First Combing Attempts

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Karen Laing
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:45 pm
Location: Lansdowne, ON

First Combing Attempts

Post by Karen Laing »

http://groups.msn.com/Arcticlassglassph ... list=2[url]

I would really appreciate your feedback, critique of what I did in my first combing attempts.

I used BBQ fork method of combing in both my hotbox and aim kilns.
I got carried away with twisting and turning and got by fork stuck and couldn't get it to break.
I used both Brad and Patty's instructions.
1st combing with Brad's the others had Patty's and the layer of clear underneath.
I really like blue sea my 3rd one. I have one final one all ready to go, but wished to get feeback first.

It was fun. What about bubbles that remain on the surface, what should I do. I did try and soak for an hour and then annealed for an hour.

How would you finish these, or are they worthy of finishing? Thanks in advance, Karen :) [/url]
Karen Laing aka arcticlass
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Amy on Salt Spring
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Post by Amy on Salt Spring »

I agree bluesea is the best--really beautiful colors. I would definitely finish it. Thanks for showing it!
Amy
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Tony Smith
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Post by Tony Smith »

Nice job with the combings. More practice will help you get your barbecue fork out before it gets hot enough to stick. While it's easy to get carried away, you need to carry the image of the broken piece in your head while you're combing... it'll keep you from overdoing it.

Consider putting a border around it of a solid color, slumping it into a bpwl or plate and displaying it in a window where the light can get behind it.

Tony
http://www.amsmith.com/bowls/goldcombedbowl2.jpg
The tightrope between being strange and being creative is too narrow to walk without occasionally landing on both sides..." Scott Berkun
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Kim Bellis
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Post by Kim Bellis »

Karen:
I really like the yellow and the blue sea. I have yet to try combing.
Can't wait to see the next one
Kim
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Kim Bellis
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Post by Kim Bellis »

Tony: Beautiful bowl!!
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Karen Laing
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Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:45 pm
Location: Lansdowne, ON

Thanks for the feedback

Post by Karen Laing »

Thanks guys. I just took the broken one out of the kiln after having brought it back up to 1500 and holding. It is together and you can see the "seam"on the back side. I will keep it out as Tony suggests and it will remind me of what happens when I overdo it.

Once my big kiln comes in the end of the month I will be able to put a rim around it. At the moment the aim and hotbox won't allow that. Will post later!!

Muchos gracias!!! kl
Karen Laing aka arcticlass
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Karen Laing
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Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:45 pm
Location: Lansdowne, ON

Post by Karen Laing »

And Tony i forgot to add your bowl is beautiful and really unusual. Picks up the colours nicely and looks really cool. I really like it. kl
Karen Laing aka arcticlass
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Goldfinger
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articlass

Post by Goldfinger »

Karen: It's a fantastic piece. Just out of curiousity- how long have you been working with glass?

Steve
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Karen Laing
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Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:45 pm
Location: Lansdowne, ON

Post by Karen Laing »

Thanks for the feedback. I have only been working in fused glass since June but in stained glass for several years. kl
Karen Laing aka arcticlass
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Judy Schnabel
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Post by Judy Schnabel »

Karen,

Just took a look at your first attempt at combing and I'm impressed.

Question: Do you layer the glasss flat or layer slices on their sides. I have Brad's book and looked at the picture. It looks as though there's solid red at the top and bottom with stripes of some sort in the middle. I guess I'm wondering if you have several layers of different colors and then you comb through those?

I just made my first set of pattern bars a couple of days ago but haven't sliced them yet.

I still want to try combing -- even if it's in my tiny kiln for starters.

Judy
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Karen Laing
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:45 pm
Location: Lansdowne, ON

Post by Karen Laing »

The strips of glass are layered on their side. I did on blue sea put small dabs of glue to hold them together since in my second attempt the first one fell over.

I layered the glass with combinations of clear, opaque and solid colours and just tried to do different combinations that I thought would work.

I have just got my 4th one cooling I did it in the hotbox and again it flowed over the edge. I think I prefer the Aim kiln for it, just a bigger size. I also found that with the layer of glass underneath that it moved whereas without it as per Brad's instructions it didn't.

I took it slower this time and it worked better. I will add my photo tomorrow to the website.

Look forward to seeing the picture of yours. I am going to be trying pattern bars shortly. But must finish my maglesses first.........

Good luck. thanks again for the feedback, kl
Karen Laing aka arcticlass
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Judy Schnabel
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Post by Judy Schnabel »

Thanks, Karen.

This will be a start for me.

Judy
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Judy Schnabel
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Post by Judy Schnabel »

I spent yesterday experimenting with things I've always wanted to do but never had the time.

First I tried the combing in my RapidFire kiln. I used the bbq fork also and was pleased with the results. In fact, I was so thrilled I immediately set up a bunch of little strips of glass to put into my larger kiln. Big mistake and poor planning.

My glass was firing perfectly until 1700 when I opened the kiln. (This is a kiln that I had the manufacturer make deeper for me so I could make taller vases. Just raising the lid actually turned my one arm red. I had a welder's glove on the other hand and was ready to reach into the kiln but the extreme heat of just lifting the lid stopped me. Actually the final result, without combing, wasn't too bad.

Judy
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Karen Laing
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Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:45 pm
Location: Lansdowne, ON

Post by Karen Laing »

Judy,
Your right too deep would cause a real problem. Are you going to post your first one. Looking forward to seeing it, as well as the other. kl
Karen Laing aka arcticlass
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Judy Schnabel
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Post by Judy Schnabel »

I'll post the pictures later today.

I volunteer at our local art guild today from 1 - 4 so I didn't have time before my stint at the guild.

I did another one this morning and will post that picture also.

They are much easier and fun to do in my small RapidFire.

Judy
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Suzan
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Post by Suzan »

Judy Schnabel wrote: My glass was firing perfectly until 1700 when I opened the kiln. (This is a kiln that I had the manufacturer make deeper for me so I could make taller vases. Just raising the lid actually turned my one arm red. I had a welder's glove on the other hand and was ready to reach into the kiln but the extreme heat of just lifting the lid stopped me. Actually the final result, without combing, wasn't too bad.

Judy
You want to do combing with the shelf raised as high as possible in the kiln so that you're working at a shallow angle, rather than deep into the kiln.

Another thing to do is to arrange it so that the kiln lid is raised only as high as required to do the combing. I have a winch setup with steel cable that goes through a pulley suspended from a joist in the ceiling; at the other end of the steel cable is a hook which hooks into handle of the lid. I measure out the length so that lid is hanging at the right level, and lock the winch. The winch isn't even necessary. A pre-measured piece of steel cable suspended from the ceiling will accomplish the same thing.

Finally, you need more protective gear to do combing including a plastic face mask like the kind worn by woodworkers to avoid flying bits of wood, protective glasses (welder's, didymium), high heat gloves and long sleeved clothing, natural fibers only. No bare skin should be exposed at all.

Cheers,
Suzan
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Karen Laing
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Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:45 pm
Location: Lansdowne, ON

Post by Karen Laing »

Great advice on raising the shelf. I wasn't sure how I was going to manage it in my big kiln when it arrives. The cable suggestion is excellent. Thanks, kl

p.s. I really like your combed piece with the dark rim.
Karen Laing aka arcticlass
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Judy Schnabel
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Post by Judy Schnabel »

OK, Gang.

Please no laughing.

I posted my three attempts at http://www.picturetrail.com/judyfla

Go to the album entitled "combings."

Actually, I'm not too disappointed with my first attempts. Two of the pieces #1 & #2 have quite a bit of discoloration/devit but I'll cover those areas with Super Spray.

Take a look. Don't be too hard on me but I do want constructive criticism.
Take time to read my narratives.

Judy
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Karen Laing
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:45 pm
Location: Lansdowne, ON

Post by Karen Laing »

I like them. I love the third one. Your second one looks like a huge marble, the green colour in the middle is really cool.

Way to go. :)



Your comments are right. You do have to only do one at a time or else they stick. I also haven't bent my fork prongs either. I looked in the archives and I think I will see if I can get some of the recommended stainless steel from Home Depot or Rona.

I showed my combings to the woman who exhibits my stuff at her gallery. Last year all my work was done by consignment, today I got a healthy initial order from her and will also have some of my bigger stained glass and (bigger bowls) once they are done on consignment.

Yours will look neat with rims. I actually just laid mine up on some stands to show her when she came to the studio today which she liked as well. Will get around to taking a picture!!
Karen Laing aka arcticlass
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Judy Schnabel
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Post by Judy Schnabel »

Karen,

So you agree to take only one pass at a time and try to either bend the prongs on the fork or better I think I might get one of those hooks which Brad shows in his book.

I was disappointed in that not all of the colors were pulled through.

I've already got two more set up to do tomorrow.

Thanks for your advice.

Judy
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