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Glass fusing is the process of using a kiln to fuse two or more pieces of glass together.
The Painted Platter is here to help you experience the magic of fusing glass. Our all-inclusive pricing includes the cost of the sized piece you select, a decorative layer and an accent layer, along with the use of all our tools, studio time and firing your creation. Additional fees are added for specialty glass, add-ons and extra firings called "slumping".
You have many options from trivets, pendants, bowls, picture frames, plates, ornaments, etc. The creativity is endless! Stop in and see our samples and give it a try! You will LOVE glass fusing!
Once you leave it with us for firing, we will call you in 7-10 days to come in and pick it up!
NOTE: One-on-One Advanced Glass Instruction is offered on request. Please call to arrange.
If you know the basics of glass fusing and can cut glass you are ready to step it up a notch and attend one of our advanced glass fusing classes.
What is the difference between regular fusing and advanced fusing?
- The biggest difference is in the amount of glass you use to create your project. In regular fusing you will use 2-3 layers of glass; with advance you use 5 or more layers of glass. Since you use much more glass it has to be fired for a longer amount of time and if you don’t want a pool of glass in the bottom of the kiln, you have to build dams around the projects when firing.
Your end result will look like a professional piece of artwork. You can make numerous pieces of art such as bowls, plates, trivets or pieces for your wall.
Since the glass has been dammed when firing, does it come out smooth and even on the edges?
- No, the edges are uneven, rough and sometimes sharp after firing.
The next step is doing what is called cold working, this is when you use a lap wheel and difference grit pads to grind down the edges. Cold working takes patience when trying to get the edges even along with the right finish on the edge.
After cold working you would either slump your project or fire again to polish the edges to a gloss.
The cold working process sounds difficult, how do I do this?
- Don’t worry; we are going to do that step for you. Because of the difficulty and the experience needed on the equipment we thought it would be best if we did this as part of the class fee.
You mentioned pattern bars as part of the advanced classes, what are pattern bars and what do you do with them?
- Pattern bars are stacks and layers of glass arranged to make patterns, you can achieve this using several methods. In the pattern bar class you will learn 3 different ways of creating pattern bars. Some of them you will know exactly what they will look like after being fired, the others are a wait and see process. It is so exciting to see how they form and what kind of pattern develops while in the kiln.
- Once again with the pattern bars; the glass is thicker and has to be fired differently and dammed so that glass doesn’t run all over the kiln. This leads to uneven edges. With these uneven edges it is somewhat different as we first have to cut the edges with a glass saw to get them even. Then we cut the bar into small sections for you to use at the second class.
- At the second class you get to see how your pattern bars turned out, this is so much fun to see what was created. After checking out all the patterns from the 3 different styles it is time to design, you will be making an 8” round bowl and an 8” square plate.
Here are a few examples of what you might do:
- Connect 2 pieces of bar down the edge of your plate for a border.
- Take the 1” patterns and arrange a design on your bowl.
- Make a focal point in the center of your plate with a 4” section of pattern bars.
- The possibilities are endless.
- Even after using your pieces of pattern bar in class you will have several left so you can design more at a later time. Another great thing to do if the pattern allows is to turn some of the pieces into jewelry, these make awesome gifts.
Stop in and see our samples and sign up for a class, trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
