GLASS 101 | 25 |
FUSING
Fusing is the process of joining 2 or more pieces of glass together by the application of heat. The glass may be in the form of sheets, stringers, frit or a host of other forms. There are different degrees of fusing. You may want to fuse glass so it sticks to another piece of glass without deforming. This is known as a “Fuse to Stick”. If you were to apply more heatwork to the piece the edges would round slightly. This is known as a “Tack Fuse”. A “Full Fuse” is created when the pieces have melted completely together and are 1/4” thick (6.4mm). A “Texture Fuse” is any point
There is a temperature range at which glass can be fused. The point at which it begins to fuse is influenced by the rate at which the temperature is climbing when it reaches the fusing range. Most fusing glass will begin to fuse at around 1325 °F (718°C).. Remember that heatwork is a function of time and temperature.
Starting with glass that has been determined to be compatible is only the beginning to a successful fusing or slump- ing project. The temperature and various temperature rates in a firing program must be designed to the specific needs of the project you are creating. The size, thickness, shape, and type of glass all must be considered when designing a firing
program.
SLUMPING
Slumping can be defined as the controlled bending of glass under the influence of heat and gravity within a kiln. This is generally done over or into a mold. Molds can be made out of a variety of different materials and can be found at art glass supply businesses.
When slumping it is necessary to take into account the shape of the mold, the thickness of the piece, and the degree of heatwork desired.
Gravity plays a very important role in slumping, especially slumping over a mold as opposed to into a mold. If the shape of the mold dictates that the unbent glass is largely unsupported, the weight of the unsupported glass will pull the glass over the mold quicker then if only a small portion is unsupported.
A thin piece of glass will bend quicker than a thick piece of glass. A thick piece of glass requires more Hold time in the final segment of the process phase.
In some cases the artist may want to control the amount of bend by visually inspecting the kiln. Be sure to follow the safety guidelines listed in this manual when using this technique. When the proper amount of heatwork is reached the artist can use the Skip Segment feature to advance the kiln into the cooling cycle. Slumping projects that receive too much heatwork can take on unwanted texture from the mold or in extreme cases fuse to a puddle.
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