Modelling Glass

This is a special product that you can mix with glass powders. It makes it take on a clay like quality. This means that it can be: pressed into silicone moulds; free-formed into a shape or rolled out like pastry. This means that it can be cut freehand or by the use of cookie cutters. After the shapes are totally dry, they can be sanded to remove imperfections. They are then fired for the first time. They can then be added to other projects.
Here are a few examples that I have made using moulds and cookie cutters. The images show them before and after their first firing.

Freeze & Fuse

Who would ever have guessed that this was possible?

• Take some glass powder of any colour
• Mix it with water until saturated
• Put the mixture into a silicone mould
• Agitate the mould to discourage bubbles and remove excess water with a paper towel
• Freeze solid
• When frozen, put into the kiln and fire the items

Here are a couple of items that have been made in this way. I have not used them in a finished project yet.

A 3-D Printer and Glass Fusing

I have found having a 3-D printer useful a couple of times recently. First of all, these trees needed a stand to make them more stable, so I designed and made something that would be as unobtrusive as possible. 

I also designed a cookie cutter to make the polar bears in two sizes. As you can see, the glass "clay" does shrink when fired.