Building Blocks

Frit Glass

Particles of glass. Available in Powder, Fine, Medium or Coarse.

Must be of the same type (compatible) as the sheet glass used in the project, otherwise stresses within the work will occur as it expands and contracts in the kiln.

Samples of Material for Inclusion

Gold Leaf, Copper Leaf, Copper Strip & Fibreglass Strands

An inclusion can be fused between the glass to add richness and texture, often altering the smoothness of the outer surface. It must be kept fine otherwise interference with the expansion and contraction of the glass during the kiln forming process will cause the glass to crack.

Enamels - Finely Ground Glass Particles

Pre-mixed high fire enamels can be fired to the full fuse temperature, commonly applied with a brush.

Powdered enamels can be mixed with water or other mediums, or sifted and scattered dry on or between sheets of glass. Different fusing temperatures produce different results.

Pattern Bars

Strips of compatible glass are assembled and fused to form a solid bar. An infinite number of designs are possible!

These are then sawn into sections and incorporated into the overall design, or become a new design in their own right.

Pot Melt or Aperture Pour

Chunks or strips of compatible glass are melted in the kiln (at a very high temperature) in a crucible or raised pot, for example a terracotta flowerpot, with an opening in the base.   As it liquefies the glass is collected underneath in a container or allowed to pour freeform onto a kiln-washed shelf. The pot must be able to withstand the heat during this process. Sliced portions of the melt can then be incorporated into the work, or become a new design.

Pre-Fired Elements

These can include slices from a pot melt, broken fragments form other works, pattern bar slices, kiln-formed marbles, beads, and any other form of pre-fired compatible glass.

Stringers

These are very fine strips of glass. They can be purchased as ready-mades, or can be “pulled” between a pair of pliers over the heat from a propane torch, for example. Once made, they are fine enough to melt over the flame of a candle.

Glass nuggets

Used for filling and melting into moulds to make a solid kiln cast piece of work.