Pot Melts – Weight of Glass Required

Circular pieces
This table assumes that a 150 mm diameter pot is being used, and assumes that 125 grams of glass will be left in the pot. Larger diameter pots or even pot trays can be used, but more glass will remain in the container. The following table gives the desired diameter of the melt and the weight of glass needed to achieve an average 6 mm thick result. To achieve a uniform six millimetre thick disk will require long soaks at both melting and fusing temperatures to allow the glass to even out in thickness.

50 mm diameter disk requires 154 grams of glass
100 mm diameter disk requires 243 grams of glass
150 mm diameter disk requires 390 grams of glass
200 mm diameter disk requires 596 grams of glass
250 mm diameter disk requires 861 grams of glass
300 mm diameter disk requires 1185 grams of glass
350 mm diameter disk requires 1568 grams of glass
400 mm diameter disk requires 2015 grams of glass

Thicker melts
Of course if you want a thicker pot melt — one that is confined so that it cannot grow larger, only thicker — you can use the following method to estimate the amount of glass required.

Choose the diameter wanted from the above table, and subtract 125 from the weight of glass required. Then multiply by thickness wanted divided by 6 mm. Add back 125 gms — the amount that will be retained in the pot — and you have the required amount.

For example: a 200 mm disk of 6 mm requires 596 gms. You want a 12 mm thick disk of 200 mm.
First subtract 125 from 596 to get 471 gms. 417 gms times 12 equals 5652. Divide this by 6 mm and you have 942 gms required. Add 125 gms — the amount left in the pot — and you have a requirement of 1067 gms for a 12 mm thick disk of 200 mm.


Rectangular pieces
These are easier to calculate than discs, as the calculation is length times height times depth (all measurements in centimetres).  

If you are making a billet and using an empty margarine pot of 7 cm wide, 12 cm long and 7 cm high you will need enough glass to fill a volume of 588 cubic centimetres.  As the specific gravity of glass is 2.5, you multiply the cubic centimetres to give the weight required in grams — in this case, 1470 gms.

If you wanted a 6 mm tile of 100 mm square you would need 150 grams of glass.

To make a 1 cm slab of the same size you need 250 grams of glass.

To make a billet of 5 cm by 10 cm square you need 1250 grams of glass (this is pretty close the the maximum that can be loaded in a 12 cm diameter Pot).

To make a small sample billet of 2 cm thick by 4 cm by 8 cm you need 160 grams of glass.

A billet or pattern bar of 5 cm by 10 cm by 5 cm needs 625 grams of glass.

Supporting Overhangs on Moulds

In general, the blank should be no larger than the thickness of the glass over the mould. So a 6mm blank would have no more than 6mm overhang.

In the case of steep sided moulds, the glass should be entirely within the mould to avoid any hangup on the edge, leading to uneven slumps and needling on the edges.

But, if you need the glass to be the size of the mould, you can make a collar to go around the mould, which will support the glass while it begins to slump into the mould.

Make a donut shape that will fit around the mould (whether round, oval or rectangular) and extend beyond. Support the collar on kiln furniture to be as high or slightly higher than the top of the rim of the mould. This makes a kind of drop out ring, allowing the glass to drop into the mould.

Donut ring suitable for placing around a circular mould

This arrangement is suitable for placing around a mould of the same diameter as the interior of the ring

Make sure that the collar is well covered with kiln wash to ensure the glass can move along the fibre board. This includes both the surface and vertical edges of the collar.

As the glass softens and begins to fall into the mould, the glass at the edge does not have the weight to bend down and so raises off the collar and begins to slip into the mould.

And finally, you need to ensure that the mould is not so steep as to trap the glass inside. This is more of a concern on steel with its greater expansion and contraction than ceramic.

A steel mould likely to trap the glass inside with its vertical sides

Super Glue

Super Glue

by Morganica

There are multiple cyanoacrylates (superglues) on the market, and they will give very different results. Gel superglue formulations usually have some type of rubber or fumed silica additive to make them thicker, and the additive usually doesn't burn out. That's probably where the "superglue leaves a mark" originates. Usually the cheapest possible superglue is best for temporary glass holds because it'll mostly be additive-free.

The glue will burn out around 700F or so, so it shouldn't be used to position the glass against gravity. I disagree, however, that it should never be used. I buy cheap superglue by the carton and use it in everything from temporary casting assemblages to making glass boxes for frit panels to tack-fusing. It is the best way I know to hold wobbly pieces in place until you can assemble the rest of the glass around it.

Some tips for using superglue:

• You are more likely to get whitish residues if you let moisture get to the superglue while it's drying, so keep the glass surfaces as dry as possible and don't put a superglue-assembled piece on a wet kiln shelf.

• Always try to put the glue under opaque or dark glasses, just in case something goes wrong.

• Use the smallest amount possible. Don't flood an area with glue and lay the glass on top - that will almost always leave too much glue on the glass. Instead, I assemble the glass and put a drop of glue right where the two glasses join. Capillary action sucks just the right amount of glue into the joint.

• If you wipe excess glue away with acetone, be careful about which acetone you're using. Some types (such as nail polish remover) can have additives that leave residues on the glass and make the problem worse. If the glue is in a readily accessible area, it is usually better to wait for it to dry, then peel it off the glass with a razor blade. Only use acetone where there's texture or something else that makes the glue difficult to remove. And in any case, don't worry much about removing superglue right on the surface--it will burn off.

• Superglue joints will NOT support the weight of your glass, i.e., never, ever lift your assemblage by a superglued-on piece of glass. Common superglue is actually a lousy glue for glass--which is why it works as a temporary hold.

Disguising Joints in Fusing

One advantage of fusing over leading or copper foiling is that shapes impossible to cut as a single piece can be made from multiple pieces. However these joints often show up in the finished work.

You are always more likely to have the joints show when the cut coloured glass is on the bottom. The infra-red heat of the kiln elements goes through the clear glass to the coloured below, allowing it to soften first. As the glass underneath softens and pulls in, it allows the top glass to sink into the space. Upon cooling the seam is kept open even sometimes showing a clear line at the joints.

Putting the clear as the base and the jointed pieces on the top has a better chance of having the joints fully fuse together. There is no glass above to spread the pieces apart.

When you need the joints to be concealed, you can put a line of powder the same colour of glass over the joint. This line should be slightly rounded above the surface along the joint to account for the reduction in volume as it fuses. When it is two colours meeting, using powder of the same colour as the darker glass is most successful.

Fusing to a contour fuse for 10 minutes is normally hot enough, but taking the piece to a flat fuse – again for 10 mins - will certainly be enough to fully melt the powder into the joint.

Installing Leaded Glass in Stone

Side rebates
One side of the rebate (or raggle) in stone should be deeper than the other. This allows the panel to be slotted in and then slid back into the shallower rebate. Which side the deep rebate is on is not important, but you must determine which is the deeper and its minimum depth all along the raggle.

Adjusting the placement of the panel
To help move the panel from side to side stiff oyster knives and lead knives are important. This allows you to get behind the edge and slide the panel to the side, especially when it is sitting on top of another panel to make the fine adjustments to get the lead lines flow correctly.

In some circumstances, especially when installing a single panel, it is necessary to bend the leaves of the lead toward the installation side. After placing the panel, you then fold the leaves out one at a time into the raggle slot.

Top and bottom rebates
For the top and bottom rebates it is important that the top is the deep one. You insert the panel up into the slot a the top and let it settle into the bottom rebate. The panel should be completely covered by the stone.

Extra came
In all installations into stone, you should carry extra came of at least 12mm (1/2”) to solder round the panel when the stone work is not as accurate as it should be, either through workmanship or weathering.

Wedges
Have some little blocks of wood and some whittling tool to hand to wedge the panel in till mortared. It is possible to use little scraps of lead for the purpose. These wedges don't need to be that robust, they are just there to hold the panel in place until the mortar is in.

Mortars
Mortars for stone should be of lime cement, or sand mastic. Don't use silicon, you'll never get it out again! Also don't use putty as this stains some types of stone and the oils leech in to the stone, causing the putty to dry and therefore the window ceases to be watertight.

Brushes for Painting

A quality paint brush will have hairs that form a point and have a good spring to them - they bend while painting but return quickly to their original shape. A good brush will also hold lots of paint and deliver that paint evenly throughout the stroke. Brushes usually have a number to indicate their size - the larger the number, the larger the paintbrush. The larger the brush the wider the line that can be produced, although with a light touch a fine long line can be made because of the pointed nature of the brush.

The best brushes are made from natural hairs, although there are brushes made from a combination of natural and synthetic materials which are adequate.

Sable hair brushes are considered to be the best for painting. The hair comes from a variety of pine martin and the Kolinsky sable from Siberia is considered the best. These brushes are more expensive than others, but are soft and flexible, hold their paint well and can make an expressive thick to thin line.

Ox hairs are normally used for making rigger brushes. This is a round brush with long hairs, said to be used to paint the lines of ships' rigging in the past. The hair is strong and springy making it useful for long lines and thicker paints.

Squirrel hair brushes are useful for applying paint in broad, thin layers for matting.

Goat hair brushes are normally known as hake brushes. These are a traditional, oriental style brush. It lacks spring, but forms a good point and so is useful to cover larger areas quickly with a gentle touch.

Pony hair is made into short round brushes used as soft stipplers.

Hog hairs are made into hard, very economical brushes. They come in flat and round shapes. They are most used for stippling and can be trimmed, shaped, used, and abused for years.

Badger hairs are thicker at the end and thinner at the root, creating a conical shape. These soft brushes are used to blend paint once it has been spread on the glass. The brush is swept across the surface of the paint to blend or move paint and remove stroke lines.

Glass Shifting on Mould

There are a number of things to investigate if your blank is shifting on the mould during firing.

Is there a heat differential?

Glass absorbs heat at different rates depending on colour and type meaning that one part may begin to move before another. The solution to this is to slow down the rate of advance to allow all the glass to gain heat at the same speed. It may also be useful to slump at a lower temperature.

There also may be a heat differential within the kiln. You need to run a check on the heat distribution of your kiln to be sure where the (relatively) hot and cold areas of your kiln are. Bullseye published Tech Note no.1 on how to do this.

Not perfectly balanced on the mould?

Glass can be placed just off square or level and that can allow it to start slumping unevenly. Measurements and observation can help to get the glass placed squarely on the mould. Also a small spirit level placed on the glass can tell you if the glass is level within the mould.

The mould may not be level.

The kiln, shelf and mould should each be checked for level in all directions. The kiln level can be established and can be assumed to be level until it is moved. The shelf level should be checked each time it is moved. The mould level should be checked each time it is used.

Is the glass overhanging the mould?

Glass overhanging the mould rim can hang up on some of the edges more than others. Check the rim of the mould for any rough areas and smooth them. If you do have glass overhanging, you should slow the rate of advance to allow the edge of the glass to tip up and begin to slide down into the mould. If the problem persists, make the glass blank smaller, or support the overhanging glass with a collar.

Is the glass heavier on one side?

The glass may be uneven thickness and so heavier on one side. The heavier area of the glass will begin to slump first and so promote movement of the whole glass in an asymmetrical manner. The solution to this is to fire slower and to a lower temperature.

Do you have a wonky mould?

The mould can be imperfect. So you need to check the mould for accuracy. I have a slumper that has one side lower than the other three. Being aware of this, I can place the glass so that it is still useable. Measuring the mould in all directions will help determine its symmetry.

If all these things have been investigated and the solution not found, it is possible to create a bevel on the bottom edge of the glass so that the edge sits in the mould at the same angle as the mould. This provides a larger contact point for the glass and mould than just a thin edge. This appears to allow the glass to move evenly during the slump.

Of course, a major solution is to observe the slump.  Peeking into the kiln at the beginning of the slump soak and frequent intervals after that will show if the piece is slumping evenly or not.  If it is uneven, you can put on the appropriate protective gear and with gloves on your hands, shift the glass to be set evenly in the mould.

The major solutions to avoid uneven slumping are:

• Avoiding the hot and cool parts of the kiln
• Making everything level
• Careful placement on the mould
• Slower rates of advance
• Lower slumping temperatures
• Observation

Using Space on Shelves

Often there is unused space on the kiln shelves when you are firing a project. With a bit of planning, you can make use of the spaces for a variety of things.

Frits fired on fibre paper

Bowl made from frit balls

You can place piece of frit in the clear areas to make frit balls.

You can make colour tests on plaques of glass to see the results of strikers, powder combinations or results of various depths of colour.

Compatibility tests can be done with pieces of glass of which you are not certain.

simple stress testing set-up

Strip of fired glass samples for testing

Results - those with halo are stressed

In the same way, annealing tests can be conducted.

You can fire small pieces of jewellery at the same time as your larger pieces.

You can also prepare elements for incorporation into other fusing projects and lay them out in the open spaces on the shelf.  Your use of the spare space is related both to your imagination and to your future projects.

Cleaning Blending Brushes

Cleaning badger brushes just before use, is easy. Flick, gently and rapidly, the very ends of the brush hairs against the side of your hand – but use respiratory protection and be careful not to inhale any dust. If you notice flecks of dust in your paint when you create a grisaille you’ll know it’s time for a thorough and wet cleaning again.

After each use, rinse out the brush tips in cool water. Gently rub the tips of the brush hairs to loosen any extra paint. Grasp he hairs above the tips to keep the water from the main part of the brush. Then wet the exposed ends of the hairs and rub them gently until the water runs clear. 

If you use a blender for oil, you will need to use a small amount of natural soap, if so, thoroughly rinse.

Flick the brush to remove excess water, smooth the hairs into shape and allow to completely dry by hanging the brush with the hairs pointing downward – this avoids water flowing into the brush base where the hairs are attached. If you have round-handled brushes, you can twirl the brush between your hands to remove excess water.

Shape of Aperture Drops

The shape of an aperture drop can be controlled by the speed of the slump. The speed at which the glass drops is a combination of heat and size of the hole. Patience is required.

Rapid drops result from high temperatures. Rapid slumps cause a thinning of the glass at the shoulder where the glass turns over the inner rim of the aperture. The pattern is distorted and the colours are also diluted. And a relatively large rim is left around the fired piece.

A much slower rate of drop spreads the strain of the slump over the whole of the unsupported area of glass. This tends toward a bowl with a gentle slope toward the bottom, reduced distortion of the pattern, maintenance of the colour densities, and a more even wall thickness all over the piece.

The slumping temperature for a shallow angled slump is less than that used for normal slumps, and takes a lot longer – up to five hours typically. This means that observation is required at intervals, say every half hour.

A starting point for the slumping is around 100ºC above the annealing temperature for the glass. So for Bullseye and System 96 the temperature is about 615ºC. If after the first half hour, there is no movement, increase the temperature by 10ºC. Check again in another half hour and if the slump has begun, leave the temperature at that level and observe at the half hourly intervals until the desired slump is achieved. Otherwise, increase the temperature by another 10ºC with the check after half an hour, and repeat until the slump has begun. After you have done the first one of these with a particular size of aperture, you will know the temperature to start the slump.

The temperature you need to use is affected by the size of the hole. The smaller the aperture, the higher the temperature will be needed. But be patient. If the temperature is increased too much, you will get the thinning of the sides that you are trying to avoid.

Additional information on aperture drops can be found in this series.