Assembly of Circles and Irregular Shapes.

Leading

Circles and ovals as well as irregular shapes significant support as leading often involves sideways pressures to fit the lead to the pieces of glass. Thus there are two main methods of support for the perimeter of the panel.

You can cut supporting pieces of glass to place around the perimeter. These need to be cut to the outside of the perimeter cut line. These supports must be in at least two or more pieces to enable the came to be put in place progressively. You then assemble the perimeter lead into it and continue to lead up as normal. The perimeter support can also be made from thin plywood or similar materials. This can be useful if the shape is to be repeated.

A simple means of supporting irregular shapes while leading is to place a number of nails around the inside edge of the cut line. There need to be enough to support each piece of glass with at least two nails. So you may need to add more nails to the initial set up. Build the panel without the perimeter leads. When the interior is assembled, put the perimeter came around the panel. Ensure the fully leaded panel fits within the dimensions of the opening. Then solder as normal.

Copper foil

The above methods can be used, but are often a bit heavy duty for copper foil processes. Instead of glass, timber or nails you can use more easily cut materials. Such things as stiff double walled cardboard, foam board etc., are suitable for light duty. You can cut the complete shape from these materials, but only good if no pressure is used in fitting the pieces.

If you are likely to repeat the shape and size, you can use plywood or similar materials. Build inside the shape and remove it when the whole is soldered on the first side.

Rods in Glass

Inserting large rods into glass

Normally large diameter rods are incorporated into a glass piece for display supports. However, rods over about 2mm will break the glass when incorporated in the fusing. This means that rods to support the glass that will be of sufficient diameter for the strength required cannot be fused into the glass.

You can use a rod of the same - or slightly smaller - size if you wrap it with thin fibre paper to cushion the differentials in expansion and contraction. When the glass has cooled, pull the rod out and clean out remaining fibre paper with water and a pick. 

Alternatively, you can use fibre paper to create a void of similar size to the wire or other metal support that will be inserted.

If you find that you do not like the hump that the rod or fibre paper create, you can use a third layer between the top and bottom.  Cut the glass to leave a channel of the length you want.  This means that the intermediate glass will need to be in at least two vertical parts, with half the channel width taken out of each side.  You can cut the glass in three parts horizontally.  The main piece is cut to a length minus the depth of the channel.  Then two strips are added to the bottom which leave the desired width. Finally, put the top layer on.  

Alternatively, the middle layer can be the design, with the bottom and top being clear or any other colour desired.

Once fired, clean out the channel and glue the rods into the glass. Silicone is a good all purpose adhesive that will allow a bit of movement.

Fibre Board for Kiln Shelves

Some advantages of fibre board:

• It is light weight making it easy to move.
• Fibre board has very good cooling characteristics as it doesn't hold the heat the same way a mullite shelf does.
• The board is fragile, but with care can last years.
• Fibre board shelves do not thermal shock as ceramic based shelves can.

Considerations for use:

• If it will be moved it needs hardening.
• It needs repeated sanding and hardening for a really smooth surface. Alternatively you can smooth on something like batt/kiln wash or alumina hydrate for each firing.
• It needs to be supported on kiln posts at 100 mm intervals.

You need to use dust masks when ever working with fibre board.

Some disadvantages of fibre board:

• The board can warp over time even when supported every 100 mm.
• The board will warp over time if placed on the kiln floor.
• The board needs to be thick - at least 25mm, thicker for larger kilns.
• It can't be scraped clean of batt/kiln wash.
• Ceramic fibre board is possibly not much cheaper than mullite shelves.

Complex Drapes

A question has been asked that relates to draping over a face mask mould, but this response relates to any drape with compound or multiple shapes.

The rate of advance should be a steady one all the way to the forming temperature. This should be 150C/hr or less. Thicker glass requires a slower rate of advance to allow the glass to heat all the way through. The point is to get the glass all the same temperature by the time it reaches the forming temperature.

Draping over an undulating mould takes more heat or time or both than simple drapes, because there is a much greater variety of form for the glass to conform to.

You have a choice about the top temperature and soak times. You can choose a low temperature with a long soak time, which most often leads to a minimum of marks on the underside of the piece, but requires long vigils at the kiln to determine when the drape is finished. The other strategy is to go for a higher temperature and shorter soak, which leads to more marks, but less time observing the firing. The higher temperature may be as much as 720C.

Note that there are a group of considerations about the size of the drape and the thickness of the glass being draped. 

Weight 

Span 

Complexity of shape 

There are some things you can do to assist the progress of the drape. One, already mentioned, is to increase the forming temperature.

Use a longer time, or as much time as required. Watch the draping progress because it is never certain how long the piece will take to conform to the mould sufficiently.

Use props. Place the props where the glass first starts to form just barely supporting the edge of the glass. As the glass begins to bend, it will slip off the supports - assuming they are well covered in separators, even pieces of kiln paper. This means the folds will start somewhere else than at the nose on a face mould or other high point on any other form.

Manipulate the glass. Reach in with wet wood sticks and push the glass about. One stick will be needed to keep the glass in place while the other pushes the glass about. The sticks do need to be both wet and strong. If you use dry sticks they will mark the glass as well as go on fire. Of course, you need protective gear to avoid burns to your skin and hair if you do this.

Metal supports

It is often desirable to have supports that terminate inside the glass rather than clasping or otherwise holding the glass. However, metal that would survive the firing and be strong enough to support a substantial piece would be of such a size that it would break the glass due to the differing expansion and contraction of the two materials.

The wire or rod to support the fused or cast piece does not have to be incorporated at the point of kiln forming. There is the risk of the glass breaking due to the large differences in expansion and contraction of the metal and the glass, especially with the harder metals.

Instead you need to plan for these supports and keep the glass open at the support points during the kiln forming. It is relatively easy to wrap short pieces of appropriately sized stainless steel rod with fibre paper, or coat with kin wash and build the glass around these, keeping one of each of the ends free of the glass.

You can of course, use other metals, although most – except brass – are likely to spall quite a bit, so wrapping them with fibre paper is best.

When the kiln work is finished, the short rods are pulled out.

You need to clean the cavity formed for the rods. If the glass is transparent or translucent, I like to have the cavity as clear as possible, so I prefer wrapping the rod with fibre paper what ever metal is being used. This provides a clearer surface when clean. Kiln wash leaves a white deposit that is difficult or impossible to clean away completely. Of course if the glass is opalescent, it does not matter whether there is a white deposit.

The cavity does need to be clean to enable the glue to stick to the glass. The support rods need to be secured with a silicone or other flexible glue to avoid any expansion problems in the future.

Information on inclusions of metals:
copper
Wire
Silver foil