Project by Sol Mesz from Oxnard, Calif.Sol swears she woke up one day while working in the world of marketing and decided, "I want to weld." So this determined and creative "new" artist did just that. In the process, she discovered the art of fused glass and became obsessed. In this project, she shows us a stylish candle holder with a wooden base.
Materials:
flat, transparent sheets of glass
cutting mat
90-degree angle ruler
glass cleaner or vinegar
paper towels
color paint samples
glass paint
kiln
wet grinder
glass stringer or noodle
pliers
wooden block for base
tea candles
Steps:
1. Select a design or draw your own. Select a sheet of glass most adequate for the size of the object.
2. Put the glass in the cutting mat and mark a little line where you'll cut. Use a 90-degree angle ruler, so just three marks is enough to determine the cut line. In the case of the backgammon triangles, use a template, because it makes it a lot easier and faster to do. In general, Sol just uses the grid marks on the cutting mat.
3. Once all the pieces are cut, clean them with glass cleaner or vinegar and paper towel.
4. Make the color tests, which consist of putting the different color samples together to see how to make the combinations. The color samples are little rectangles of 1-1/2" x 3," pretty much like the paint samples you get from the store.
5. Then paint the pieces and let them dry. You can sometimes speed up the process by using a hairdryer.
6. Select a stringer or noodle and shape it to the heat of a candle (figure A). It is quite interesting to make free forms with it. Secure the noodle with pliers on one or both ends, depending on the size and kind of work. 7. Put the stringer on the piece (figure B) and then put everything in the kiln.
8. Chose the firing "schedule" according to the end result desired. The firing process will take about 7 hours, after which the kiln shuts down. However, you have to wait for another 7 hours (when the kiln shuts down, it is still at 800 F degrees and should only be opened when temperature is below 100 F. So the kiln takes some 7 hours to cool down from 800 F to 100 F.).
9. You might need to give the edges a final finish with a wet grinder. The rough edges cannot be seen--it is only by the touch that you feel them.
10. Cut the wood to serve as base for glass with a groove carved in (figure C). Once the wood is cut, sand it slightly and then put a coat of wax. The glass slides through the grove.
Website: www.sillice.com
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