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pate de verre...what do i do???
Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 6:51 pm
by becca43212
hi!
i am new to the warm glass forum and basically to the realm of warm glass altogether. i know the basic idea surrounding pate de verre casting,. but am wondering about a program using bullseye fine frit in clear to cast an object (more specifically, the two halves of a clam shell) that will be about 1/8" thick. can anyone with some know-how and expereince help me out??? thanks!
~becca
Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 11:08 pm
by Carol Craiglow
Hi Becca...I am not an expert on PDV, but I did take an afternoon workshop with Mel George last year.
She says to mix the frit with Klyfire (can buy at Bullseye site...see link at top of page). You don't want it soupy and you don't want it too dry.
Then she uses the back of a tea spoon to press the frit/klyfire mix into the plaster/silica mold very carefully. She builds up 3 or 4 layers if I remember correctly. YOu need it to be about twice as thick as you eventually want it, so 1/4 inch would probably work.
You'll probably have to experiment a bit.
A usefull book is the Fenton/Kervin book on Pate de Verre. Highly recommend it.
Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 12:35 pm
by becca43212
hi thanks for your reply! do you remember the kiln temperatures or the firing schedules that she went over?
Re: pate de verre...what do i do???
Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:46 pm
by Delores Taylor
becca43212 wrote:hi!
i am new to the warm glass forum and basically to the realm of warm glass altogether. i know the basic idea surrounding pate de verre casting,. but am wondering about a program using bullseye fine frit in clear to cast an object (more specifically, the two halves of a clam shell) that will be about 1/8" thick. can anyone with some know-how and expereince help me out??? thanks!
~becca
It depends on if you have an open mold situation or a multiple part closed system. First determine which of the many methods of working you like best sintered or the alabaster look then you can at least get into the proper ballpark of firing temperature. After that the size of your piece, the color of your glass and the thickness of your mold come into play. Some ways of working are far touchier than others. A great book to have is the art and technique of pate de verre by the Tokoyo Institute of Glass, Boyce Lundstrums Kiln Casting Book and Dan Fenton's Casting Book all beautifully deal with this type of art and give lots of photos as inspiration.
A generalization is the high 1300 range for sintered and low 1500's for alabaster but many factors come into play that make that a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule.