APRIL 2019 eNEWS

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Modeling Glass Tips and Tricks

Every month I'll be writing about how to use Modeling Glass in your work, and hopefully answering some questions that will help you get the results you want. There's always a learning curve with a new product, and there are considerations working with frit and powder that you don't have when firing sheet glass. There is a full set of FAQs on the Modeling Glass website at www.modelingglass.com .

SILICONE MOLDS ARE AMAZING

I'm no stranger to craft stores. I often prowl the aisles looking for interesting objects that I might be able to use with glass. It was during one of these random forays that I wandered into the baking area. My mind kicked into overdrive as I began to ponder the possibilities of using silicone molds with Modeling Glass. Welcome to The Fondant Zone.

I have been working with silicone baking mats for several years. They are the ideal base for building shapes with Modeling Glass (MG), since I can put the mat straight into my oven or kiln to dry pieces at low temperature, and the MG doesn't stick to the mat once it has dried. Because this is just how my brain is wired, my next thought was "what would happen if I stuck Modeling Glass into a silicone fondant mold?"

The answer came after I grabbed this nifty orange rubbery disc with a lace pattern imprinted in the silicone. It only cost a couple of bucks, so I figured that even if it didn't work, I wouldn't be out much. As seems to be the way with glass projects, I was distracted by other work, and the mold languished in a drawer for months. The other day I ran across it again and really studied it. Time to experiment. I posted the finished piece on Facebook and there were so many inquiries about how I did it, I wanted to share the entire process.

I had some Deep Cobalt Blue Modeling Glass mixed up, so I grabbed a palette knife and spread the MG into the nooks and crannies of the mold, carefully scraping away any material that stuck up above the surface of the pattern. My goal was to fill in all the recessed spaces without obscuring the detail of the design. I placed the mold into my oven at 200 degrees F for about half an hour. I thought it might be possible to pop the lacework out of the mold in one piece, but realized quickly that it would just crack into pieces as soon as I flexed the silicone.Instead, I took the mold with the now-dry MG in the lacework, and sanded it with a piece of 3M Sand Blaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sanding Sheet. I use this sandpaper all the time...calling it sand "paper" is not accurate, because the backing is some kind of stretchy plastic film (probably silicone). The sheets last forever, don't fray, and you can even sand the edge of a piece of sheet glass enough so it won't cut you. This stuff is almost as good as a diamond pad. The flexibility lets you get into tiny nooks and crannies, which is really handy when you are smoothing the edges of a dry shape made from MG. I've included a link to it on Ebay, but have also found it at Lowe's and other hardware stores. I use 150 grit, but 100 or 220 would work too.

Left: the Wilton cupcake mold I used for the lacework disc. Right: the disc before firing.

After sanding, I brushed away the dust and filled the rest of the mold to the top with French Vanilla MG, pressing it solidly in to eliminate any gaps and to make sure it made good contact with the dry Cobalt Blue already in the mold. Then it was back into the oven for another couple of hours of drying at 200 degrees. I judge whether a piece is dry by pressing the thickest part with my fingertip. If I can make a dent, that means the MG is still moist in the center. When dry, the MG is hard and stiff. The other way you can tell is that it lifts away from silicone easily.

I gently began to flex the mold with my fingers, going around the edge of the form. Gradually I worked the piece of MG out of the mold, and it was perfect! I hit the edges with the sandpaper to remove any little flakes of MG left from the molding, and it was ready for the kiln. Here's my firing schedule for a contour fuse:

300/1000/:30

600/1325/:30 (a longer hold matures the colors better, especially whites)

999/900/:60

150/700/:01

999/off

The fired result was lovely. The French Vanilla was nice and bright, and the Deep Cobalt Blue contrasted well and really set off the details of the lacework. The piece was moderately glossy, but not super-smooth and most of the texture of the lace was preserved. It shrank the expected 15%-20%. Shrinkage will always happen with a piece made with MG, since as the powders "sinter" (melt together) and the air is driven out of the piece, there ends up being less volume.

I have now started buying up silicone fondant molds whenever I see a design I'd like to play with. I want to eventually make some of my own molds, as it's difficult to find large ones commercially. I'm thinking that you could brush the inside of the mold with mica, enamel powders, etc. to add extra effects. The possibilities are endless for Modeling Glass projects!

Here's a link to the mold I used: Silicone Cupcake Mold.

Here's a link to the sanding sheets: 3M 150 Grit Sand Blaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sanding Sheets.

Check out next month's eNews for more tips on working with Modeling Glass, and please send me an email at [email protected] if you have a specific question about a project. Photos help me understand your question.

BREAKING NEWS! GLASS CRAFT & BEAD EXPO

I'm excited to announce that I am at the Las Vegas Glass Craft & Bead Expo RIGHT NOW! I'll be at the D&L Art Glass booth doing demonstrations with Modeling Glass, answering questions, and enjoying a full immersion in the world of glass art. If you are at the show, please stop by and say hello...I welcome the opportunity to actually speak "in person" with the many glassy friends I have been lucky to make on social media.

DEMO SCHEDULE AT BOOTH 711:

Friday April 5: 12 to 2 & 3 to 5

Saturday April 6: 11 to 1 & 3 to 5

Sunday April 7: 11 to 1

And stop by the Gallery of Excellence, where I have two sculptures on display.

Additional Workshop Opportunities

Lois has a full schedule of workshops across the country as well as Canada and the UK. See the schedule here .

Modeling Glass

This new product was developed by Lois Manno of Glass Bird Studios. It is a two-part system made of a powdered binder and liquid medium that, mixed with frit or powders along with a little water, turns the powder into a material that can be sculpted like clay. It is featured in the workshops she teaches.

Learn more

Want to purchase Modeling Glass? A list of retailers is available on the website. The list keeps growing, so check back. And ask your local glass retailer to add Modeling Glass to their stock if they don't have it!