How do I
choose a glass kiln?
Glass fires at a fairly low
temperature (1400-1700 degrees), so just about all of our kilns will fire
glass to some degree. But some are more specialized for specific
processes. You can use a pyrometer, but it is much easier to use a
kiln with an electronic controller. (You don't want one of the
models that uses a kiln sitter.) See
our most popular glass kilns
Can I fire glass in my ceramic kiln?
You can easily fire small pieces in a
ceramic kiln. As you try to fuse larger pieces, such as plates and
bowls, it becomes much easier when you have a lid element. All
larger glass kilns have lid elements. Some newer kilns are designed
for both ceramics and glass and have lid elements. Read
More
What can I
make?
Many people start with small items
such as jewelry, while they learn the techniques. Other commonly
made items include glass tiles (fusing), plates, bowls, and vases (fusing
and slumping), and glass beads (done with a flame but annealed in a
kiln.)
Fusing is the melting together of
different pieces of glass. Slumping is taking that glass and forming
it into a shape using a mold. Casting is another area that can be
simple (adding small glass chunks into a mold) or complex and very
artistic (such as creating a sculpture out of clay, then creating a glass
sculpture from it.)
How do I learn to do this?
An easy way to start is by buying one
of our glass kits. Some even come with project instructions.
We also sell some great books that walk you step by step through the
process of making cool projects, and in the process teach you what you
need to know about working with glass. These include Introduction
to Glass Fusing, and the follow on book once you've mastered that: Fuse-It.
Other books cover different techniques
such as making beads and casting, but these two are excellent for
beginners.
How much do
I have to spend?
You can get a very nice set up
for under $1000, including a kiln with electronic controller, glass and
other supplies.
Slumping
Wine Bottles
It has become very popular to
slump wine bottles for bowls or cutting boards. Sometimes people
paint them first with glass pigments.
You can slump them on a shelf to make them flat, or use a mold
to get a curved shape. Almost any kiln can be used to do this, but
if that is your main purpose the Olympic
Front Load Glass Kilns such as the 1823FL are great because of their
rectangular shape and relatively low cost. We have some instructions
for slumping wine bottles.
