Fused glass and 3D printing

[Ralph]

Images below refer to my posting in the current 3D print thread in Art, philosophy and content.
This is early experimental work in small-scale fused glass relief using 3D printing as part of the forming process.

The largest hexagon is 38mm (1.5") across. The relief varies up to 1mm in height, but can be higher. Resolution limits can be seen in the broken red print on the aventurine green piece.

[Morganica]

Fascinating work. So you're applying powder on top of art glass sheet?

[The Hobbyist]

Impressive!

[Laurie Spray]

loving these!!

[Barry Kaiser]

Very Very cool,

Barry

[Ralph]

So you're applying powder on top of art glass sheet?

At this stage I'm claiming "proprietary information". The processes are still evolving and I'm not sure where it will all lead. I can say I've been working with this and related methods for some years. It's highly unlikely the average fused glass artist would want to try it - far too much bother and frustration, and some expense. I'll keep working for now and see where I can go with it.

Thanks to all, for your encouraging words. I made the work public to get responses from knowledgeable workers in the field.

[Dolores]

Ralph,

Great, great possibilities with this. Keep pushing ahead and be at the lead of this new process.

DOLORES

[Morganica]

So you're applying powder on top of art glass sheet?

At this stage I'm claiming "proprietary information". The processes are still evolving and I'm not sure where it will all lead. I can say I've been working with this and related methods for some years. It's highly unlikely the average fused glass artist would want to try it - far too much bother and frustration, and some expense. I'll keep working for now and see where I can go with it.

Thanks to all, for your encouraging words. I made the work public to get responses from knowledgeable workers in the field.

Absolutely understand. It's fascinating to consider the possibilities, though.

BTW, friend of mine took a class at BeCON in hand-built 3D powder work, from a UK artist and researcher, Steve Royston Brown. It was essentially a silkscreen process that mimicked a low-res 3D printer. If you haven't seen it, you might take a look--possibly it might inform your own research.

http://steveroystonbrown.com/

[Ralph]

Hi Cynthia
I've visited Steve Royston Brown's site thanks to your wonderful blog. His primary orientation seems to be ceramic. My background is experimental ceramics - in early 1980s I started with printing raw clay slab, then jiggering plates from the prints. Followed this with a couple decades of pottery production - guess I used some novel approaches.

I think Steve may be printing clay slabs, then forming from those. Looks that way with the distortions in the designs. He does show one example of relief printed glass, very low resolution but interesting. Always nice to think about how to use newly found qualities in materials.

There's a fabulous example of low-res 3D printing on EvilMadScientist! And Brock's Youtube link (in the 3D print thread in Art, philosophy and content) to the guy fusing sand in the desert. I'm really in tune with maker culture.

Thanks for your interest.