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@ Creating glass art that incorporates more than one technique is a fantastic way to add unique design elements. Most often, you will find fused glass pieces included in a stained glass or mosaic project, but it is possible to include mosaic elements in your stained glass as well. Typically this is achieved by assembling your stained glass panel, then adding glass on glass mosaic design. A completed mosaic project would be challenging to incorporate into stained glass as it would be thick, and the adhesive and grout may not hold up well during soldering. Instead of assembling a mosaic into a stained glass panel, perhaps you could create a custom frame that would allow you to insert stained glass as a border.

Hello. I did my first firing the other day. It am definitely hooked. I see some cracks in my piece and am guessing that came from the annealing stage ( coe 90 glass) I used some Van Gogh tiles in my piece, in silver and Purple, but all the color is gone. Did I fire too hot? Please help.

@ If you have used a solder that contains lead (such as 60/40 or 50/50) you can use Studio Pro Copper Patina or Novacan Super Brite Copper Patina to get rich, copper color solder lines. It is important to use a flux remover and to clean the solder lines well before applying patina. The Patina Buddy is a brass scrubbing tool that works well when you are cleaning, and will help you to get the most consistent finish possible.

@ When slumping glass that has already been fired to create a 1/2" thick slab of 12" diameter, it will be very important to slow the ramp rate and include soak time on the ramp up to avoid thermal shock. The following is in degrees Fahrenheit. Try a schedule of ramp rate 150/hour to 1000 degrees, soak 30 minutes. 150/hour to process temperature (about 1275), soak 15 minutes. 999/hour to 900 degrees, soak 2-3 hours. 300/hour to 700 degrees then shut down and allow to cool fully to room temperature before removing the project from the kiln.

@ Fiber rope, much like most fiber products for fusing can be reused only in instances when you are able to remove the glass from the fiber without disturbing the fiber product. Unfortunately, for most applications of fiber rope this makes it a single use item as the process of pulling it from between layers of glass will cause it to break apart.

@ While there is no absolute rule based on the project size, our experts would generally suggest using a zinc came border. This can be bent to match your pattern using a came bender tool, and it may take several passes through the tool to achieve the correct diameter curve without folding, crimping or buckling. In addition to using a rigid metal came, it would be a good idea to use a single piece of rebar run horizontally at the center of a panel this size. If that cannot be accommodated based on the intended installation you could opt to use reinforcing strip between pieces, but it would make assembly a bit more complicated as it needs to be run as a continuous strip from edge to edge.

@ The exact approach you take to reinforcing the panel will depend on the design as well as how you plan to install it. Using reinforcing strip, run continuously across the shorter dimension of the project (between glass pieces) in a few places often is sufficient. Alternately you could use rebar spanning the shorter dimension in 2 places (splitting the panel roughly into thirds visually) is another way to add considerable strength. For either option, I would encourage you to consider using a rigid came border around the panel and install it into the door using appropriate trim to secure your art.

@nancyknuckey There are several reasons that air can be trapped and form a bubble in the center of your project. The most common is that the glass is being heated unevenly and the edges are becoming soft and sealing shut before the center softens. To help alleviate this, you can reduce the rate your kiln is heating at and add a "bubble squeeze" segment to your firing schedule. Another tactic some artist find useful is to position little chips of clear fusible glass (compatible with the project) at intervals around the outside edge to act like tent poles, creating a tiny gap on either side for air to escape during firing.

I am getting trapped air in the middle of the saucer/coaster mold. I am using 2 layered fully fused glass. Should I drill a hole in the middle?

thank you