I’m so excited! Yesterday I went over to my neighbor’s house to check out his new glass kiln. I have always wanted to work with glass and so I’m pretty pumped that I get to test out this new hobby to see if it’s something I really want to dive into and invest in before taking the plunge and buying a special glass kiln for myself.
And as a bonus, I get to learn how to do this without having to take a group lesson with a ton of people and I can ask a million questions without feeling like a total nut. {I’m all about the rapid fire questions, and people who know their stuff and who can answer quickly without having to go on and on about something to get to the answer.}
I don’t know a whole lot about glass kilns, but I do know they are different from a kiln that is used for pottery. For starters, the elements are on the lid of the kiln as opposed to around the sides of a kiln that is used for pottery. This means that when you fire {fuse} your glass pieces together, all the pieces sit on ONE shelf {as opposed to several shelves stacked with pottery}.
One of the features that I think is pretty cool about the glass kiln is that for just a little more {$70} you can get a little window installed in the side of your kiln so you can keep an eye on your work as the kiln is firing.
My neighbor bought a Paragon glass fusing kiln.
After all the extras that he bought to go with the kiln {furniture kit, having a window installed, special timer thing, having the kiln on a roller rack {{which was super smart if you ask me}} and probably some other stuff I forgot} he said the total cost was around $1395 for the whole kit and caboodle.
Next comes the fun part. Ordering glass! I told him the things I wanted to make {swizzle sticks, ornaments etc.} and to order me $100 worth of assorted art glass {because I have NO clue what I need}. The way I see it, I’d probably be paying way more than $100 take a glass fusing class in a group setting. So buying some supplies we can share, seemed pretty much like a no brainier to me.
Check out these funky glass handles he made.
And this little dish for holding trinkets. Isn’t it cool? I AM SO EXCITED!!! Discovering new hobbies is the best. Especially when you have someone to experiment with and all the supplies {mess} are at their place. Wahooo!
Hopefully by this time next week I’ll have something I made to show you.
Have a great weekend everyone, try and stay out of trouble.
Peace Out,
~Mavis
Juliet says
I am in love with those utensil handles! It looks like you both are going to have a lot of fun. And I totally agree that it is so nice when the mess (I mean equipment) is at someone else’s house.
Martine says
I am keen to hear how you like this. Its something I’ve been keen to try too and had been about to join a class just before lockdown 🙁 Who knows when I’ll get the chance to try it now so I’ll enjoy seeing what you do. Have fun. x
Kim says
I think you’re going to love it! I purchased a used paragon a few years ago and absolutely love glass fusing. Watch out-it’s addictive! 🙂
Randini says
that looks like a fun winter hobby!
You should make custom pop-sockets (you know those things that go on you cell phone case to help you hold your phone)
Angela D. says
This looks like so much fun! Thanks for sharing…..I know nothing at all about glass fusing, and I’m looking
forward to future posts about your experience.
Lace Faerie says
Oh! That knife and spoon handles are gorgeous! What a great hostess gift those would be.
All the mess at their house….cracks me up! LOL
A quilt guild member I know used to make fused glass beads and buttons. She sells the smaller beads for $2 each! I hope you enjoy the work and can add it to your etsy shop!
Marie says
Yes! you can fuse glass in a pottery kiln! “Special timer thing” is the key to fusing.
Indio says
What temp do you fire glass at? My guess is that it’s lower than pottery kiln and shorter duration. Not sure what cone clay Mavis is using but it might be 6. Probably can’t fire glass and clay at same time.
De says
Glass is slumped at 1450° F. Then dropped and held at 900° F, to aneal the glass.
You cannot fire them together.
Pauletta says
I have taken fusing classes and they are so much fun but my main love is what’s called cold glass work or stain glass. I have been doing this for about eight years now and love it. You are going to have so much fun.
Leslie says
A couple years ago, our city’s botanical garden had an art glass exhibit made with kiln-fused glass: https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/fantasy-flora-new-glass-exhibit-comes-to-missouri-botanical-garden/article_61f229a4-d4fc-586b-a2a4-7b1d13f52c72.html
AJ says
Looks like a great hobby. How do you attach the glass to the silverware?