Playing with fire

Sometimes making glass can be hot!

While playing with hot glass is typical with “hot” glass, it isn’t the norm when it comes to kiln formed glass. Typically, as an artist, we will form the glass and place it in the kiln. While the kiln will get up to 1400-1500 degrees, we typically don’t open the kiln until it is under 100 degrees.

This process is nothing like that. The purpose of this technique is to thermal shock the glass and make small “frit” to use as components in other art pieces.

I took layers of sheet glass and brought them up to 1300 degrees. Hot enough to stick together, but not hot enough to make the glass flow. Once it is up to temperature, my husband opens the kiln for me, and I remove the glass and place it in a bucket of water. Well, as you can imagine, the glass cools so fast it breaks apart.

The other part of this is that the water immediately starts to boil. I usually wait until the next day to finish the process. But the results of this are gorgeous. See below.

Now on to making a few ornaments.