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I want to make panels for my full sidelights at front door entry. My plan is to use 1/2" lead H came for the frame. Will renforcemet flat 1/8" bar be sufficent if placed at thirds? The finished panel will be 12 x 78 inches. The longest 1/2 inch H came I can find is 72 inches long. Should I divide the came in thirds along the long side of the panel as well so the points where the came frame is soldered is where reinforcement will be placed?

@DelphiHelper (oops on 1st reply!) I actually went ahead & tried it (I'm so impatient when I get an idea) and it turned out beautifully. I used the rake I had purchased from Delphi, and followed various instructions I had found online. While none of them discussed using molds specifically, I followed the rule of ensuring several coats of kiln wash, and I made sure not to rake too deep. Also kept my intrusion quick then flash vented to 1200 before ramping down to anneal. Thanks!

@DelphiHelper

@leesmom, First, bubbles occur whenever air gets trapped between the pieces of glass; usually air is trapped because the edges of the glass melt together before the middle does; leaving no place for air to escape. As far as your dichroic glass turning brown, that is likely a temperature control problem and it is difficult to address using a microwave kiln, but sometimes when the glass gets too hot, the dichro coating can burn off or ash which creates that muddy look you are referring too. Lastly, the problem with cracks: if the edges of the cracks are sharp then your piece cracked while it was cooling and that happens for one of two reasons: either your glass is incompatible (doesn t have the same COE) or it was cooled too quickly-thermal shock. If the cracks have smooth edges, it cracked during the first part of the firing process and likely the culprit is trapped air or incompatible glass. Hope that helped :)

@mparent123, I wouldn't recommend this, not so much because the mold can t take the heat but because whatever glass barrier you are using will breakdown at high temperatures causing your glass to stick to the mold. If it does survive once you start combing you will drag the kiln wash through the glass which will create streaks.

Does anyone know how hot you can fire a casting mold? I'm thinking about trying combing in a mold, but I'm concerned about how hot I have to go for the combing... I don't want to damage the mold.

can you please help me i recentyl put a piece of green/gold/circle dirhoric glass between 2 pieces of clear glass green/gold glass turned in to a brown blob and there were little air bubbles all over while cooling my kiln made some popping noises and when it cooled down i notices 3 cracks in the top portion i have had it for about a year and have never had this problem befored what did i do wrong

@idylwood ido the same i use restickable glue stick and my patterns are made from mylar and hold on to lamp forms very nice plus the cost is not much more to use a see thru mylar which is very low cost because the pattern can be used repeatedly is desired

i have been working in stained glass for 35 years and have used both types of cutters i find the pencil type to be far better for intricate cuts.

I use an Elmer's craft bond gluestick to secure pattern pieces to my glass. Let dry a few minutes. The pattern pieces remain in place through sawing and grinding. The advantage is that you can cut and grind up to the edge of the pattern easily if a thicker paper is used. The pattern pieces remove easily by soaking finished pieces in warm soapy water for a few minutes. This process has really sped up my timeline for making projects. This is a hint I learned from another glass craftsman.