WarmGlass.com

Hi folks,
I'm new to fusing and working on an interactive glass project. If you recall a child's game of a maze mounted in a box throuh whihc you attempt to navigate a marble around a series of holes by turning two nobs, imagine this with water and glass and copper inclusions.

Since I am using water, I need to make the sides of the maze rather tall so that they channel the water. With the full fuses I have been doing, the edges channel edges are quite rounded and low. I'd like to figure out a way to stack glass about 1/2 inch high, and have it stay about that high after the fuse.

Do you have any suggestions? I've read about a tack fuse, but I am not sure how the schedule should differ from the full fuse schedule I am running now:

1:00 - 500
2:00 - 1175
3:00 - 1175 (hold)
3:01 - 1575 (jump up fast)
3:16 - 1575 (soak for 15 min)
3:17 - 1050 (down as fast as possible)
4:17 - 1050 (hold)
7:17 - 750
9:17 - 500
Off

I appreciate the help!
My best, Turi

Try 1375° to 1400° instead of 1575°. That will give you a tack fuse and will leave your edges sharp.

Tony

How about firing it upside down and using fiber paper to make the water channels?

Hi Els -
That sounds like a great idea! My fusing experience so far is quite limited - I've only fused flat float glass on a standard shelf. I have not used fiber paper before. I think I can picture what you are talking about - and I'd love to try - it seems like it could deliver the sort of organic shapes that I am seeking while still maintaining the deep channels.

Could you give me some pointers on how I might go about doing this? Or do you know of a book or website that might list the salient details?

Best regards, Turi


Hi Tony,
Thank you for the suggestion on fusing temperatures! I'll try that for a tack fuse.

Best regards, Turi

Els has a good idea. You might be able to cut ceramaguard or some similar product to do this.

Steve

When I read this, I got the same idea as Els except making dams with fiber paper and firing right side up. There is an issue either way with annealing as the fiber paper is an insulator. If you did the same thing with plaster/silica inserts, you would still have an annealing challenge only slightly different as the plaster is less insulating and more heat conducting.

Another approach could be to make the maze seperately, using dams, and tack fuse it on like Ron Coleman does his boxes, using a low temp flux to get it to stick at a relatively low temp. Or glue the 2 pieces together.

Hi Bert,
Thanks for the suggestion! I looked up Ron Coleman's work - the Red Treasure is lovely! I may try a number of these ideas. For joining the maze to the base, I'd imagine hxtal would be the adhesive.

Is there a brand name for low temperatre flux that I might search for, or a formula for it's creation?

Thanks! Turi

turi wrote:Hi Bert,
Thanks for the suggestion! I looked up Ron Coleman's work - the Red Treasure is lovely! I may try a number of these ideas. For joining the maze to the base, I'd imagine hxtal would be the adhesive.

Is there a brand name for low temperatre flux that I might search for, or a formula for it's creation?

Thanks! Turi

Turi

I think the simplest no minimum place to get flux is probably Standard Ceramic in Pittsburgh. Ask for their lowest temp flux, probably 1050ºF. 412/276-6333, I think.