Fusing
Fusing is a glassmaking technique which consists in assembling pieces of cold-glued glass by superimposition, then bringing the whole in an oven to its melting point to form a single homogeneous piece.
History
Fusing is a technique used for 3,500 years in the manufacture of glass objects. It is in fact the oldest of the techniques of manufacturing and working glass since "to fuse" means to melt the glass. The manufacture of glass objects in an oven was once long, complex and prohibited the production of large format objects. This technique flourished in Mesopotamia and reached its peak in Egyptian culture. At the beginning of the Christian era, the use of glasses made in the oven was replaced by blowing. Glass worked in the oven reappeared in Europe around 1870.
The use of fusing is diverse. It is especially suited for decoration combining flat, curved and thermoformed glass. Fusing makes it possible to produce panels for furniture, interior decoration (ceiling and wall lighting, etc.) and the production of decorative objects.
Les étapes de fabrication
The base
01.
Take a glass plate called "base".
The program
05.
Apply the thermal cycle corresponding to the desired fusing quality.
The composition
02.
Place pieces of glass on top: in plates, crushed, frits, fibers… in different colors depending on the desired pattern.
The verification
06.
Take out the fused composition and check that there are no more tensions which could cause the glass to break.
The Separator
03.
At the bottom of the cold oven, put a dry separator (plaster mould, ceramic fiber, talc, pumice ...) of dimensions greater than the "base".
The Placement
04.
Place the prepared glass composition in the oven.
