Bangle slumping

[Marina Green-Thakrar]

Hello everyone,
I am really interested in slumping bangles in my kiln. Unfortunately the proper equipment isn't freely available in the UK and I would have to order from the US, even the Persico book about it is like gold dust and I've never actually seen it in reality! Basically, I just need to find out more details about if I will be able to do it, before I finally decide to order the things necessary and pay that exhorbitant shipping!!!

Anyway, my question is simple, do you have to work with the glass warm in the kiln to make bangles slump over the metal mould? It's just that I have a Skutt Hotstart Pro and have been told (by my husband who can make out the manual better than me!) that it has a safety feature to stop this, as the element is in the lid...also, to be honest, I would be too chicken to work tongs and an open kiln anyway!!!

Many thanks in advance!
Marina.

[Nicole Hanna]

I've never actually done it, but yes, you do need to open the kiln and manipulate the hot glass with tongs. From what I understand, a front loading kiln is more ideal for this. I also have a Hotstart...yeah, it's probably not a good idea to get that close to it with the lid open!
Bangles are intriguing, but there are lots of other techniques to explore so just pick something else!!
Nicole

[Marina Green-Thakrar]

Thanks for that Nicole, you're right, I'll just do something else, as even if I had a front loading kiln, I'd be too chicken to play with the kiln open! I finally have my Taurus-3 saw coming tomorrow and have recently gathered a large a large amount of Crinklized dichro (which is almost impossible to get in the UK) so I have plenty of toys to play with at the moment

[Nicole Hanna]

Oh, that saw is gonna keep you so busy you're gonna forget all about bangles! Don't let it frustrate you though...takes a little getting used to it, but you'll love it once you get the feel for what it can and can't do, and then you'll be cutting up all sorts of stuff!
Have fun!
Nicole
(p.s. I was almost a Marina too...Mom wanted to name me that, but Dad wanted Nicole. Dad was in the Navy and was out on a ship when I was born so Mom felt guilty that he missed my birth so she let him have his choice!)

[Peg]

Hello everyone,
I am really interested in slumping bangles in my kiln. Unfortunately the proper equipment isn't freely available in the UK

Many thanks in advance!
Marina.

Warm Glass UK (board sponsor) sell the bangle mould - and I'm pretty sure any other necesary kit.
They are based near Bristol.

http://www.warm-glass.co.uk/Shop/Produc ... uctId=2724

[dee]

marina, some tips about your taurus 3 saw - for more than a single thickness of glass use the mega blade. when using the standard blade don't push the glass into the blade much, too much pressure and you'll break the blade. the mega blade is much sturdier, i haven't managed to break one yet

use cold water, helps the blade life and change out the water before starting a new session.

make sure you tighten down the orange grommet/wheels completely when changing blades
D

[Dolores]

The best luck I'd had with bangles, was with a small kiln with a hindged lid. I could open the lid with one hand and manipulate with the tongs in the other so the kiln wasn't open any longer than necessary. Bangles proved a hard sell though, and they never seemed to fit the person who tried them on at shows (too big....too small...blah,blah). I finally sold off what few I had in stock and never made another.

DOLORES

[Nicole Hanna]

The best luck I'd had with bangles, was with a small kiln with a hindged lid. I could open the lid with one hand and manipulate with the tongs in the other so the kiln wasn't open any longer than necessary. Bangles proved a hard sell though, and they never seemed to fit the person who tried them on at shows (too big....too small...blah,blah). I finally sold off what few I had in stock and never made another.

DOLORES

I agree Delores...we had some in a glass gallery I worked in and I don't think we ever sold one! They're pretty, they're novel, but they're not real practical. They have to be just the right size, and most I've seen are so darn heavy ya need a lift to carry your arm around for ya!

Nicole

[imagesinthewind]

I tried bracelet making with the slumper and could never get the two sides to be the same length.
when I would wrap the glass, it wasn't centered so one side of the bracelet would be longer than the other.

I was thinking about making a bracelet mold. An actual round slip on bracelet as the model and
casting a mold around it. Then I can cast my own bracelets from frit chunks of scrap glass etc.
Then I can do other fun stuff to it after the casting.

Thank that would work? I could use different sizes of bracelet and make clay models of fun
shapes and crate molds of them. No reaching in the kiln to manipulate the glass.

Ginny in Denver