Wouldn’t it be great if you could use any cool thing you find for slumping? Well, maybe not everything, but there are lots of things that CAN be used for slumping, as long as they are prepared correctly. Let’s look at a few examples and consider what we would have to do to successfully use them for slumping. (more…)
When you are looking to expand your tool kit of cool things that can be used to make recycled glass art, don’t overlook the craft store! Not all cool glass tools come from glass companies, there are a ton of scrap-booking and craft store items that can be (mis) used to good effect in the glass studio. Here are a few:
In the last post we made a triangle bead mold for making fused glass beads. Today, we are going to walk through how to use the mold. (more…)
I’ve always loved beads. In fact, I’m mildly obsessed with beads after taking a bead making class last year. So, I tried a little experiment. Could I quickly and easily make a mold to make fused triangle shaped beads? (more…)
There are lots of ways to cut bottles, I’ve tried all of them that I can find and think of, my favorite is still the tile saw. There are pro’s and con’s to using a tile saw, it’s a tool that is great for somethings, not so much for others.
Things to consider:
I have an 8″ tile saw, so I roll the bottle into the saw blade as I cut. If you have a larger saw, you can pull the blade through the bottle, I still recommend a slight roll, it will keep your cut smooth and keep the last little bit from breaking.
Once you get the neck and the bottom cut from the bottle, you’ll have a cylinder of glass that is the start point for lots of other projects.
Here is a short video showing how to cut the bottom from a Crown Royal bottle.
Sometimes it is fun to just gear up and doodle on glass with an engraving tool. Typically, the engraving happens after the artwork is complete, so the lines are much more opaque and free form than the lines in the carved work featured here. I like to use my flex-shaft with a tiny diamond ball tip, and the same water set up as the glass carving.
Engraving can be a little tricky, since it is free hand, and the artwork isn’t usually flat. However, with a bit of practice, it is a nice way to expand your options.
'Woven' - Engraved Recycled Glass Vessel
In an earlier post we talked about using recycled textured glass in artwork. There are also other ways to get a texture in your artwork. Carving the raw glass with a variety of diamond bits
These pieces were all carved using raw 3/8″ stock (broken table tops) and then slumped very slowly to 1385 degrees F. The slumping firing also fire polished the carvings for a more finished look. The texture was dictated by the shape of the bits that I was using.
