Comments on: Shards of tempered glass (the Shards series) http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/ My life, my sculpture...and other things Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:38:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Cynthia http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/comment-page-1/#comment-68 Cynthia Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:50:10 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/05/28/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/#comment-68 Thanks, guys. They're a LOT of fun to make although my failure rate's a lot higher than with more conventional techniques. The best-looking pieces seem to have the fewest layers of glass and the most open spaces, which means the glass-to-glass contact points are fewer and the piece is therefor more fragile. Right now I'm working on figuring out how to get the same effect with Bullseye glass and it's harder than you'd think. ;-) But I'm finding that I either like the glass techniques that really NUKE the piece, like casting, or the ones that alter the raw glass the least, like tack-fusing. Anything in between (at least for now) seems boring. Weird. Thanks, guys. They’re a LOT of fun to make although my failure rate’s a lot higher than with more conventional techniques. The best-looking pieces seem to have the fewest layers of glass and the most open spaces, which means the glass-to-glass contact points are fewer and the piece is therefor more fragile.

Right now I’m working on figuring out how to get the same effect with Bullseye glass and it’s harder than you’d think. ;-) But I’m finding that I either like the glass techniques that really NUKE the piece, like casting, or the ones that alter the raw glass the least, like tack-fusing. Anything in between (at least for now) seems boring. Weird.

]]> By: Karen Manasco http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Karen Manasco Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:17:26 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/05/28/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/#comment-67 Ah, yes, a project after my own heart! Thanks to a DavesGarden.com member, I found your site. I've often wondered about firing tempered glass in my kiln, though sadly I confess, still awaiting 220 connections. Sigh. In the meantime I shall admire yours, and admire them well. Very nice work! Karen Marie Manasco Ah, yes, a project after my own heart!
Thanks to a DavesGarden.com member, I found your site.

I’ve often wondered about firing tempered glass in my kiln, though sadly I confess, still awaiting 220 connections.

Sigh.

In the meantime I shall admire yours, and admire them well. Very nice work!

Karen Marie Manasco

]]> By: Terri http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Terri Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:07:23 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/05/28/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/#comment-66 Hey Cynthia!!! THANKS soo much for sharing your information with us. Those bowls are absolutely gorgeous!! Can't wait to hit the local glass guy and get some glass!! Hey Cynthia!!! THANKS soo much for sharing your information with us. Those bowls are absolutely gorgeous!! Can’t wait to hit the local glass guy and get some glass!!

]]> By: Brenda Griffith http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Brenda Griffith Sat, 02 Jun 2007 15:36:34 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/05/28/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/#comment-65 *grin* You are WAY more patient than I am! Good luck and have a great time at the Hood River Art Walk. *grin* You are WAY more patient than I am! Good luck and have a great time at the Hood River Art Walk.

]]> By: Cynthia http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Cynthia Tue, 29 May 2007 15:58:33 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/05/28/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/#comment-64 Thanks, Brenda. Well, I consider that in a Shards piece the whole assemblage is going to be a bit fragile in the kiln. These kinds of tack fuses are essentially odd shapes that attach to other odd shapes in weird ways--pretty much the opposite of the stable, symmetrical piece most firing schedules assume. So I slow the downramp schedule to a crawl, i.e, I triple the annealing soak time and step the cooldown in very slow stages, never getting above 100 dph. If I'm using two-part molds (sand or not, because the inner molds are also pretty heat-retaining), I'll add fairly long soaks at each downramp interval to equalize the temperature across the mold. And I don't crack the kiln until it's been at room temp for at least 12 hours. I'm probably being conservative, but as far as I've been able to learn, the extra time doesn't hurt anything but my (lack of) patience. Thanks, Brenda. Well, I consider that in a Shards piece the whole assemblage is going to be a bit fragile in the kiln. These kinds of tack fuses are essentially odd shapes that attach to other odd shapes in weird ways–pretty much the opposite of the stable, symmetrical piece most firing schedules assume. So I slow the downramp schedule to a crawl, i.e, I triple the annealing soak time and step the cooldown in very slow stages, never getting above 100 dph. If I’m using two-part molds (sand or not, because the inner molds are also pretty heat-retaining), I’ll add fairly long soaks at each downramp interval to equalize the temperature across the mold. And I don’t crack the kiln until it’s been at room temp for at least 12 hours.

I’m probably being conservative, but as far as I’ve been able to learn, the extra time doesn’t hurt anything but my (lack of) patience.

]]> By: Brenda Griffith http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/glasswork/fusingtack-fusing/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Brenda Griffith Tue, 29 May 2007 14:02:28 +0000 http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2007/05/28/shards-of-tempered-glass-the-shards-series/#comment-63 Very nice! Curiosity compels me to ask: When you used the sand-filled bowl as a weight in your mold did you make any accommodation in your firing schedule for the heat retention of the sand? Very nice! Curiosity compels me to ask: When you used the sand-filled bowl as a weight in your mold did you make any accommodation in your firing schedule for the heat retention of the sand?

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