Handmade
All the glass pieces created by The Glass Forge are bespoke and handcrafted. For this reason no two pieces will be exactly the same. Shading, colours and design element will vary. Glass often has a mind of its own and so does the designer!
Fused Glass
Fusing is a way to bring eclectic pieces of ‘compatible’ molten glass together to create beautiful designs, colours, shapes, textures, contrasts and images within glass creating bespoke pieces such as bowls, sculptures, jewellery, lanterns, trinkets, platters..... the design possiblities are endless!
Fused Glass Process
The glass fusing process refers to the heating of glass in an electric kiln to a point whereby it melts and fuses (binds) together permanently.
The glass fusing process can take up to 12 hours and reach temperatures of 927°c. Once the desired effect has been achieved the kiln is cooled slowly to ensure that the fused glass pieces remain solid and unbroken, so again this can take a further 10 hours. Some design element can include multiple firings. Patience is a virtue!
Kilnforming Methods
Many of my designs incorporate kilnforming methods such as Draping and Slumping. This process involves shaping the glass in the kiln with heat and gravity.
Kilnforming Techniques
My designs can also incorporate fusing techniques such as ‘Tack Fusing’ whereby two disparate pieces of glass are heated until they're just hot enough to stick together, but not so hot that they lose their individual characteristics.
Or ‘Full Fuse’ that incorporates separate pieces of glass merging smoothly into one another.
Another technique which I incorporte in some of my designs is 'Bas Relief' which achieves a textured or sculputured look in glass.
Bullseye Glass
The glass from Bullseye is Soda-Lime (and we are not talking fizzy pop) as the soda-lime refers to the composition of the glass which is primerly silica, soda (sodium carbonate) and lime (calcium oxide).
Compatitability
It is important to make sure when fusing glass that the glass has the same coefficient rate of expansion (COE). All glass is fusible however not all glass can be compatibly fused together. No two different coe’s should be fused together.
The Glass Forge uses ‘Bullseye’ Glass with a COE 90. This is a coloured glass that has been manufactured for use in art and architecture. Bullseye glass is a handcrafted quality product produced in Portland Oregon, USA.