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Great advice, Jen; I've saved it for future jobs that may come my way!

I've done a little experimenting with six and seven layers of Bullseye 3mm glass but in my kiln had to fire to about 1275-1300° to get them to stick. I don't have the schedule I used handy but I do remember there was gentle rounding (more like softening) of the edges. And, because my kiln wasn't qui...

Dammit Bob! Every time you post one of these amazing 'new directions' I kick myself for not experimenting more, pushing myself harder, or just living in my studio until something great comes out of it.

Bravo; you've done it again!

I haven't used those, but I do have a Power Vibe, which is not much more than a vibrating dental flosser with tubes for your enamel/frit. The nice thing is, the guy has done all the work for you: http://www.bearfootart.com/catalog.php?category=79 I'm editing this: I see they've upgraded their vibe t...

S.TImmerman wrote:Is it still true that Dale Chihuly hasn't touched an actual piece of glass in years and he's more of a pirate captain figurehead directing his little glass gnomes here and there?

That's my story.

I believe it's the textured side of Bullseye's opals that have a very thin layer of clear glass on them; that's why sometimes it's recommended that you cut on the textured side if you have trouble cutting an opal. I'm hoping someone with more knowledge on the subject chimes in here but I seem to rec...

My pizza stones are thinner than my kiln shelves, too. I don't ramp faster than 400°on them now as I did break a few by ramping at 600°an hour.

I made some glass koi that were installed around my parents' pool as part of a mosaic, so they were grouted in. Granted, our coldest here is about 26° and hottest 110°, but they survived several years of exposure. We removed the pool a few years ago, so I chiseled off my koi, and they were all intact.

I use them all the time! I pick them up for a buck or so a garage sales or thrift stores, cook them to just above full-fuse temp before using them (they're usually filthy), then kiln wash. I've had a few break if I ramp too fast but for the most part, they're just kiln shelves.

I don't work with Spectrum, so my experience is based on Bullseye, which has a warning in their (older) catalog that firing irid on Thinfire may result in splotchy, uneven irid. So, lots of different variables (glass, paper product), but I'm guessing you're seeing that result: uneven, splotchy-looki...

Also, the T-grade rods aren't recommended for kiln forming.

Because you encased frit, stringers, and a non-bullseye glass in between your layers, I'm guessing you blew a big bubble that burst.

Could your kiln wash be failing, allowing glass to stick and then break?

Again, without photos of breakage, full schedules, and other parameters like type of shelf, wash, etc., it's hard to tell what's going on.

I wear an insulin pump, which is subject to high magnetic fields. Which means I can have an x-ray or work around my kilns, but have to remove it for an MRI. I'm sure your kiln won't be a problem but best to find out from your pacemaker manufacturer.

Splendid, as always!
Happy holidays!

It sounds to me like you need the edges to be smooth enough to look polished; not ground. I've successfully hand-sanded small pieces of glass to a near optical shine with progressively finer wet/dry sandpaper. I've gone from 600 grit to 800, to 1200, etc. up to 2000 grit, which left me with a soft, ...

A grinder will make quick work of your project but in the meantime, I'd get some wet/dry sandpaper in different grits. You can lay the paper flat on a table or counter, wet it a bit and quickly sand your glass squares smooth. Say goodbye to your manicure, though.

Congrats, David!

Your piece is stunning; I absolutely love the snow on the branches!

And make sure you peek now and then when you're approaching top temp, so you can move on to annealing when your drape looks like you want it to.

You'd spend a lot less time and energy making new ones, and they'd be the way you intended, rather than trying to salvage pieces that may not live up to your standards.