Kiln pick-up practice

This week we had a demo on picking up hot (previously made and reheated) pieces from the kiln to create a sculpture.

There was about 30 pieces in the kiln, and 5 let at the end of the demo so I cheekily asked if I could have them to practise with.  😊

I had to take a punty and pick each piece up one-by-one, keeping it at the correct temperature for attaching to the main piece.  It was quite good fun actually, although a bit warm when hovering over an open kiln  😊

I think the finished piece looks a little dolphin like….. I was planning to make a kind of sculpture with it by crocheting through the holes – but we shall see!

Also, I need to decide which way to display it.

A glass flower vessel

 I was just playing about in the Hot Shop today, with no particular end product in mind, I was just allowing the glass to become what it wanted to be.

I took a couple of gathers and rolled it in some frit, then blew it out to create a bottle or a glass…. Wasn’t sure which.  

Then I decided I would cut the top with some glass shears and push the glass back on itself to create a petal like effect.

Although not very even, it was my first time using glass shears on this sale (I have used them with Lampworking before) so it was all very experimental.

 

And I quite liked the result. 

Making paperweights

 Take a gather of glass from the furnace.

 

Gently marver, then sit at the bench and wait until the glass is slightly hard – turning all the time to keep the shape.

Take a second gather.

Next sit at the bench and use  gravity to help you centre the glass.

Next use the wet cherrywood block to help shape the paperweight.

 

Reheat in the glory hole.

Use the Jacks to form a cut.

Add water to the cut with tweezers.

Knock the paperweight off the iron over the vermiculite.     Place in the kiln.

My first attempt… could be rounder, but not too bad.

Adding Frit….

 

Roll the hot glass in frit (broken glass or various sizes) before the second gather.

 

These were rolled in a fine powder frit of three different colours.

These were rolled in a fine powder frit in colbalt blue, then twisted before the second gather was added.

These were rolled in a fine powder frit in white, then a chunky frit in turquoise… I quite like the ribbon effect it has created, but I think I prefer the finer frit effects.

This one was rolled in Cremation ash  (a friends three dogs) before the second gather.   The ash has not melted and stayed a lovely silvery colour, magnified by the second coating of glass.