finishing

My completed kilnformed glass tile arrived! I made this in a glass fusing class in San Diego, and had to leave it there for firing.

Here is my carved model. I used various thicknesses, including tiny raking lines, to test how they might hold the frit.

...I filled the design with powdered glass (different colors and different consistencies) as well as small flat pieces known as 'noodles.'


Before kiln firing, the piece is backfilled with clear chopped glass in varied sizes:


In the finished piece, the ground glass and noodles are raised from the surface:


Here is a closeup of the raised pattern:


On the reverse, the design reads as flat. The tiny bubbles are air that was trapped as the chopped glass melted and cooled.


The next stage is 'cold working ' -- grinding off jagged edges and polishing the sides. This can takes a huge time investment, depending on the amount of polishing needed.

A great experiment, this piece, with promising applications for incorporating into textile work, as well as standing on its own.