Hand-Painted Fused Glass Candle Shield

Fused glass candle shield
Fused glass candle shield
2016 has been a difficult year for the art glass industry, as glass manufacturers have been under scrutiny by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency. These manufacturers have been operating within the guidelines provided by the DEQ, and over the years have been tested regularly and found to be in compliance. However, it would seem that a "witch hunt" has ensued as the city of Portland tries to understand the source of pollution in their area, and the glass manufacturers have fallen victim to the hunt. Add this on top of the downturn in the industry because of the recession and the availability of cheaply made imported raw glass materials and finished goods, and glass manufacturers find themselves struggling to stay in business. One manufacturer has announced it will close its doors by mid-summer because of these factors, and others scramble to meet new regulations being imposed upon them daily.

These manufacturers have been forced to stop producing a significant amount of their colored glass. When glass artists ask, "How can we help?" one answer is to support these manufacturers by buying, and creating with, the manufacturers' clear glass. With this in mind, I am offering this tutorial -- a fused glass candle shield that uses clear glass, glass paints, and mica powder.

Materials

Colour de Verre's lamp panel former
  • Lamp bender mold, I used Colour de Verre's round lamp panel former
  • Two 8.5x4.25" pieces of clear glass (or other size to fit your mold)
  • Two ~8x5" pieces of clear glass
  • Unique Glass Color (UGC) Artisan paints in White Glo and Mystic Blue
  • UGG Medium
  • Colors for Earth (CFE) glass paints in Deep Cranberry and Sapphire Blue
  • CFE Medium
  • Sepp Aztec Gold Mica
  • Fuse Master Super Spray
  • Coarse Clear Frit
  • Sky Blue Coarse Frit (optional)
  • E6000 or your favorite glass glue

Directions

Instructions for mica-coated frit
Instructions for mica-coated frit


Pour some of the clear coarse frit in a small container and mix with Super Spray. You want enough liquid to wet the frit, but you don't want it dripping. 

Sprinkle a small amount of mica powder in the container and mix well.

Pour the mica-covered frit onto a paper towel and set aside to dry.






Measure the mold to  determine the size of glass
Measure the mold to
determine the size of glass


Use a tape measure to measure the size of glass for the mold. This mold is approximately 8.5" from one side, across the arc, and to the other side. I decided to cut my two pieces of glass for the candle shield to 8.5"x4.25".





Measure the base of the mold
Measure the base of the mold



Measure the bottom edge of the mold to determine the size of the candle shield base. This mold measures 4.5 inches, so I decided to make the width of my candle base 6.5".







Draw a template for the candle base
Draw a template for the candle base

Draw a template for the base of the candle shield. I find it useful to use graph paper. I used a compass to draw the arc for the shield, though you could also place the mold itself on the paper and use a ruler to draw marks approximately 0.75" around the mold (much like marking the sewing lines for a fabric pattern). Use this pattern for cutting out the two base pieces of glass. You can place your glass on top of the pattern and score the glass.




Plan your painted design
Plan your painted design

Even though I will be applying the paints in a freeform pattern, I like to draw out a general design. Again, the graph paper comes in handy.

Once you've drawn your design, place one of your candle shield rectangles on top of the pattern. Mix your paints as recommended by the manufacturers and begin painting.



Painted glass set aside to dry
Painted glass set aside to dry



Set aside the painted panel and let it dry completely.






Cap the painted piece with clear and decorate with frit
Cap the painted piece with clear
and decorate with frit


When the painted panel is dry, top it with the second sheet of clear. Sprinkle on the mica-coated clear frit. Don't cover the painted design completely; otherwise, you may hide the lovely bubbles you'll get from the Artisan paints. If you choose, add some additional colored frit. I've used a little sky blue coarse frit.






Ready for the first firing
Placed on Papyrus and ready for the first firing
(I hate empty space in the kiln -- I snuck in another piece!)
Place the pieces for the base and the shield in the kiln and fire to a tack fuse. I started with the schedule below, but based on observation, I skipped to the anneal when the kiln reached 1380 deg F in segment 2.


Seg
Rate
Target
Soak
1
300
1100
15
2
300
1420
10
3
1500
950
75
4
100
700
00




After the first fuse
After the first fuse


Once the first fuse is complete, you are ready to slump on the lamp mold. Center the piece on the mold and fire. I used the following schedule:



Centered on the mold for the slump
Centered on the mold for the slump


Seg

Rate

Target

Soak

1
250
1100
30
2
250
1225
20*
3
1500
950
75
4
100
700
00

*Watch your slump and adjust the hold time accordingly.

Candle base after grinding & hand- polishing the edges
Candle base after grinding & hand-
polishing the edges
If you would like, use a regular table-top grinder to cold-work the edges of the candle base. Start with a coarse grinder head and shape all edges of the base. Now, switch to a fine grinder head and go over what you shaped. Finally, if you have diamond hand-pads available, use them to further refine the edges. Start with the lowest number grit (coarse) and work your way to the highest number grit you have available. 

Notice from the picture that the edge of the base was smooth enough, that if I would have liked, I could have used it as it was. However, I decided to do a final fire polish, using the following schedule:

Seg

Rate

Target

Soak

1
250
1100
30
2
250
1350
5
3
1500
950
60
4
100
700
00

The bottom edge of my candle shield was very even and sat level on the base when I tested it, so I did not need to cold-work it further after fire-polishing. You may find you need to grind the bottom, so the shield sits nicely on the base. If you have taken care during the slump to place the glass evenly on the mold, minimal leveling of the base will be required. 

Back of the candle shield
Back of the candle shield


To complete the candle shield, run a bead of E6000 or other glass glue along the bottom edge of the shield and set it in place on the base. Follow the glue manufacturer's directions for curing the glue -- E6000 should be left undisturbed at least 24 hours.






Close-up of paints and mica frit
Close-up of paints and mica frit
Using paints and mica is a great way to turn a piece of clear glass into a colorful work of art. The ideas in this tutorial can be used with whatever type of clear glass you have available -- whether it is Bullseye, Uroboros, Spectrum, Wissmach, or even float glass. 

I hope this information will inspire you to pull out your paints and micas and get creative with clear glass while supporting our art glass manufacturers!

Happy fusing, Dana



Finished candle shield sits in a window
Finished candle shield sits in a window

Candle shield with candle
Candle shield with candle











Fused Glass Learning Resources

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Bullseye Kiln-glass Education Online


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