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Warm Glass techniques such as slumping, casting and fusing, using the high temperatures in a kiln to shape the glass. Different types of glass CEO’s are used in our applications.
Courses in these techniques are also available, please contact us for more information.
Slumping is a technique in which items are made in a kiln by means of shaping glass over molds at high temperatures. Slumping glass is a highly technical operation that is subject to many variations, both controlled and uncontrolled. When an item is being slumped in a kiln, the mold over which it is being formed (which can be made of either ceramic, sand or metal) must be coated with a release agent that will stop the molten glass from sticking to the mold. The glass is cut to the shape of the mold (but slightly larger to allow for shrinkage) and placed on top of it, before the kiln is heated. The stages of the firing can be varied but typically start to climb at quite a rapid rate until the heat places the glass in an “orange state” i.e., flexible. At that point, gravity will allow the glass to slump into the mold and the temperature is held at a constant for a period that is known as the “soak”. Following this stage, the kiln is allowed to cool slowly so that the slumped glass can anneal and be removed from the kiln. If two differing colours of glass are used in a single piece of work – the same CoE glass must be used or the finished piece will suffer from fractures as the glass will shrink at differing rates and allow tension to build up to the point of destruction.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1468282329245{background-image: url(http://haydencraft.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/8H_0825-e1468281803841.jpg?id=3372) !important;}”][vc_column][as_heading subtitle_color=”#999999″][/vc_column][/vc_row]