Remember this?
It just about broke my heart when that gorgeous piece broke itself.
Scott took it to Bullseye Glass to talk with some of their experts in their resource center and was told that when working with pattern bars and other extra-thick glass, he needed to give it a looooooong soak at the top temperature.
Normally, glass is fused in roughly 10 to 15 minutes at about 1490 degrees F. Bullseye tests its glass to be sure it can handle a maximum of 30 minutes at 1500 degrees, which is typically plenty for the multiple fuses a complicated piece might require.
But the reason this piece hadn't flowed to completely close all the open space in the center was because it needed a lot more time and at a higher temperature.
So Scott put it back in the kiln, this time for an hour at 1525 degrees.
And look what happened!
Isn't it gorgeous?
Like any true artist, Scott likes to try to improve on perfection. So he made a second piece very similar to the first:
And here they are together:
Mind you, they're not quite finished yet. Scott plans to slump them in a sushi mold, which will give them a gentle curve.
Happy Friday! Hope your weekend is a happy one!
It just about broke my heart when that gorgeous piece broke itself.
Scott took it to Bullseye Glass to talk with some of their experts in their resource center and was told that when working with pattern bars and other extra-thick glass, he needed to give it a looooooong soak at the top temperature.
Normally, glass is fused in roughly 10 to 15 minutes at about 1490 degrees F. Bullseye tests its glass to be sure it can handle a maximum of 30 minutes at 1500 degrees, which is typically plenty for the multiple fuses a complicated piece might require.
But the reason this piece hadn't flowed to completely close all the open space in the center was because it needed a lot more time and at a higher temperature.
So Scott put it back in the kiln, this time for an hour at 1525 degrees.
And look what happened!
 |
| If you know exactly where to look, and Scott does, you can find the thin line where the glass broke after its first time out of the kiln. But to the rest of us? It's perfect, with no sign of its fault line. |
Isn't it gorgeous?
Like any true artist, Scott likes to try to improve on perfection. So he made a second piece very similar to the first:
 |
| Can you see the differences? Scott added some aventurine green to the center, and also used more clear glass when he made the blocks of purple. The additional light helps keep the purple from looking black. |
And here they are together:
 |
| The new one is on the left, the original on the right. |
Mind you, they're not quite finished yet. Scott plans to slump them in a sushi mold, which will give them a gentle curve.
Happy Friday! Hope your weekend is a happy one!
I see an analogy to life here. When you feel broke and like you can't take the heat anymore maybe what you need is to jump back in, keep trying and something in that process will be healing. Beautiful glass pieces!
ReplyDeleteLove that analogy, Ellen! I've had thoughts, too, about how the very faint line from the crack was a scar demonstrating survival from tough challenges. And thanks for the kind words, too! :)
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