bowl

Most of what I use is just sheets of stained glass. I cut them up or break them, then reassemble them on a kiln shelf. Next, I place the shelf in the kiln and heat it to 1300 to 1700 degrees depending on how much melting I want to do.

When it cools I can take it out. I then decide if I will finish this new piece of glass or cut it up to use it in pieces. When the glass comes out as I wish, I saw and grind the edges to make it into the two dimensional shape I want it to be.

The only thing left is to form it into the bowl. To give it dimension, I lay it on or in a mold and heat it till it takes the shape of that mold.

It sounds pretty easy and it is! There are a few more things you need to know about, like viscosity, heating and cooling rates, kiln wash, devitrification, noodles and frit, coefficient of expansion, and compatibility. If you really want to know, contact me. I would be happy to show you the websites where I started.

The best way to tell you how much fun it is would be for me to say that when I have something in my kiln, I'm up before the alarm. I just can't wait to see how my glass turned out!