Sea Life Ocean Wave Using Copper Oxide (Also makes a great plate)
This is such a fun project. You'll learn to make pretty blue bubbles using copper oxide powder. You'll then decorate and fuse you blank and then slump it onto a wave mold.
Ingredients:
Two pieces of clear glass cut approximately 10x4 for the wave mold or cut to size for a plate.
Material for the sandy bottom (I used a rolled edge from another sheet, but frit also works)
Decorative elements (fish) of your choosing
Paint (I used Color Line black) or frit balls for the eyes
Copper Oxide Powder (Need copper oxide? I'll gladly send some for free with a $25+ order. Just ask in the order notes.)
Mixing medium. I used Glastac (pink)
Thinfire shelf paper
Recipe Using 90 COE Glass
Can you do this using 96 COE glass? Of course.
Making the bubbles:
Mix a small amount of Copper Oxide powder with Glastac until it's about the consistency of milk.
Paint the mixture on one smooth side of the Tekta glass. Any of this mixture you get on the side of the glass where it is exposed to air will turn black. Make sure it goes to just to the edge of your glass and not on the sides. I got mine thicker than I'll do next time. The thicker the mixture, the bigger the bubbles. Place the other side of the glass on top of the first piece (smooth side to smooth side).
Full fuse with your favorite bubble squeeze fusing schedule. Go slow to make the best bubbles. All kilns vary. This is what works in my medium sized kiln.
Firing Schedule for the bubble blank (ramp, target temperature, hold)
300 1000 25
300 1150 15
150 1250 25
600 1468 20
AFAP 1000 60
120 750 10
300 100 Off
Decorate your bubbly blank with the elements of your choice.
Fuse your decorated piece according to the amount of definition you want. I did between a tack and contour fuse.
250 1050 30
250 1250 20
300 1360 11
9999 950 60
200 800 10
300 100 Off
You can stop here and have a fun piece or you can slump it into a wave or plate mold. If you're doing a plate mold, measure your glass in step one to fit the plate mold.
Slumping on the Bullseye 8960 Double Curve Mold
Cut a piece of Thinfire paper to the size of your bubble blank (optional). I like the smoothness with the extra layer of paper and also think it acts as ball bearings to help your glass take the form of the mold.
Lay the glass (on top of the Thinfire paper) so that the left side is just inside (by a hair) of the left side of the mold.
Check carefully that it's straight
I fused using this schedule:
150 300 15
300 1100 30
150 1260 15
400 950 60
150 800 10
300 100 Off
Don't peek! Your kiln opening tomorrow will be really fun! Let the kiln cool completely to room temperature.
