Butterfly Wind Chime Paddle

[nancys]

I am trying to build a butterfly wind chime paddle. I started with 3 layers for each piece, there being 5 pieces. I did a full fire for this piece and it spread more than I wanted it too. I thought this might happen but it happened more than I wanted. I wanted this to be thick and possibly adding another 2 to 4 layers and relatively in a butterfly shape. I was thinking that maybe I should put some blocks around the glass so it would not spread. Thoughts?

The firing schedule was:

Seg 1 Rate 300 Temp 1150 Hold 30

Seg 2 Rate 200 Temp 1370 Hold 20

Seg 3 Rate 400 Temp 1475 Hold 10

Seg 4 Rate Full Temp 950 Hold 60

Seg 5 Rate 150 Temp 800 Hold 10

Seg 6 Rate 300 Temp 100 Hold 0

 

[wordana]

if the glass piece is butterfly shaped,  cut the butterfly shape into a piece of fibre paper (or a stack of fiber paper) thick enough to contain the glass. (use an exacto knife) place the glass inside the cutout. You can save the butterfly cutouts to use in kiln carving in another project.

 

If you are simply talking about a more uniform shape such as round, oval or square, cut strips of fibre paper, secure the ends with stainless steel pins and wrap them around the glass . Secure the final end with more stainless steel pins, ensuring that none of the pins are touching the glass use kiln furniture as a brace against the fiber paper in strategic places to dam.I hope that makes sense, dana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dana

 

Jester’s Baubles Fused Glass Designs

http://www.jestersbaubles.com

[nancys]

I believe I understand, I would cut out the fiber paper and sit the butterfly inside on the kiln shelf with the fiber paper around it. Would you recommend 1/4 inch from the glass or would you recommened closer? Also, approximately how high would I need to stack the fiber paper? Or would I stand the fiber papaer on end? I’m not sure what you are talking about with the stainless steel pins.

[wordana]

The size of the cut-out depends upon how much you want to allow the glass to move (and thus, change thickness). The fiber paper can be up to about 1/8″ “shorter” than the glass stack. If it is taller than the glass stack, you risk needling on the edges that then have to be coldworked.

I was describing two methods — one is the cutout. The other is basically just wrapping the outside edge of the glass in fiber paper. For instance, cut long 1/8″ strips. Use stainless steel dressmaker pins to join the edges (overlap them 1/4″ or so) — making one long piece that can wrap around the outside edge of the glass several times (yes, the fiber paper is “on edge”). Then secure the final edge with more pins. Use kiln furniture to help hold everything in place. I will often put kiln furniture in places where two pieces of fiber paper are overlapped & joined with pins. These could likely be your points of failure when damming.

Check out how I have wrapped the edges of a blue/brown swirl bowl in this blog post: http://jestersbaubles.blogspot.com/2013/03/culmination-of-weeks-work.html

Dana

Jester’s Baubles Fused Glass Designs

http://www.jestersbaubles.com

[nancys]

Dana –

Very interesting blog post and informative also. I want to thank you so much for this information. I am going to try the stack with the fiber paper as this is not conducive to wrapping, but I will be trying that as well in the very near future.

Do I need to glue the fiber paper together?

Nancy

[wordana]

No need to glue, unless it makes it easier to assemble and get it into the kiln. The glue will burn off well before fusing temps.

Dana W.

Jester’s Baubles Fused Glass Designs

http://www.jestersbaubles.com

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