FrogBlog
Create Hues with Sparkle and Depth
Quick Tip: Sparkle, Sparkle Did you ever wonder why Bullseye doesn’t make an Aventurine version of other colors, like red, for example? We would if we could! The chemistry of those sparkles (a.k.a., flake) is deeply tied to green glass. In the kiln, however, you can layer to create new hues. When we were tipped off to this combination by Meryl Raiffe at The Glass Underground, we just had to try it and share the results!
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Why we LOVE Quartz Tubing!
Paragon CS-26 Whether it's offered as standard or an upgrade, we always love kilns that have quart tubing! Quart tubing provides a cleaner kiln interior and magnifies the heat to the glass. They also support and protect the elements from contamination with foreign materials that could shorten the element life. In addition, quartz tubes protect the glass from any falling debris from exposed elements. If you fire enamels, the metal oxides can cake onto the elements causing them to sag, and drop colored debris... yuk! Gail has two kilns at her studio with quartz enclosed tubes and never has to worry that anything will drop on her, or her students' glass. Check out some more kilns with quartz tubes: Jen-Ken AFG ProFusion Fiber 38 Hot Shot Oven and Kiln - HS16 PRO Clamshell Olympic Champ XL (Available as upgrade)
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Opaline Overlays
Bullseye Glass Quick Tip: This Quick Tip shows you the beauty of Opaline sheet glass! Amazing on its own—also a great tool to expand your color palette in kilnforming, creating new colors with distinct properties. As an overlay, expect subtle changes when fired over light value styles and more dramatic effects over dark values. Style codes for glasses above:White (000113-0030), Driftwood Gray (000132-0030), Elephant Gray (000206-0030), Deco Gray (000136-0030), Slate Gray (000236-0030), Black (000100-0030)
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Get the Look with Stripes and Dots
Bullseye Glass Quick Tip: This Quick Tip, shows you how to get a fun summer look using rods to easily create simple stripes and dots. Stripes - Use a complete layer of rods as the base, then cap with 3 mm Clear and fire to a full fuse. To ease set-up and prevent rods from rolling, make yourself a square frame from 1/16" fiber paper. After firing, the shelf side will have a smooth, semi-matte finish, while the top has glossy goodness. Slump with either side up! For variation in line width, place a stringer in the low spot between rods. Stringers are great and will stay perfectly straight through the fuse. If you are looking to cut rods in bulk, try securing the bundle with rubber bands and using a wet tile saw. Not only will this save time, it will also make your rod cuts straight and even! Dots - Nip rods into 3-5 mm sections, and arrange them on a sheet of 3 mm Clear. Place this on a base of 3 mm opalescent and fire to a full fuse. To maintain a square footprint and control volume, use shorter snippets closest to the perimeter. Designer Marc Jacobs says... "There is never a wrong time for a polka dot" and, we totally agree!
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Working Deep
Bullseye Glass Studio Tip: This TipSheet will introduce you to ways to float imagery and color within thick blocks of clear glass. This method is direct, simple, and allows greater control of line quality than is achievable with other techniques. The primary technical challenges involved in this working method are: Controlling trapped air (bubbles) Restraining the glass flow at full fusing temperatures Working with extended heating and cooling cycles Minimizing coldworking to the finished project Check out some of our best-selling glass kilns: Paragon SC3 Jen-Ken AF3P 11/9 with 4" Flip Door Evenheat Studio Pro STP with Window
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Top 10 Platemaking Tips
Bullseye Glass Studio Tip: As many people are receiving their first kiln this holiday season, we thought it would be helpful to share a Tip Sheet on Platemaking that contains our favorite Top 10 platemaking tips. Plates and platters are popular projects for both advanced and beginning kilnworkers, and platemaking is a perfect way to learn kilnforming’s two most frequently used methods: fusing and slumping. The tips shown in this sheet are basic and they are the building blocks for more advanced kilnforming methods. Because the object is to make functional plates with smooth surfaces, these notes assume that the first firing will be to full fuse temperatures. On the final page of the tip sheet, Bullseye lists a basic fuse and slumping schedule. While many variables can impact a schedule, it's a great place to start! Check out some of our best-selling glass kilns: Jen-Ken AF3P 15/6 Paragon Xpress E-12T Olympic 126 Lite
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12 Ways to Improve Your Cutting
Bullseye Glass Studio Tip: Glass cutting is a fundamental skill any kilnformer needs to be able to master. If you’ve never cut glass or you’re unconfident in your abilities, there is good news. This is a skill you can improve! With proper cutting tools and techniques, even beginners can learn how to produce clean, accurate glass shapes. Your glass cutting skill level will not only affect the quality of work you produce, but also how much money you spend. Think about it: better glass cutting skills mean fewer mistakes and less wasted glass. Ready to sharpen your skills? Of course you are... #1: Dowload the 12 Ways To Improve Your Cutting from Rudi Gritsch of the Glasfachschule in Kramsach, Austria. Rudi is former Director of Research at Bullseye Glass Co. and a world-class glass cutter. #2: Watch the video lesson below. This will teach you how to properly score a piece of glass and how to break the score as well as how to cut circles in glass. Check out some of our best-selling glass kilns to fire your cut pieces however you desire: Paragon Kiln - SC2 Evenheat Studio Pro STP with Window Jen-Ken Kilns - AF3P 15/6 Olympic Kiln - Champ XL
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