GLASS FUSING  TIPS

By Peggy Pettigrew Stewart

Updated June 20, 2006

TIP SHEET GENERAL INFO

Chef Paul Prudhomme mentions in his books "Lagniappes" which translates to "little extras". This page contains "Lagniappes" for fusing glass. I have found that the little things in fusing result in big things for your final glass project. Like salt and pepper to food, these extras bring "flavor" to your piece. And helps to make your work much more presentable and beautiful.  The tips here are my own. Read them, and take them as you wish. No guarantees for your success (the attorney's disclaimer here). As kilns, temperatures, humidity, type of glass, thickness, etc. differ - these are general things to help you find your way in glass fusing. 

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NOTE: These tips (unless otherwise specified) are generally for fusible 90 or 96 COE glass, of standard thickness.

TIP SHEET #1 - GLASS CONTROL 

GLASS CONTROL - Part 1:  Learn to control the glass, rather than it control you. Ok, easier said than done, right? Well, while glass is a rather "cruel mistress", it can be coaxed into doing most of the things you want.  Remember these basics.  Glass wants to be 6mm thick. Like birds wanting to fly. The glass will always try to seek the level of 6mm. Depending on the glass you are using, most fusible glass is about 3mm thick. Ok - remember this sometimes varies, depending on what you are buying!

GENERAL "RULE OF THUMB" IN FUSING:

• 1 LAYER of glass (about 3mm) will shrink (or pull in). It will distort at the edges and you will see a pulling or rolling at the edge. You can use this as a design element, if you want to. Know that you have control. 
• TWO layers (about 6mm) will stay about the same size. 
• THREE or more layers, and it will expand.

You can use this knowledge to help plan your designs, so that you get what you want, not just something random. Ok, I like random too - but sometimes it isn't QUITE what you want or expect.  Random can be beautiful, and shaped later (more on that in Coldworking).

When layering multiple layers. If you put another layer, by the edge of the bottom layer, it will expand at that point, creating a bulge or scallop. If you don't want that look, place your adornment a bit back of the edge (about 3mm). OK - the other way is to do it anyway you want, but then COLDWORK it to perfection. Well, perfection as you see and want it!  Now don't laugh TOO hard (softly is ok) at my very crude drawings below. Everyone here KNOWS I can't draw a straight line! But until I can photograph the actual glass as it looks, these terrible drawings will have to suffice! Hopefully you will get the idea..................

GLASS LIKES TO BE ROUND. Remember the old days when we played with mercury?  OH, by the way, DON'T! This was in the "olden days" when we didn't know any better. And in science glass about 6th grade, we were allowed to handle this stuff. Anyway, it would never be square. It always wanted to seek a certain height, and be round.  Glass is the same way.  Every notice how your glass goes in the kiln square, and comes out rounded or even round?  Well, this is physics and chemistry in action. I am NOT a scientist, so don't crucify me if I get the language a bit wrong. I am trying to be as precise as I can though :)))).  If you want your glass to stay as square as is possible, a tack fuse will help here. A full fuse will guarantee a rounded edge. NOW there ARE a few exceptions (and ways to manage this)............ But this means more work now and later. That info is to come in another follow up.  A neat way to make design elements is to cut or snip small squares of glass. Put them in the kiln to a full fuse (or just this side of it) and like magic, you now have really nice little round pieces to use in your fusing! NEAT!