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Ed and Martha Biggar
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New Techniques in Fused Glass
We were honored to present this seminar at the 2008 PMC Conference held at Purdue University. We both
enjoy working with fused glass to create different and exciting inclusions for our jewelry pieces. Included
here are the handouts we provided at the seminar. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any
questions.
enjoy working with fused glass to create different and exciting inclusions for our jewelry pieces. Included
here are the handouts we provided at the seminar. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any
questions.
New Techniques in Fused Glass
Resource List
PMC Conference 2008
Books
Web Sites
kilns
Ed and Martha Biggar, more good information any time you need us!
Ed: artneon@psknet.com
Martha: marthabiggar@yahoo.com
276-620-8595
PO Box 323
Draper, VA 24324
And…www.edandmarthabiggar.com Visit!
Resource List
PMC Conference 2008
Books
- Richard La Londe: Fused Glass Art and Techniques, great history and techniques,
- Contemporary Warm Glass, Brad Walker, good general information on kilnforming:
- Higgins: Poetry in Glass, Donald-Brian Johnson & Leslie Piña, history of the premier
Web Sites
- www.bullseyeglass.com the authority on fusible glass, good downloadable tip sheets
- www.delphiglass.com general glass and tools
- www.ugotglass.com great source for dichroic glass, either as scrap or sheet, also
- www.warmglass.com resources for fusing, bulletin board
- www.bearfootart.com Scott and Monica Bouwens, Powder Vibe (4-5 week order
- www.kaiserglass.com Barry Kaiser’s site, also a PMCer, great tutorials
- www.pyrosglass.com Paul Kimball’s site for Freeze and Fuse, good explanations
- www.groups.yahoo.com three good groups: GlassFusion, Kilnglass, and Warmglass
- www.paragonweb.com the great Paragon kilns, sign up for Arnold Howard’s
kilns
- www.cmog.org one of the places we teach glass and mc
- www.jacksonvillecenter.org another great place to learn fusing
- www.urbanglass.org yet another… check our website for other venues
Ed and Martha Biggar, more good information any time you need us!
Ed: artneon@psknet.com
Martha: marthabiggar@yahoo.com
276-620-8595
PO Box 323
Draper, VA 24324
And…www.edandmarthabiggar.com Visit!
Recipes!
stir, there will be some lumps but do the best you can. Leave lightly covered for
24 hours, it will be a thick and relatively clear gel.
Add a little more gel if you need to work in all the powder. Fire around 1275-1325°.
by little to make it a little more liquid. Now snip the end off your baggie and
pipe it into a squeeze bottle. Fire at 1300° to keep the line, or 1450° for full
fuse. Imagine the line as cloisonné, and fill the inside with frits or powders.
- To make the CMC gel:
stir, there will be some lumps but do the best you can. Leave lightly covered for
24 hours, it will be a thick and relatively clear gel.
- To make the Glass clay:
Add a little more gel if you need to work in all the powder. Fire around 1275-1325°.
- To make liquid stringer:
by little to make it a little more liquid. Now snip the end off your baggie and
pipe it into a squeeze bottle. Fire at 1300° to keep the line, or 1450° for full
fuse. Imagine the line as cloisonné, and fill the inside with frits or powders.
|
Glass Resources
Thanks! Ed and Martha
- Please call Ed at 276-620-8595 or email for more details. We accept MasterCard, Visa, PayPal,
money orders, or personal or business check. International orders are welcome! - Prices are valid through October 31, 2008.
- Orders are processed and shipped within 2 weeks. Shipping by USPS.
Thanks! Ed and Martha
Resource List Sale items Recipes! Basic Glass Fusing Techniques
Basic Steps for Fused Glass
Fusing glass combines simple and complex, planned and happenstance, all at one time rolled
into a neat little package just waiting to be made into a piece of wonderful jewelry. Let’s get
started with the tools you’ll need:
• Glass cutter or scorer
• Running and grozing pliers
• Safe surface to cut on
• Kiln
• Compatible Glass
Glass Cutter: I use a pistol grip cutter, it’s easier on the wrists and I think easier to guide and cut as you
want to. Mine has a swivel head for curves and a reservoir for oil; it lubricates itself each time it cuts so that
the cutting wheel lasts longer. Cutting wheels are replaceable. I always push my cutter; that’s a personal
preference: you should decide whether you plan to push or pull when you get your own cutter and use it
that way, it will last longer.
Running and Grozing Pliers: Runners have a mark on top to line up with the score line and then
squeeze gently. Be sure the score line is on top of the glass! Otherwise you make a lot of frit. Grozing
pliers fit perpendicular right up to the score and are great for evening out those little bits that don’t run
exactly right, and for breaking off small pieces. For safety’s sale hold your hand over the top of the
runners when using them so glass won’t fly.
Surface: I am fond of pizza boxes to cut on because they will contain the glass chips (frit) that inevitably
happen when glass is cut. Cardboard also helps to soften the blow to the tip of your cutters better than a
table top. You can purchase commercial cutting systems like the Morton one we carry that hold the glass
and contain straight edges too.
Kilns: A digitally controlled kiln will make your life much easier while fusing glass, although a kiln with a
temperature gauge or even a pottery kiln with a kiln sitter will do. You will have to get to know your own kiln,
this takes time and practice but it is well worth it, as kilns have hot spots that will cause your cabs to come
out unevenly fused.
I recommend Paragon kilns; I’ve used SC-2s for six years now, first with PMC and then adding in glass. I
can program the temperature ramp, the ultimate temperature, and the hold time all at once and then not
have to worry about my glass. The newest SC-2s have a glass insert in the door so you can watch (always
fun!).
You will also need a kiln shelf (don’t put your glass directly on the bottom of the kiln!) and either kiln shelf
paper or kiln wash (your glass will stick to the kiln shelf otherwise). I use Thin-fire paper from Bullseye
Glass; I find this easier to use than kiln wash and I can get a smoother bottom to my glass with paper.
Compatible Glass: Although most glass will melt together when put into a kiln and heated, it will not cool
off at the same rate and therefore can crack. Bullseye Glass has researched this attribute of glass for
decades and has developed a line of compatible glass, all having the same COE or Coefficient of
Expansion. We use 90 COE glass; there are other companies that have developed lines of fusing glass
with different COEs, you would want to be very careful not to mix your glass or your cabs will break.
Dichroic glass is a type of fusible glass made with a coating on either clear or black glass. Of course you
will be careful to use 90 COE here as well. The coating both reflects and refracts light. This is the
phenomena you see when turning a piece of dichroic glass and seeing a color shift. Don’t try to fuse the
coated sides together as the coating prevents or at least inhibits fusing. You can stack clear back dichroic
on top of itself if you make sure the coated sides don’t touch. One major coating company is Coatings by
Sandberg, CBS. I generally fuse dichroic with a layer of clear glass over the top for depth.
How To: You can put just one layer of glass in your kiln, or you can put lots, but generally we work with two
to four layers. Glass when heated wants to settle to a similar thickness, that’s why four layers will spread
more than three, and two layers will appear to shrink up from its original size.
• Lay out your base piece. This could be a dichroic piece with the coating on top, or bottom for a
reversible cab, a clear piece, or a piece of any color transparent or opaque glass.
• Plan the design for the second layer; lay out the pieces of glass until you are pleased, then glue
lightly! You can use Elmer’s glue thinned out a little with water, or fuser’s glue. Either is going to burn away
in the kiln, and either can cloud your glass if you use too much. You may want to consider frit (tiny pieces
of glass) or stringer (glass spaghetti) as part of your design.
• Now lay on your top layer of glass, either clear or maybe a light transparent color. Or you could lay
more pieces of clear-based dichroic. Again, glue lightly. I usually do not count frit or stringer as a layer,
since they are usually very thin. They can go inside the glass sandwich or on top. Once all this is done
you are ready for the kiln.
Place your cabs on the kiln shelf with either paper or kiln wash. Don’t let the cabs touch, as they can run
together and become fused to each other. Set your kiln for the type fusing you wish. Most people want
their cabs smooth on top and rounded on the edges, this is fully fused glass.
We use these schedules often, and have programmed them into the Paragons we use both in our studio
and in classes we teach at various venues. Please note that these times work for us and can be a great
beginning for you in your own trials. You might want to keep records of your firings; a great one to check
out is at http://www.bullseyeglass.com/connection/education/, click on Kiln Project Notes, and another is
available at Paragon’s own site: http://www.paragonweb.com/Instruction_Manuals.cfm, click on Firing
Record Blanks. This way you’ll be able to replicate good results and avoid bad ones.
We have specific reasons for each part of these programs, for example we use a 500º ramp for each of
these programs; although we know you can ramp at a quicker rate, this particular temperature allows us
more control of bubbles and an evenness of firing. We base these figures on two to three layers of fusible
glass sized between thin and regular (3mm), generally we use Bullseye, with added frits, stringers, and so
forth. We generally try to keep our programming simple as opposed to complex. Lately we have been
adding a soak segment at 1200° for 30 minutes to help control bubbles.
Seg-Ramp Temp Hold Seg-Ramp Temp Hold
Basic full fused glass 1- 500º 1425-
1450º 30 min. 2- full 960º 1 hr.
Tack fuse 1- 500º 1300-
1350º 30 min. 2- full 960º 1 hr.
Fire polish 1- 500º 1200-
1250º 5 - 30 min. 2- full 960º 1 hr.
Added to PMC3 1- 500º 1200-
1350º 30 min. 2- full 960º 1 hr.
You can see the similarities and differences between each expected result. The variations should hit your
personal preference. Note that we fire cabochons included in PMC3 at a lower temperature than we
originally fired the glass.
Once your glass is cool and out of the kiln, wash the kiln paper off the back, being careful not to breathe in
any of the dust. You can’t use it over, so a damp paper towel over the trash can is a good idea. Your
cabs are ready to use!
Fusing glass combines simple and complex, planned and happenstance, all at one time rolled
into a neat little package just waiting to be made into a piece of wonderful jewelry. Let’s get
started with the tools you’ll need:
• Glass cutter or scorer
• Running and grozing pliers
• Safe surface to cut on
• Kiln
• Compatible Glass
Glass Cutter: I use a pistol grip cutter, it’s easier on the wrists and I think easier to guide and cut as you
want to. Mine has a swivel head for curves and a reservoir for oil; it lubricates itself each time it cuts so that
the cutting wheel lasts longer. Cutting wheels are replaceable. I always push my cutter; that’s a personal
preference: you should decide whether you plan to push or pull when you get your own cutter and use it
that way, it will last longer.
Running and Grozing Pliers: Runners have a mark on top to line up with the score line and then
squeeze gently. Be sure the score line is on top of the glass! Otherwise you make a lot of frit. Grozing
pliers fit perpendicular right up to the score and are great for evening out those little bits that don’t run
exactly right, and for breaking off small pieces. For safety’s sale hold your hand over the top of the
runners when using them so glass won’t fly.
Surface: I am fond of pizza boxes to cut on because they will contain the glass chips (frit) that inevitably
happen when glass is cut. Cardboard also helps to soften the blow to the tip of your cutters better than a
table top. You can purchase commercial cutting systems like the Morton one we carry that hold the glass
and contain straight edges too.
Kilns: A digitally controlled kiln will make your life much easier while fusing glass, although a kiln with a
temperature gauge or even a pottery kiln with a kiln sitter will do. You will have to get to know your own kiln,
this takes time and practice but it is well worth it, as kilns have hot spots that will cause your cabs to come
out unevenly fused.
I recommend Paragon kilns; I’ve used SC-2s for six years now, first with PMC and then adding in glass. I
can program the temperature ramp, the ultimate temperature, and the hold time all at once and then not
have to worry about my glass. The newest SC-2s have a glass insert in the door so you can watch (always
fun!).
You will also need a kiln shelf (don’t put your glass directly on the bottom of the kiln!) and either kiln shelf
paper or kiln wash (your glass will stick to the kiln shelf otherwise). I use Thin-fire paper from Bullseye
Glass; I find this easier to use than kiln wash and I can get a smoother bottom to my glass with paper.
Compatible Glass: Although most glass will melt together when put into a kiln and heated, it will not cool
off at the same rate and therefore can crack. Bullseye Glass has researched this attribute of glass for
decades and has developed a line of compatible glass, all having the same COE or Coefficient of
Expansion. We use 90 COE glass; there are other companies that have developed lines of fusing glass
with different COEs, you would want to be very careful not to mix your glass or your cabs will break.
Dichroic glass is a type of fusible glass made with a coating on either clear or black glass. Of course you
will be careful to use 90 COE here as well. The coating both reflects and refracts light. This is the
phenomena you see when turning a piece of dichroic glass and seeing a color shift. Don’t try to fuse the
coated sides together as the coating prevents or at least inhibits fusing. You can stack clear back dichroic
on top of itself if you make sure the coated sides don’t touch. One major coating company is Coatings by
Sandberg, CBS. I generally fuse dichroic with a layer of clear glass over the top for depth.
How To: You can put just one layer of glass in your kiln, or you can put lots, but generally we work with two
to four layers. Glass when heated wants to settle to a similar thickness, that’s why four layers will spread
more than three, and two layers will appear to shrink up from its original size.
• Lay out your base piece. This could be a dichroic piece with the coating on top, or bottom for a
reversible cab, a clear piece, or a piece of any color transparent or opaque glass.
• Plan the design for the second layer; lay out the pieces of glass until you are pleased, then glue
lightly! You can use Elmer’s glue thinned out a little with water, or fuser’s glue. Either is going to burn away
in the kiln, and either can cloud your glass if you use too much. You may want to consider frit (tiny pieces
of glass) or stringer (glass spaghetti) as part of your design.
• Now lay on your top layer of glass, either clear or maybe a light transparent color. Or you could lay
more pieces of clear-based dichroic. Again, glue lightly. I usually do not count frit or stringer as a layer,
since they are usually very thin. They can go inside the glass sandwich or on top. Once all this is done
you are ready for the kiln.
Place your cabs on the kiln shelf with either paper or kiln wash. Don’t let the cabs touch, as they can run
together and become fused to each other. Set your kiln for the type fusing you wish. Most people want
their cabs smooth on top and rounded on the edges, this is fully fused glass.
We use these schedules often, and have programmed them into the Paragons we use both in our studio
and in classes we teach at various venues. Please note that these times work for us and can be a great
beginning for you in your own trials. You might want to keep records of your firings; a great one to check
out is at http://www.bullseyeglass.com/connection/education/, click on Kiln Project Notes, and another is
available at Paragon’s own site: http://www.paragonweb.com/Instruction_Manuals.cfm, click on Firing
Record Blanks. This way you’ll be able to replicate good results and avoid bad ones.
We have specific reasons for each part of these programs, for example we use a 500º ramp for each of
these programs; although we know you can ramp at a quicker rate, this particular temperature allows us
more control of bubbles and an evenness of firing. We base these figures on two to three layers of fusible
glass sized between thin and regular (3mm), generally we use Bullseye, with added frits, stringers, and so
forth. We generally try to keep our programming simple as opposed to complex. Lately we have been
adding a soak segment at 1200° for 30 minutes to help control bubbles.
Seg-Ramp Temp Hold Seg-Ramp Temp Hold
Basic full fused glass 1- 500º 1425-
1450º 30 min. 2- full 960º 1 hr.
Tack fuse 1- 500º 1300-
1350º 30 min. 2- full 960º 1 hr.
Fire polish 1- 500º 1200-
1250º 5 - 30 min. 2- full 960º 1 hr.
Added to PMC3 1- 500º 1200-
1350º 30 min. 2- full 960º 1 hr.
You can see the similarities and differences between each expected result. The variations should hit your
personal preference. Note that we fire cabochons included in PMC3 at a lower temperature than we
originally fired the glass.
Once your glass is cool and out of the kiln, wash the kiln paper off the back, being careful not to breathe in
any of the dust. You can’t use it over, so a damp paper towel over the trash can is a good idea. Your
cabs are ready to use!