Author: Mary

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Mary’s Pot Melt Tutorial

With many thanks to Laurie Spray (http://bonnydoonfusedglasstools.com/) I have learned something new. I hope my experience can help someone else struggling to get started. The results on my first attempt are just acceptable, not great. But, now I know what I need to change the next time, which will be when I get around to pulling out the saw to cut strips from my broken kiln shelf.

Summary:

  • In my opinion, it’s just a tad too thick. The total weight used was 1345 grams of glass. I should have weighed the crucible first to know how much glass is left, but, there really isn’t all that much.
  • Next time I will try butting the edges of the thin fire (and backing the seam with a shot of MR97 just in case. Where the seam was, there is a significant dent that will need cold working, but that’s ok because the entire edge needs just a bit anyway.
  • The colors are too light. Next time I will omit the 580g of clear in favor of more color when transparents are used, and half the amount if all opalescent is used.

Material used:

Thin fire paper (cut ¼” larger than mold)

12” stainless steel ring mold

10” bubble pot melt crucible

2 stainless steel strips (used here)

2 strips of cut up kiln shelf (will use next time in place of ss strips)

4 kiln stilts

1” wide 1/8” thick fiber paper

Cut a piece of clear to fit snugly in the mold.
Cut a piece of clear to fit snugly in the mold.
Start by cutting the fiber paper to fit the mold with a slight overlap at the seam(s) Place the mold in the kiln on top of the thin fire Add a disk of clear glass cut to fit. Here it was 12” (perfectly fit inside the mold) to start, but I had to grind it down about 1/8 inch to fit the ring with the fiber paper added. Weight of glass 580g.
Start by cutting the fiber paper to fit the mold with a slight overlap at the seam(s)
Place the mold in the kiln on top of the thin fire.
Add a disk of clear glass cut to fit. Here it was 12” (perfectly fit inside the mold) to start, but I had to grind it down about 1/8 inch to fit the ring with the fiber paper added.
Weight of glass 580g.
Next, place kiln posts around outside of the mold and place cut up kiln shelf strips across as shown with the stainless steel. In this first attempt, I used the ss strips, but, the heat combined with the weight bent them, so I won’t be using those anymore. But, they did work.
Next, place kiln posts around outside of the mold and place cut up kiln shelf strips across as shown with the stainless steel.
In this first attempt, I used the ss strips, but, the heat combined with the weight bent them, so I won’t be using those anymore. But, they did work.
Dry run. Make sure that your set up fits properly. In this shot you can see that the clear is already in the mold. Use the end of a tool (screwdriver, paint brush, etc.) to poke through the holes to make sure your support is not under any of the holes at the edge.
Dry run. Make sure that your set-up fits properly. In this shot you can see that the clear is already in the mold.
Use the end of a tool (screwdriver, paint brush, etc.) to poke through the holes to make sure your support is not under any of the holes at the edge.
Put crucible on the scale and zero it so you can weigh the glass.
Put crucible on the scale and zero it so you can weigh the glass.
I wanted to add clear to equal the same weight of the clear base – in this case 580 grams. In the next run, I will skip this step, but if you are using mostly opalescent glass, you might want to add this.
I wanted to add clear to equal the same weight of the clear base – in this case 580 grams.
In the next run, I will skip this step, but if you are using mostly opalescent glass, you might want to add this.
Measure out your color. In this melt I used: 145g – 243 white 145g – 1116 turquoise 145g – 2164 Caribbean Blue, White streaky 145g – 118 periwinkle 70g – 3328 White, Deep Royal Purple streaky 115g – 3116 Clear, Turquoise Blue, White streaky The total of color was 1345grams
Measure out your color.
In this melt I used:
145g – 243 white
145g – 1116 turquoise
145g – 2164 Caribbean Blue, White streaky
145g – 118 periwinkle
70g – 3328 White, Deep Royal Purple streaky
115g – 3116 Clear, Turquoise Blue, White streaky
The total of color was 1345grams
Check in both directions to ensure it’s centered. Remove measuring devices before you close the kiln.
Check in both directions to ensure it’s centered.
Remove measuring devices before you close the kiln.
Check that your crucible is perfectly centered over your mold. Here, I used stainless steel sticks to make sure both sides were equal.
Check that your crucible is perfectly centered over your mold.
Here, I used stainless steel sticks to make sure both sides were equal.
I used Laurie Spray’s firing schedule with my kiln and it worked quite well. The kiln used here is Olympic 2514GFE, with RTC1000 controller. 250 degrees per hour to 1000 with no hold 450 dph to 1680 hold 90 minutes 9999 to 1520 hold 20 minutes 9999 to 900 hold 2 hours 100 to 800 hold 1 hour 50 to 700 hold 30 minutes off
I used Laurie Spray’s firing schedule with my kiln and it worked quite well.
The kiln used here is Olympic 2514GFE, with RTC1000 controller.
250 degrees per hour to 1000 with no hold
450 dph to 1680 hold 90 minutes
9999 to 1520 hold 20 minutes
9999 to 900 hold 2 hours
100 dph to 800 hold 1 hour
50 dph to 700 hold 30 minutes
off
There isn’t much glass left. Notice the tan/gold glass on the top right? I didn’t use any of that color! It had to be a reaction between one of the pinks and one of the turquoise or blues, but it didn’t affect the final product, there is none of that color in the melt. But, use this as a cautionary tale; don’t use glasses that could have a reaction with each other.
There isn’t much glass left. Notice the tan/gold glass on the top right? I didn’t use any of that color! It had to be a reaction between one of the pinks and one of the turquoise or blues, but it didn’t affect the final product, there is none of that color in the melt.
But, use this as a cautionary tale; don’t use glasses that could have a reaction with each other.
Here you see the results of the melt, still in the ring with the crucible removed. Notice that two holes were partially blocked and two had ½” drips. The drips were well rounded at the ends and a long way from detaching. The glass was well settled with no rough spots at all.
Here you see the results of the melt, still in the ring with the crucible removed. Notice that two holes were partially blocked and two had ½” drips. The drips were well rounded at the ends and a long way from detaching.
The glass was well settled with no rough spots at all.
Against white, it’s great. Holding it up to light shows too much clear was used. Next time, I will skip the 580g of clear and make it all color if any transparent glass is used.
Against white, it’s great.
Holding it up to light shows too much clear was used. Next time, I will skip the 580g of clear and make it all color if any transparent glass is used.
The final thickness is 5/16” or just a hair under 8mm.
The final thickness is 5/16” or just a hair under 8mm.
Where did the white go? The only evidence of white is the whispy gray throughout.
Where did the white go? The only evidence of white is the wispy gray throughout.
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Fall 2014 Glass Classes!

GLASS CLASS!!
We will hold Fall Glass Class on the following Sundays:
November 2nd, 9th, 16th 2.00 – 5.00 pm
Space for up to 6 people per class. Please wear comfortable clothing with NO open-toed shoes (yes, there is glass in this class…).
Cost is $60 per person, this will include glass to make 1 glass dish (12″ x 12″ or smaller) and up to 3 small glass ornaments. For larger more elaborate pieces, glass will be charged additionally at cost.
Please send reservation requests to Mary either here on Facebook or to mary@rainpebblesglass.com

UPDATE – November 16th has 2 places left, November 2nd and 9th still have 5 places left.

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Last Glass Class for 2013!

A reminder that our last Glass Class for 2013 is scheduled for this Sunday, December 8th. We have 4 places available. Contact us via Facebook (see Rainpebbles Glass) or by sending an email to mary@rainpebblesglass.com.

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Craft fair fun – trying to beat a frontal storm system (and failing)

We exhibited at UT Arlington yesterday. The fair was supposed to finish at 9pm. All afternoon we had been monitoring the progress of frontal rain and thunderstorms, moving South East slowly from the North and West. As the front moved South East, it was sucking in Gulf Air, a classical meteorological feature of the mid-West which in the Spring and Summer leads to unpleasant events like tornadoes. This time, we saw a steadily deepening line of red on the weather radar. I went for a drive to pick up some lighting bits and pieces at 7pm and saw lightning to the North and West, and an outflow cloud formation ahead of the storm moving slowly South over us. It was only a matter of time before the storm hit us, the main question being, would we make it to 9pm?
The decision was made for us at 7.45pm when the organizers declared an early close. We immediately began to tear down. Unlike many exhibitors, who have a modular rig with a smaller number of exhibits, our set up is more labor intensive, and we bring a lot more stock to an event. It takes us at least 1 hour to break down the whole rig. I wish we could go it quicker, we will look at that this Winter.
We set to work as fast as possible packing up. By 8.35 pm it was starting to rain, and we had a great light show above us. We left the E-Z Up fully configured and broke the displays down and put everything away. By this time, it was raining hard with gusty winds starting to pick up all around us. Normally, in a row of exhibitor tents, there is mutual wind protection, but once enough tents are broken down, that protection diminishes. More of that in a minute.
I set off to get the first car. When I arrived back at the exhibition area, Mary was trying to break down the tent, but then a gust of wind started to move it. We have 200 pounds of custom weights that we use to secure the corners of the tent, but once those are removed as the first part of the break-down, the tent is vulnerable to wind gusts. It took 4 people to hold it down and prevent it from going walkabout, while we loaded the car with the tables, exhibits, chairs and other paraphernalia. Then I moved the first car out of the way and set off to bring up the second car. By the time I got back to our pitch with the second car, it was bucketing down. We loaded remaining clutter into the second car, then, after I consulted the radar and determined that there was no let-up in the rain, we set (I think) a new record for collapsing an E-Z Up and loading it into a car trunk. It’s amazing how fast you can move when you are being rained on. By this time it was really raining hard (the red zone on the radar had hit us), so we set off out of the AT Arlington campus, driving carefully along suddenly-sodden roads. In Texas, a lot of people either fail to slow down or tiptoe along the road as if expecting imminent doom, we saw both behavioral pathologies on the way home.
We made it home, still wet. The cars are being unpacked on Sunday morning, with some stuff being put away for the Winter. Back to cyber-sales…

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The Fall craft fair season is over…

Rainpebbles is now into the Winter selling and crafting season. Remember that Christmas is just around the corner, and Rainpebbles objects make great Christmas gifts for all ages and budgets..visit the Etsy store for ideas. Also, we create custom glass objects, if you see something that you like but want it in a different color, just contact us to start a dailogue.
We have some interesting new ideas in the works for 2014. Keep in touch.

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Glass Class Dates – Fall 2013

We still have vacancies in Fall Glass class as follows:

November 24th    2.00 – 5.00 pm      Vacancies:   3

December 8th      2.00 – 5.00 pm       Vacancies: 4

We can also do classes in the evening in the week by prior arrangement, for people who absolutely cannot get away on the weekend. The cost of Glass Class is $60 per person, which covers the education, glass enhancers (frit, stringers etc.) and two firing cycles. You can buy the glass for the pieces at cost from us, or buy it at Art Glass City in Lewisville (no, we are not getting a percentage…they sell the same specification glass that we use, which is essential for good results).

Please wear close-toed shoes at all Glass Classes. This is just in case a glass mishap occurs. At this time, we have not managed to invent glass that bounces on terra firma instead of breaking.

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Fall Activities at Rainpebbles Glass

We are well into the Fall art fair season here at Rainpebbles…this coming Saturday we will be at Pop Up Market in Fort Worth.

2 Weekends ago we exhibited at the South Street Arts Festival in Arlington. That was the first year of the festival. It was well-organized and we had an excellent position. Here is the view of out stand on the South side of the street on the Sunday:

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Here is the latest collection of pendants on sale at South Street:2013-09-29 12.00.10

The only downside was that it rained very heavily for a while on Saturday afternoon from 2 until 5pm, which caused us a certain degree of amusement, as the back corner of our sales are became a location for the remake of “A River Runs Through It”…

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