Today I’m answering reader questions and sharing both the question and the answers with you. I’ve removed personal details for privacy reasons. Ready? Let’s do this!
Q: I would really love to do a tempered glass bowl as shown in you post. What is the fusing time for this project? I have never fused before and am looking for all the info I can get! There are 4 schedules given on the full fuse page and I want to make sure I use the correct one for the tempered glass. I have a ton of tempered glass and would love this to be my first fuse! Thank you!
A: The full fuse schedule is here: http://glasswithapast.com/knowledgebase/full-fuse-firing-schedule/
I separated them out so they are easier to find. You may need to adjust the top temperature slightly depending on what type of kiln you have. Use the schedule as is for the first tempered bowl, then, if the glass has sharp needles around the edges, lower the top temperature by 10-15 degrees. If the tempered glass is still chunky and seems to be just tacked together, raise the top temperature by 10-15 degrees. If you aren’t sure, you are always welcome to email and photo and I’d be happy to help.
Q: Good morning,
I was wondering if you would mind sharing the exact make and model of tile saw you recommend for cutting bottles?
I love your website! Thank you for all of the helpful tips!
I have a Chicago machine tools saw from Harbor Freight, they have changed the color since I bought mine, but this is the same saw:
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-in-25-hp-tilebrick-saw-69275.html
And I use an MK Diamond saw blade:
http://mkdiamondproducts.shptron.com/c/tile_blades_wet-cutting-continuous-rim_mk-200
This is technically a stone cutting blade, so is slightly thicker than the glass blades. I like it better than the glass blades, I find it to be more stable when I roll a bottle into it.
Q: I love your tree sculpture Jodi, it is fab with the LED lights. Am curious….would it have been possible to create the trees with fibre paper, and then perhaps sandblast to get the texture on them?
A: Absolutely. I did a version with fiber paper, I did add a rigidizer (colloidal silica) to the paper to make it more firm, I’m attaching a photo so you can see. There are a couple of things to keep in mind, neither of them deal breakers for sure. 1. You may not get the rounded curve to the trunks of the trees with fiber paper, and 2. fusing does make float slightly less clear, so it will diffuse the light more (which is probably a good thing!)
“Ancestors” – Recycled window glass sculpture