you work in your glass studio.

·      Self-oiling glass cutter: You can select a pistol-grip cutter that’s easy to hold in the palm of your hand or a barrel cutter that you hold more like a pencil between your fingers. Both cutters have the same cutting heads.

Special copper-foil tools

Before you start your first stained-glass project using the copper-foil construction technique, make sure you gather up the following basic tools and supplies:

·      7/32-inch copper foil: To wrap each piece of glass in your project, you use thin strips of copper foil with adhesive backing. (3/16-inch foil is also common among stained-glass artists, but it’s a little more difficult to work with than the larger 7/32-inch foil.)

·      Foilmate roller: This little tool helps you burnish, crimp, and roll copper-foil tape tightly to each piece of glass in your project.

·      60/40 solder: You need to use solder that’s 60 percent tin and 40 percent lead to hold your foiled glass pieces together.

Special lead-came tools

Before you can start creating stained-glass projects using the lead-came technique, you need to purchase the following tools and supplies in addition to the general stained-glass supplies:

·      50/50 solder: When soldering lead-came projects, you need to work with solder that contains an equal blend of tin and lead.

·      Horseshoe nails: You use these nails to secure glass and lead-came pieces during the construction process.

·      Lead came: Cames are strips of lead that come in either H or U profile shapes. The glass pieces of your project fit into the cames. The most common lead-came sizes are 3/8-inch H, 3/16-inch H,7/32-inch H, and 1/4-inch U.

·      Lead nippers or lead knife: You use these tools to trim your lead came to the correct size when building your projects.

·      Rheostat: A rheostat is a temperature controller that helps you reduce and control the temperature of your soldering iron so that you don’t heat your lead came too much. Note: If you’re working with an iron that has a built-in controller, you don’t need this tool.

Adding Warm-Glass Tools and Supplies to Your Stained-Glass Studio

Glass fusing (also called warm glass) is one of today’s most popular art-glass techniques. It involves heating glass to specific temperatures so that you can form and shape it into fun projects like bowls, vases, and jewelry. Before you can add this neat technique to your studio’s to-do list, though, you need to gather a few warm-glass-specific tools and supplies:

·      Didymium safety glasses: These special safety glasses protect your eyes from the glare of red hot glass.

·      Glass: To make a warm-glass project, you need to buy compatible fusible glass. The two basic categories of fusing-glass compatibility are COE 96 and COE 90.

For any given warm-glass project, you must use one and only one type of fusible glass (either COE 96 or COE 96); you can’t mix the two together.

·      Glass kiln: Kilns are the most expensive tools you have to purchase for your warm-glass studio, so you may want to start small with a kiln that has 5-inch shelves. Then as your interest and skills grow, you can invest in a larger kiln so you can make larger projects. Make sure your kiln comes with its own shelves, posts, and temperature gauges.

·      Heat-resistant gloves: You need to wear special heat-resistant gloves to protect your hands whenever you’re working around the kiln.

·      Kiln wash and brush: You have to apply kiln wash to your kiln shelves and glass molds before you fire your project to keep the hot glass from sticking to them.

Tips for Improving Your Glass-Cutting Skills

One of the first skills you need to master as you begin your stained-glass hobby is cutting out your glass shapes accurately. Here are some tips that can help you get off to a successful start:

·      Select a high-quality, self-oiling glass cutter that fits comfortably in your hand. Always check the oil level in your cutter before you start cutting, and make sure the oil lubricates the cutting wheel as it turns. Add more oil when needed.

·      Purchase a pair of safety glasses that fit your face comfortably. Wear your glasses every time you work with glass to keep your eyes safe from flying glass chips and dust.

·      Make sure you have good lighting in your studio so you can see what you’re cutting. Cutting in low light is dangerous and can lead you to make poor, inaccurate cuts.

·      Stand whenever you cut glass. Applying the right amount of pressure to the cutter is difficult to do when you’re seated.

·      Position all your pattern templates at least 1 to 2 inches away from the edges of the glass.Doing so gives you enough glass to hold when breaking and helps support the glass.

·      Score from one edge of the glass to the other, and don’t apply so much pressure that the cutting wheel crushes the glass. Try not to have any gaps or skips in your score line. You may be overscoring if your score line is bright white and chips of glass are flying from that line.

·      Don’t go back and forth over a score line with your cutter. If your initial score line doesn’t turn out right, move over ¹/₄ inch and try again.

·      Use your hands to break the glass whenever possible. If you need more leverage, use your glass-breaking pliers. If you’re using a pair of breaking-grozing combo pliers, make sure the flat side of the pliers is on top of the glass and the curved side is under the glass.

·      Clean up any rough edges using the ridges inside your grozing pliers or glass grinder. Each cut piece has to be the exact size as your pattern template so all the pieces fit together during the building process.

·      Keep your cutting surface clean and free of glass chips and shards. Use a bench brush or a clean paint brush to sweep your cutting area in between cuts. If you try to cut your glass pieces on top of small chips of glass, your glass may break unexpectedly.

Foil versus Lead: Which Stained-Glass Technique Do You Choose?

When constructing a stained-glass project, you use either copper foil or lead to hold the glass pieces together. How do you know which one to choose? Keep the following factors in mind as you determine which construction technique to use for a particular stained-glass design:

·      Geometric designs lend themselves to lead-came techniques. Making a lot of straight lines meet up nicely (often a key in geometric designs) is difficult when you’re using copper foil. On the other hand, using lead came allows you to hide the small imperfections between glass pieces and keep everything on pattern.

·      Designs with a lot of small pieces work best with copper foil. Copper foil is easier to wrap around small pieces, and it keeps the project from looking bulky.

·      Sun catchers are naturals for copper foil. Because lead stretches, it needs the support of a rigid frame. Sun catchers don’t work well in rigid frames, and if you construct a sun catcher out of lead, it’ll stretch over time and pull apart.

Detailed Supplier list for stained glass arts, manufacturers,wholesale,retail

We found this handy detailed list of glass art suppliers with their contact information on the Warm Glass webpage. 

A&A Products -- Broad assortment of tools and supplies for the glass artist. (Texas, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

AANRAKU, Inc. -- Stained glass and fusing supplies, books, and tools. (California, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

ABR Imagery -- Supplies for scientific and artistic glass blowing, stained glass, and fusing.  Laser etched dichroic glass images.  (Indiana, USA)  

Albert Stained Glass -- Fusing products and glass (Brooklyn, New York, USA)

American Glass Supply -- Retail and wholesale distributors of fusing and slumping supplies.   (Texas, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Anything in Stained Glass -- Discount supplies for fusing, flameworking, and stained glass. (New Jersey, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Alpine Stained Glass -- Mostly stained glass, but has expanded its offering of fusing supplies, kilns, and tested compatible glass.  (San Diego, California, USA)

Art Glass Fusing Center -- Retailer of fusing supplies.  Offers numerous classes in kiln-forming techniques.  (Texas, USA)  

Artisan Dichroic -- Wide selection of dichroic glass from major manufacturers, basic fusing and glass supplies. (Portland, Oregon, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Big M Stained Glass -- General stained glass & fusing supplies (Washington, USA)

Blue Fire Molds --  Slumping molds. Friendly knowledgeable service with same day shipping.  (California, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Bournemouth Stained Glass -- Predominately stained glass oriented, but also carries several lines of tested compatible glass.  (Dorset, England)

Centre de Verre -- Fusing equipment and supplies including kilns, grinders, and fusible glass (Bullseye, Uroboros, CBS Dichroic). (New Hampshire, USA) A Warm Glass website sponsor

COE90.com -- Extensive selection of Bullseye and CBS Dichroic glass, including dichroic scrap glass.  (New York, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Creative Glass Guild -- Supplies and courses in fusing and stained glass (United Kingdom)

The Curious Glass Shop -- Bullseye fusible, special production, and curious glass at discount prices (Texas, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

D&L Stained Glass -- Everything you need in wholesale art glass. 

Delphi Glass -- Carries an extensive selection of fusible glasses from Bullseye, Uroboros, Wasser, CBS dichroics, and the complete source for System96 from Spectrum. Also a comprehensive assortment of kilns, tools, books, molds, and fusing supplies.  (Michigan, USA)   A Warm Glass website sponsor

Dichro Depot -- Wide selection of dichroic glass on 90 and 96 COE. (Phoenix, Arizona, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Dichroic and More -- Dichroic scrap, dichroic glass, jewelry findings, fusing supplies, kilns, books, tools, & equipment  (Florida USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Fantasy in Glass -- Mostly stained glass, with some fusing supplies and courses.(Toronto, Canada)

Fused Glass Source -- Glass fusing supplies at discount prices. (New Mexico, USA)

Glass Obsessions -- Supplies and classes.  Also offers studio rental for both fusing and lampworking.  (Southern California, USA)

Glasscraft Australia -- Retail art glass store stockist of supplies for kiln forming, bead making mosaic, leadlight and copper foil (Thomastown, Victoria. Australia)

Hang Your Glass -- Hanging systems and cabinet hardware (Oregon USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Hippos Eating Alligators -- Sterling silver jewelry findings (Texas, USA) 

Hollander Fusing Center -- Fusing supplies and classes (Texas and New Jersey USA) A Warm glass website sponsor

Hot Glass Houston -- Fusing supplies and classes. Bullseye Resource Center.(Texas, USA)  A Warm glass website sponsor

Hot Glass Supply -- Discount System 96 glass.  (Florida, USA)

James Hetley & Co. -- Focus is stained glass materials, but also carries some fusing supplies.  (London, England)

Kiln Frog -- Retailer of fusing and beadmaking supplies.  Also offers numerous courses.  (Texas, USA) A Warm Glass website sponsor

The Leadlight Suppliers -- Supplies for bead making and mosaics, some warm glass.  (Brisbane, Australia)

Lincoln Distributors -- Stocks the largest inventory of Bullseye Fusible, System 96, CBS Dichroic glass and supplies in the Southwest.  (Arizona, USA)   A Warm Glass website sponsor

Nartique Glass -- A wide range of art glass resources, including glass books and glass supplies for glass artists, workshops, and glass art.  (Florida USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Pfann-GBB -- European glass wholesaler, supplies for both stained glass and fusing. (Holland) 

Reynolds Advanced Materials -- moldmaking supplies and materials (Texas and Florida USA)

Slumpy's -- Slumping molds, fiber products, and related fusing supplies (North Carolina, USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Sundance -- Fusing, lampworking, and related supplies.  (California, USA)

Sunshine Glassworks -- Stained glass orientation, but also carries basic fusing supplies, Bullseye molds, and kilns.  (New York, USA)

TMS Studios -- Fusing supplies, including Bullseye glass, tools, and dichroic. (Massachusetts, USA)

Two Lasses Glass Classes -- Fusing materials and tools, including dichroic glass, slumping molds, and more. (Florida, USA) 

UGotGlass? -- Fusing supplies, including dichroic, PMC, and jewelry findings.  (Maine, USA) 

Warm Glass UK -- UK main dealer for Bullseye Glass, CBS dichroic and Skutt Kilns(Bristol, United Kingdom)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Glass enamels, paints, and related supplies

Delta Colours -- Air dried and oven-cured paints (Georgia, USA)

Ferro -- Enamels and paints for glass and ceramics (Worldwide)  

Glass Coatings and Concepts -- Functional and decorative enamels for glass (Ohio, USA)

Goldleaf Factory International -- Extensive selection of gold leaf and foil, micas, and other precious metal leafs and foils. They manufacture as well as sell.  (Australia)

Paradise Paints -- Glass enamels (California, USA)  No longer being produced.

Pebeo Paints -- Air-dried and oven-cured paints (France)

Rio Grande -- Jewelry and metalworking supplies (New Mexico, USA)

Schlaifer's Enameling Supplies -- Full line of Thompson enamels, plus assortment of related supplies (copper foil, millefiore, Klyr-fire, lusters, etc.)  (California, USA) 

Sepp Leaf Products -- Extensive line of gold and metal leaf, including silver, copper, and mica.  (New York, USA)

Thompson Enamels -- Major manufacturer and retailer of glass enamels and related supplies.  (Ohio, USA)

Kiln manufacturers and related resources

Note that many of the suppliers listed in above Supplier section also sell kilns and supplies.

See below for kiln parts and controllers

Centre de Verre -- Fusing equipment and supplies including kilns, grinders, and fusible glass (Bullseye, Uroboros, CBS Dichroic). (New Hampshire USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Denver Glass -- In addition to large kilns designed for the serious practitioner, they have an extensive line of hot glass and cold glass machines.  (Colorado, USA)

Ditore Glass Works -- Official US distributor for Dyson's one-piece large machined ceramic kiln shelves.  (California USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Euclid Kilns -- Good range of kilns for glass, thermocouples, elements and other items.

Evenheat Kilns -- Broad line of glass kilns, from small to large (Michigan USA) A Warm Glass website sponsor

Glass Glow Kilns -- Phil Teefy's kilns, specifically made for fusing.

Good Kilns -- Glass and ceramic kilns by Sugar Creek Industries

L&L Kilns -- Mostly ceramic kilns, but "Colorado" line of front-loading kilns designed for fused glass; good FAQ on "How to Buy an Electric Kiln"

Nabertherm - USA -- A wide range of kilns and furnaces for fusing glass, with both off-the-shelf and custom kilns available (Germany) 

Olympic Kilns -- extensive line of glass and ceramic kilns  (Georgia USA) A Warm Glass website sponsor

Paragon Kilns -- Has online catalog, including broad line of glass kilns from small "Quickfire 6" to larger kilns;  article on "How to Buy a Kiln" (Texas USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Seattle Pottery Supply -- kilns, kiln parts, and other supplies (Washington USA)

Skutt Kilns -- Offering a new line of  kilns for glass, with the "Clam Shell" especially worth checking out (Oregon USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor  

Kiln parts and controllers

Note: many of the manufacturers listed directly above also sell parts and controllers.

Aura Lens -- kiln controllers

Bartlett Instrument Company -- controllers for kilns

Digitry -- controllers for kilns

Duralite -- custom and replacement elements.  

Euclid -- custom and replacement elements and other parts. Good explanation of element design on their website.

Furnace Engineering (NZ) -- controllers for kilns

Joppa Glass -- elements and element installation tips

Love Controls -- controllers and related equipment

Kilntrol -- controllers for kilns

Orton -- programmable kiln controllers

TTI Global -- controllers, thermocouples, etc.

    Projects:

Ron Coleman's page -- overview of construction of firebrick kiln 

Mike Firth's site -- instructions for small annealer.  Discussion of thermocouples, and kiln construction basics.

Tobler Glass -- Construction of controller using Fuji parts

Miscellaneous equipment and supplies

Aura Lens -- eye protection equipment

Best Mix Products -- a castable mold-making compound that produces extremely durable kiln-forming molds for slumping fused art glass.  

Bonny Doon Fused Glass Art--  Stainless steel rings, pattern bar formers, and sconce hardware (California, USA).

Castalot - A fast setting, easy to use refirable mold material designed for kiln casting, fusing, and slumping applications.

Diamond Tech -- Manufacturer of Wasser glass, Fireworks Hot Glass tools, Diamond Tech saws, and other glass tools and equipment.  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Far West Materials -- foundry, casting, and mold materials, including Smooth-On

Curious Glass Shop -- Extensive selection of glass, molds, stands and related fusing supplies (Texas USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Kaiser-Lee Fiber Board -- fiber board specifically developed for making slumping molds

Just Stands  -- custom and stock metal stands for glass by Dick Kolpack

Paul M. Nulton -- custom repair of fine crystal and glassware

PMC Connection -- source for information and supplies for Precious Metal Clay (PMC)

Smooth-On -- liquid rubbers and plastics for mold-making

Styrofoam cutter (Sloop group) -- excellent tabletop unit that allows handsfree operation 

Unifrax -- fiber blankets, boards, and papers, including Fiberfrax, Isofrax, Insulfrax, and Duraboard

Zircar -- high temperature refractory materials, including boards, papers, rigidizer, and moldable compounds such as Mold Mix 6

Sites by glass manufacturers with fusing component

Bullseye -- Broad line of tested compatible glass, frit, stringers, and related products; their site has extensive information on fusing with Bullseye  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Coatings by Sandburg -- Dichroic glass A Warm Glass website sponsor

DichroMagic (Austin Thin Films)-- Dichroic glass (Texas USA) 

Savoy Dichroic -- Dichroic glass (Oregon USA)

Spectrum -- Major manufacturer of stained glass, including System96 tested compatible glass; site has information on fusing with Spectrum (Washington USA) A Warm Glass website sponsor

Uroboros -- Line of tested compatible glass at 90 COE and 96 COE; also make frit, noodles, and stringer; site has info on fusing with Uroboros  (Oregon USA)  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Wasser Glass -- Selection of thin, lightweight opaque and translucent glass available in solids, patterns, metallics, flash, and fusible glass shapes.  A Warm Glass website sponsor

Zentrum Glass -- Oriented to stained glass, but has several unique items for fusing, including fluorescent uranium glass.  

National or international organizations for glass artists

Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass -- "To further the development and appreciation of contemporary studio glass." 

Artists in Stained Glass - Canada -- "A non-profit association of artists, craftspersons, architects and others devoted to the development and promotion of stained glass as a contemporary art form in Canada."

Glass Art Association of Canada -- "To provide a focus for individuals and organizations involved in glass art, craft and design in hot and warm glass processes."

Glass Art Society -- "Advancing the appreciation, understanding, and development of the glass arts worldwide."

International Guild of Glass Artists -- "To facilitate communication among glass artists, to encourage education and promote excellence in the glass arts."  The IGGA site also boasts an extensive list of suppliers, artists, and glass-related sites.

Bulletin Boards

Warm Glass Board -- The bulletin board on this website, which is devoted strictly to fusing, slumping, and kiln-forming techniques.

UGotGlass? Forum -- General Support for fusing, PMC and jewelry making questions.

Handmade-Glass.com -- The "other Brad" board, this is Brad Shute's board, which is the place to go for more technical questions about glass making, lampworking, and such.  

CraftWEB Forum: Hot Glass --  Hot Glass orientation, some lampworking, moderated by Pete VanderLaan.  

Glassline -- Lampworking orientation, with a broad range of other glass topics sometimes discussed.  Non-stained glass.

Society of Glass Beadmakers -- Lampworked beads and marbles. 

Cole Sonafrank's List -- A comprehensive listing of glass forums.