Slumping flat glass

[chrissommer]

does anyone have any tips on slumping flat glass... I mean can I build my own kiln?

Chris
http://www.chrissommer.com

[Boris]

Slumping glass is not all that hard to do. I use ceramic kilns, but I am sure a nice expensive glass kiln may work better. However, it works for me, and being able to have more than one kiln, even in a "Hobby Shop" which is what I am, and have a regular 8 to 5 job, lets me fire more than one panel at any session. I rebuild and restore antique lighting, and a lot of slumped glass panels.. Do not know anyone that does a large scale operation such as mine, but am sure there are some around. I may do 2 to 15 panels in a week, which is plenty for me as a hobby. Dont use fancy timers or controllers either. Everything is done to suit the piece I am doing, and not all glass is equal.

I do not have the luxury of choosing which glass is most suitable for me in slumping ease, since I have to match color, texture, and patterns of the colors first. Then, after that choice, I have to adapt everything to slumping that glass.

Like the multitude of ways you work your glass.

[bert weiss]

Chris

Yes you can build your own kiln. I do architectural scale glass and built a kiln that fires 40" x 84". I really wish I had gone to 108".

It is just an insulated box with wires that heat up and a digital controller.

You have to learn how to heatup without shocking the glass, get your work done, anneal, and cool. Float glass is relatively easy to work with, compared to people who work with multiple colored glasses fused together.

Float is not designed to be fused, but it is always compatible with itself. I routinely fuse glass from within the same case. I never mix glasses.

Slumping is just a matter of creating molds and getting the glass to change shape. Heat and gravity work well together. The gravity is free!