One of the really cool parts about this blog is I get asked a lot of really great questions, some of which I even know the answers to. Since the answers may help others as well, I’m posting them here. If you have a question, don’t be shy, send it on over! (I have left off the names of the question senders for privacy. If you sent a question and would like attribution and a back link, let me know!)
Q: I was told by our local fused glass shop owner that recycled glass will crack on you down the road if you use it fused together (even if cut from the same sheet). (more…)
Last year at our Glass Art Guild of Utah meeting, we made glass name tags to wear at group shows so patrons can identify us. It’s always good to know who the artist is!
Using plaster elements in fused glass is an easy way to add variety to your basic stock of molds and shapes. The little plaster elements are made using a mold, and a mixture of pottery plaster and silica flour in a 1:1 ratio. However, you can also achieve excellent results with basic plaster of paris. (more…)
The free kiln carving pattern for July is ready! As you may know, I live in the lovely state of Utah. We’ve had a very hot, dry, spring, and much of my state has been on fire for the past week or so. (more…)
Here’s a fused bottle glass project that you may not have considered. These house numbers are made with fused recycled bottles and Armstrong’s Float Fire frit. This is a relatively easy project, grab a cup of coffee and follow along.
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:
It’s FAST! I can cut upwards of 50 bottles an hour with a saw.
Works great for bottles with surface texture or raised patterns.
Fairly accurate with practice.
Leaves a raggedy edge that is really best either cut off, or ground smooth before fusing. I usually cut them off.
Is pretty darn messy.
Needs safety gear. I STRONGLY recommend a respirator, safety glasses or face shield and a combination of ear-plugs and gun muffs.
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.
Recently on on my facebook page, there was a question about how to flatten bottles enough to use in a kiln carving project. The short answer is: You don’t have too. The long answer is more easily explained with some photo’s and instructions. The cool thing is, this works for texture tiles too. (more…)
One of the really cool parts about this blog is I get asked a lot of really great questions, some of which I even know the answers to. Since the answers may help others as well, I’m posting them here. If you have a question, don’t be shy, send it on over! (I have left off the names of the question senders for privacy. If you sent a question and would like attribution and a back link, let me know!)
