GLASS TECHNIQUES 

Hot Glass

Blown glass

The warm and liquid glass is "gathered" with a blowpipe in a melting furnace.   The glass at the end of the pipe is formed with the aid of wood or metal tool, and then blown out.

The glass is worked at a temperature ranging from 1100 to 1200 ° C.

In sand casting (Sand casting)

Sand-casting is a simple technique, which is pouring the molten glass in a mold in the sand.  With the exception of the furnace,  the tools, and equipment  are very simple. A temperature of 1250 ° C, or even beyond gives excellent detail. The artistic possibilities are enormous.

Lampworking

Working with the Crystal of borosilicate glass and a table burner , offers many technical possibilities. In front of  the flame by using colored rods  can "spinning " techniques, one can create sculptures, figures or jewelry.

With tubes, on produces laboratory glassware or neon.

Glass in de oven

Pâte de verre

Pâte de verre, uses small parts of glass either crushed or grounded into powder.  With the use of a binding component, these parts are glued together and formed into a mold.   The molds are placed into a furnace. The mold is put into a furnace at a temperature of 800°c .  The glass is ‘glued’ together ant beautiful, fragile glass objects are created

Kiln Casting

The glass is poured into a container (usually a clay pot). This container is placed on a refractory plaster mold. Once the oven door is closed, the content temperature is controlled by a timer. This process takes several days depending on the thickness of the pieces.  The glass becomes liquid and will fill the plaster mold.  After a cooling down, the plaster is removed and a glasobject has been formed. 

Fusing

Several pieces of glass are placed  in a furnace, initially cold, then heated to 650 °. At this stage, the glass pieces become almost smoth and will stick together. 

Slumping

Slumping  is a similar technique to fusing.  When slumping pieces of glass are placed in on a mold in a furnace.  The furnace is than put at 700°c, the glass will almost become fluid and under the influence of gravity, the glass plate is deformed  into the desired effect.  A mecanic action with air (blow or suck), could also give a shape to the warm glass.

Cold glass

Finish

There are generally several steps that can be offered under finishing of glass objects

• Glass cutting

• Sanding

• Polishing

• Assembly (glue)

Cutting & Engraving

Diamond or stone wheels size is done using vertical lathes equipped with tools for "cutting", and "engraving" is done using diamond cutters for Dremel etc.

Leadlight

Leaded light  is a process that consists of assembling different parts of flat, colored glass.  The designer makes a drawing and cuts the different pieces out of flat glass.  These pieces are embedded into  sticks of lead or copper. 

Sandblasting

Sanding is obtained by high pressure sandblasting (jet of compressed air) on a glass object. The impact results in a matte or satin finish of a glass object.  This technique can be used to write and draw patterns on the glass and the drilling and cutting it.

The list is not exhaustive, there are many other techniques. If you know others would like to see these published, please feel free to write us: info@verribelglass.be