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01.

All About Circles

This project is all about circles, in various shapes. It only makes sense to use a circle cutter.

Circle Cutter Tool
02.

Five Glasses

The opalescent glasses at left (Driftwood Gray 000132-0030, Light Peach Cream 000034-0030, and White 000113-0030) will form the bottom layer of the plates. The tinted glass at right (Purple Blue Tint 001948-0030 and Pale Yellow Tint 001820-0030) will form the top layer.  The concept for all of these plates comes from Bullseye Glass.

All Kinds of Circles
03.

Assembled

I’ve assembled the tints on top of the opalescents, using the semi-circular tints to cut through the middle of the quarter circles below them. In this example, the bottom layers of the two plates are identical, but the top layer of the plate on the left has yellow tint on the left. The top layer of the plate on right has the yellow tint on the right. 

Assembled
04.

Edge View

A different view of the two tinted pieces overlaying the white quarter circle on the bottom.

Edge View of the Layers
05.

Into the Kiln

I tacked the pieces down with just a few drops of Glastac glue along the seam of the two tints so they wouldn’t move on the way to the kiln.

Into the Kiln
06.

Fused

And here they are all fused.

Fused
07.

Coldwork Edges

Where the different colors came together there were slight wobbles to the edge of the plate. I used diamond hand lap pads to make the plates round. I started with 60 grit (the green pad) and worked my up through 120, 200, and finally 400 grit.

Coldworking
08.

The Backs

Just a reminder that the plates are based on the same opalescent glass lay-up, still visible on the back.

The Backs
09.

Coldwork Finished

It’s a bit hard to tell, but the edges have a nice matte finish to them now. They’ll turn glossy when they’re slumped. Speaking of which.

Coldworked Edges
10.

Back into the Kiln

I’m slumping these plates on Classic 8747 molds.

Ready to Slump
11.

Slumped

These plates are finished and measure 8″ in diameter and 3/4″ in depth.

Slumped
Results

Final Result

I decided to make a set of four (the two at right are stacked on each other). Although each is based on the same colors, each has a slightly different pattern. The gentle pastel colors compliment each other nicely, and I definitely can see these as dessert plates–maybe with petits fours!

Four Pastel Plates

Close-up

The glossy edge.

Edge Close-up
Always With the Grapes

FULL FUSING SCHEDULE (RUN TIME 9:01, 13.5 KWh)*

SEGMENT RATE (deg F / hour) TEMPERATURE (F) HOLD (hours:minutes)
1 250 500 :20
2 250 1000 0
3 AFAP 1450 :30
4 AFAP 900 1:00
5 100 700 OFF

SLUMP FUSING SCHEDULE (RUN TIME 8:07, 12.5 kWH)*

SEGMENT RATE (deg F / hour) TEMPERATURE (F) HOLD (hours:minutes)
1 300 1225 :45
2 AFAP 900 1:00
3 100 700 OFF

* The firing schedules may be designed for other projects that were fired with this one. Everything was fired in a Paragon GL-22AD.