The Delphi Blog

If you have a kiln, you need kiln wash to serve as a protective layer between whatever you’re firing up in the kiln and the kiln shelves. It helps to prevent glaze from sticking to your shelves, and keep your art from sticking too. At Delphi Glass, we have kiln wash to help keep you and your kiln happy. If you’re new to glass art and haven’t used your kiln much yet, you might be wondering how and when to use kiln wash though.   Firstly, you’ll need to choose the right kiln wash for your needs. They’re made with high melting points but you’ll want to adjust the formula based on the temperatures you’ll be firing at. When in doubt, a higher temperature formula will always serve your needs and prevent problems.   Because kiln shelves are usually made of ceramic, melted glaze spilling, spitting or tipping over onto your shelf can be a disaster. That’s where kiln wash comes in, to help protect against unforeseen circumstances and stop messes before they start. Mixing it up, it should have a watery consistency, a bit like milk. Apply it in several thinly-layered coats and let it dry completely between each ap

Even the savviest glass artist will often find random bits of lead came around their studio. Some can be used in new glass art pieces but others are simply unusable. When you have unwanted scrap came, there comes a time when you’ve got to dispose of it.   But lead is a heavy metal. Throwing it into your garbage can create a dangerous situation. In certain exposure levels, lead can be poisonous to people and animals too. Lead poisoning can lead to severe symptoms that damage the nervous system and even cause blood or brain disorders.   If this sounds scary, that’s because it is. So many people throw old batteries and other items into their trash without a second thought. At Delphi Glass, we urge you to do the responsible thing for lead came scraps and dispose of them properly, not just for your health but also for the health of others around you.   When lead came makes its way to your local landfill, it can penetrate the ground and into groundwater, tainting the water supply. Without responsible disposal, lead poisoning can affect countless people through the water supply. Flint, Michigan is just one example of a place in our

You probably already know that Delphi Glass has an amazing selection of glass to buy for your glass art projects. From stained glass to mosaics to fused glass and beyond, you’ll find everything you need here.   But sometimes, your projects will require specific colors, transparencies and thicknesses. Or perhaps you’re just brand loyal and want to buy glass manufactured by Bullseye, Spectrum, Van Gogh, or others. Whatever the case, you can minimize your sleuthing for just the right glass by using the Delphi Glass Glass Finder Tool .   The dropdown menu selections make it easy to choose exactly what you want so you can place your order faster. Find your fusing COE in seconds. New to glass art and not sure what that means? It’s the Coefficient of Expansion that measures the rate of how that glass will expand and contract when it is heated or cooled. You need to make sure your glass is compatible if you’re fusing it together. The main COEs for fusible glass are 90 and 96, but whichever you choose to work with, Delphi Glass offers an incredible selection of colors to work with. Newer glass fusing artists will do best with 96. As al

When creating stained glass art, the size and type of foil can be tricky. For newcomers to this type of glass art, many questions arise as to which copper foil is the right one to use. Fortunately, Delphi Glass has some handy tips to help you make the right choice every time.   1. Foil width You might be inclined to select foil that creates skinny lines, however they are not as strong. That’s because you can’t apply as much solder. For most projects, you’ll find 7/32” copper foil will be suitable, however if you vary the width of the foil it will add more depth. If you’re using thicker glass, 1/4" foil will create a seam of normal width. But if you want special effects, take a razor knife and trim the copper foil after you apply it to the glass. Creating distance in your piece can be done by making the foil lines thinner in a gradual way. For that, you’ll want 3/16” or 5/32” copper foil used sparingly to add these touches of details. So long as you’re not using thinner bits of solder lines on the entire project, it will stay strong.   2. Foil thickness Foil is measured in mils. T

For many beginners, getting into glass fusing can be a little intimidating, especially if you’re completely new to any kind of glass art. But fusing glass as a way to express your creativity is a fantastic outlet. It’s one you’ll really enjoy and really surprise yourself with once you give it a try.   Here are some simple tips for glass fusing for the first time.   1. Just go with it So you’ve never fired glass before. No big deal. There are lots of firsts in our lives. Don’t expect the first thing you create to be the world’s next greatest masterpiece. Just let it happen and you’ll get a feel for the craft.   2. Start simple This is not the time to pick some ornate design to create. Stick with a simple and small-sized piece. Once you get the hang of glass fusing, you can make anything you dream up into a glass art reality.   3. Prepare your kiln Glass fusing requires a kiln, and Delphi has a great selection of kilns . Before you begin, you’ve got to get your kiln and shelves ready with kiln wash. You need to run the kiln empty once to burn off any resi

Now that we’re into the New Year, perhaps you’ve made a few resolutions regarding your glass art. Maybe you’ve vowed to learn a new technique or delve deeper into the glass art of your choice. Whatever the case may be, Delphi has many classes scheduled for this year and you can be a part of them!   Not sure how to sign up for a class at Delphi? Just click here to get right to our classes home page . Once there, you can browse classes by craft. There are classes for stained glass , mosaics , fusing , jewelry and flameworking . In this section, you can also look up special store events to see what’s happening at Delphi or you can choose to search by guest instructor if there’s an artist you’d most like to have the chance to learn from.   One of the best tools is the class calendar . It gives you an overview of what classes are coming up soon. You can also use the calendar on the left side of the page to select a month and date. Once you find a class you want to join, simply click on it. It will give you all the information you need for taking the class including the dates and times, the cost, and what mate

At Delphi, we often get messages on Facebook and through customer service about package tracking. We’re always so happy to help assist you, though we hope this little tip will help you find the package you’re looking for.   It’s very easy to locate your package using our Order Tracker. To find it, you can look at the bottom of our home page, where it says Track Your Order . Once you click on that, it will ask you to fill in your order number or your confirmation number. Next, simply click the button to the right of it that says “get tracking.”   You also have the option of viewing a list of your orders placed online. However you choose to use the Order Tracker feature, it should help you to determine when your packages will arrive.   What if there’s a problem or your number is not found? If you run into any problems at all, you can visit our Customer Service page. There you can find more information including how to contact us . There’s a quick answer reference there too where you can check to see if there’s an easy answer to your question.   If you don’t find what you’re looking for

Kaleidoscopes are a fun tool to use to enjoy optical illusions. With some mirrors, glass and colorful tidbits, you can create your own kaleidoscope that takes you to a world of beautiful images thanks to the items inside of it rotating along with the light coming in from the opposite end. The result is magical and can awe both children and adults.   Glass kaleidoscopes are particularly beautiful. They often look impressive on the outside as well. Magic on the inside and out, glass kaleidoscopes are an ideal summer stained glass project. Here’s how to make one of your own!   In addition to all your glass cutting tools, you’ll need: clear glass colored glass in the colors of your choosing copper foil brass rod solder (to use in your soldering iron) flux mirror kit disc kit faceted beads decorative copper or brass elements for adornments and leg supports patina solution felt circles Instructions: 1. First, line up your colored glass with your straightedge to make three strips that are 1x8 inches and mark them with a permanent marker.   2. Score the marked lines using your glass cutter, mak

Saws are great for cutting glass, but sometimes, it’s a more precise cut we need for an obscurely-shaped piece. When you want to make circles with glass or cut out unusual shapes for your stained glass project, what should you use?   Many glass artists loathe cutting circles because it is so difficult to make it just right. Fortunately, you don’t need to scrap any glass project that contains circles anymore because the Silberschnitt Pro Circle Cutter is just what you need.   This German-engineered product uses a strong suction cup to hold onto the glass. You’ll need to make sure the glass is stationary on your cutting area so that it doesn’t move. Then you can set the Silberschnitt Pro Circle Cutter to the width of your desires.   To make that perfect circle, you’ll need to apply continuous pressure as you cut. The 6-wheel cutting turret is designed to make flawless scores. You can avoid dullness by rotating the wheels. The cutting ruler on the Silberschnitt Pro Circle Cutter can measure in inches and centimeters too. It’s ideal for any project that requires circles in sizes of 2 ½ inches on up to 24 inches in di

The art of assembling small fragments of glass, stone and other materials to form a larger image is known as mosaics. What is much less known is that this practice is about 4,000 years old or so. Some of the most famous pieces of the world’s artistic history were mosaics, like this Roman piece found in Turkey of a gypsy girl, estimated to be from the 2nd Century CE. If you’re looking to make your own bigger picture, you’ll need to choose your mosaic pattern and round up your mosaic supplies, which will include making sure you have enough mosaic tiles to get the job done. That might seem obvious, but if you’re new to the artful world of mosaics, here are some little tips that will help you create a mosaic you’ll be able to brag about:   1. Start small and simple Don’t even think about trying to tackle a mosaic wall or flooring project first! Start with something small and simple so you can get your technique worked out. Coasters or picture frames make for great practice mosaic projects!   2. Get sketchy Choose a mosaic template you like from an image you find in a book, online or even from a photo you’ve

Frit Molds are becoming increasingly more popular, especially with all the new styles of jewelry molds coming out. Getting a beautiful finished project can be tricky at times. Issue #1: Glass tends to stick; and create sharp daggers on the sides of the glass project. This can happen when the glass separator is getting thin or worn away. Boron Nitride MR-97 is the answer. It is a versatile product that can also be used on stainless steel molds as well. Think of it like teflon on your frying pan. It will not allow the glass to stick to the mold. Projects pop right out and are ready to wear. You do have to follow the instructions and reapply as directed. Watch a video on how to use Boron Nitride MR-97. However if you do get spurs on the sides of your project, simply use a wet hand sanding pad to clean up the edges. Issue#2: The frit is trapping a lot of air bubbles that you can see in the finished project. Thats frit for you. Air bubbles will happen, however if you change the soak or hold time based on the size frit you used, you may have better luck. For example, if the mold calls for a 10-minute hold for fine frit, then it might be 25-3