Float Glass Bowl for Absolute Beginners – Tutorial

Basic Recycled Glass Bowl tutorial

If you love the idea of using recycled glass but aren’t sure where to start, or maybe just need an idea to get you started, then this tutorial may be for you. This is the very most basic recycled glass project there is, simply cutting and slumping window glass.

Materials:

1/4” Window glass (larger than your mold)

glass cutter

running pliers

ruler

marker

diamond file or sanding pad

prepared slumping mold (of your choice, I’m using a triangle)

kiln

Measure your mold, or simply flip it upside down on your glass and trace around the edge.

Cut the window glass just inside the traced line.

Since this is a single fire slump, we need to cold work the edges prior to firing. Using your diamond file or sanding pad, smooth the edges and take off the edge. If you have a grinder, this will just take a minute.

After the edges are all smooth, clean your glass carefully, making sure the ground edges are clean.

Place the mold in the kiln. Place the glass on the mold.

Fire using the slumping schedule.

There you go. Good work! Our next project will be a fused window glass bowl with a stacked raised pattern.

Tips and Trouble Shooting:

If the gap is too small to slide pieces together, you’ll need to widen it with either a diamond file or a diamond bit on a dremel tool. Use plenty of water and wear a mask.
Make sure the feet are level, if your vase isn’t balancing, you may need to grind the feet larger and flatter
If your fiber paper doesn’t come out cleanly, add water and dig it out with a skewer or hooked wire.
Yes, the vase can hold water

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