A Pirate's Treasure - Or Another Microwave Kiln Experience

[@maggieadams8600]

I'm addicted to videos on this subject today, and I'm thankful to you, and all of the other people who're sharing their skills on here. I don't own a microwave, or any of the other necessary kit apart from tile cutters, but I can feel your enthusiasm and share it!

[@CaptMike]

Maggie, thanks for watching. Keep the enthusiasm going!

[@spinderella3602]

I'm building my home out of cob. I want to embed those cabochons in my walls for color accents! Thank you!

[@cherylm2C6671]

Microwave ceramics!! Someone will like this!

[@CaptMike]

I really appreciate your watching and commenting on my videos!

[@piiYT]

Great info I did not know yet, thx for making👍Greetings from the Netherlands😊

[@CaptMike]

Thank you for watching my video!

[@diannef1304]

Thank you Capt Mike, really great video for a beginner. 😊😊

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for watching!

[@joywilliamsnl]

Thank you!!! Great video!

[@nanasloves]

Wow!!! I’m so excited to try this!

[@CaptMike]

Good luck and thanks for watching the video!

[@carolynpollack1083]

Hi. This was interesting. Loved how everything turned out ❤

[@CaptMike]

Thank you for watching!

[@jackwarneckii4406]

Ok, I'm going to do this tomorrow! Finally going to use the kiln

[@CaptMike]

Good luck! I'm sure you will enjoy the experience.

[@moonolyth]

Treasure Chest of info. Have my tiny kiln, and want to get my granddaughters to help!! Thanks much ❤.

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for watching.

[@mariajohnston2147]

I love making these. I make refrigerator magnets in the Kiln .I also use a drill press with a diamond circle bits different sizes and make dots and turn them into earrings. Thanks again for all the videos

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like you have lots of great ideas!

[@petergatford7033]

Nice video. I have used kilns for a while, combining warm glass project intermixed with copper foil work. One thing I have had issues with though and your video was the same. Fixing the bales to the glass. 2 pack epoxy probably but never, for me, works very well though.

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for watching and for the comment.

[@ExpertOfFX]

Capt Mike great video!

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for watching!

[@rosanaorellano996]

Thank you so much for taking your time explaining to us ..I love your attitude and about your fingers they are just adorable they do make a great job....God bless you

[@juneartenova1260]

YEAYYY Capt Mike, Congratulations Im watching your video from Brazil and I LOVE IT!!!!! You do AWESOME pendants ♥♥♥ Hope that I can do it soon. Thank you for sharing.

[@CaptMike]

Give oit a try and if you need help, just ask!

[@juneartenova1260]

@@CaptMike Thank you so much ♥

[@victoriaharrison-sewell6717]

Thank you for your informative video. Very useful for a beginner with no knowledge about what to expect, feel more confident now!..

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for watching my video!

[@beverlywright6219]

Some great ideas thanks good work.

[@Silent-G]

So cool! Thanks!

[@zeb1820]

Awesome, thanks for the detailed advice, will be trying this.

[@CaptMike]

Thank you for watching!

[@a234633]

Great videos on knapping glass probably the best on this platform my question is can I fuse glass in to a slab so I could carve it in to animals shapes and other things with a high end rotary tool flex shaft fordom ?

[@CaptMike]

You can fuse glass into any thickness you want. You will gave to have a mold to do so. If you melt glass without a mold it will want to puddle to about 1/4inch and spread out.

[@robertgarmus1265]

Thank you for beautiful magic 😃

[@CaptMike]

Thank YOU for watching!

[@cherylm2C6671]

Thank you so much for your videos! There were no microwaves back then, but something tells me that fused glasses are Otzi age trade goods, and very likely to have competed with lapis and opal, as being affordable, mass produced jewelry- a delight for the eyes, but not worth cutting throats (maybe).

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for watching!

[@tishsmiddy71]

Thank you 😊

[@k192447]

fantastic.

[@Els_Sadie_Rogan_Cameron]

FAB! THAT'S SO MUCH CAPTAIN - GOOD TIPS FOR BEGINNER ME. ELSPETH IN IRELAND :)

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for watching and glad I could help.

[@annhogg7500]

I just love all of your videos, thank you so much for sharing.Can I ask is it possible to fuse glass onto ceramic. I make ceramic jewellery and would love it if you could combine it with glass . Thank you

[@CaptMike]

Ann, all I can say is it works sometimes. I have melted glass inside small pots, but that is all. When the weather turns really hot I will retire to the airconditioned shop and do some tests. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

[@aranzazubarreirolorenzo1236]

Hola, si quisiera hacer un marco digamos un encofradillo a unas murrinas con que lo harias?

[@CaptMike]

I'm sorry, but I cannot answer that for you.

[@CuriousEarthMan]

Thank you, this was so helpful to a beginner! I was looking at the same kilns you linked us to. Have you ever seen an even larger one?

[@CaptMike]

No, these are the largest ones I have seem for sale. I am working on making a larger one, but have not completed it yet. Thanks for watching!

[@CuriousEarthMan]

@@CaptMike Thanks for all your replies! I saw this recently on making one start to end. I'm passing it along to you even if you might already have it, just being sure. I'm not ready for that, but imagine how simple it could be? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHKsqn-NerCnbrc Thanks again!

[@corryg6403]

Just found your channel last night, You have answered so many question i had thank you, Now i have one more can you do the metal clay in the microwave kiln

[@CaptMike]

I have never fired metal clay. but the firing temps seem to be around 1650 F

[@ToastedGhost]

Great demo, any fumes?

[@CaptMike]

The only fumes I ever smell is when fresh kiln paper is burning off.

[@mellisasouza908]

Thanks Capt.

[@helentew6393]

I love your video, you explain things so we'll, do you teach this? I have been looking for a new craft, I make jewelry, sewing beads and modeling with paper clay but this has caught my attention and I am starting a 6 week glass fusion mini course in my community TODAY. Thank you for sharing.

[@CaptMike]

Thanks for the reply. No, I do not teach, just play around with lots of stuff!

[@helentew6393]

@@CaptMike you play well. I had my first day of the glass fusion class, I'm hooked. I love it. I was even asked to teach wire weaving, oh boy, what have I let myself in for lol

[@CaptMike]

@@helentew6393 It's all addictive!

[@henisilva]

Thank you for the video Captain. Can I use borosilicate glass? I mean broken used boroglass.

[@CaptMike]

Sure, but remember, if you try to combine a glass with a different COE (coeficient of expansion) you will have problems. Just melting or fusing bits of this glass together will work fine.

[@maryr8364]

Can I use old vintage marbels?

[@CaptMike]

Yes, yes you can. They make nice little pendants.

[@LUCKYIRISHLADY77]

Can you add ashes into the pendents?

[@호호-z6e]

I found this video very helpful. Where can I buy Fuse master? please let me know. : )

[@CaptMike]

Startt here: www.amazon.com/Fuse-Master-Super-Spray-Oz/dp/B00HHCSE6Q/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=fuse+master+super+spray&qid=1639443806&sr=8-2

[@호호-z6e]

@@CaptMike Thank you~ It's sad that I can't buy the Fuse Master now.

[@1995bassfisher]

Can and how do you use a microwave kiln to make glass slabs for Flint knapping

[@CaptMike]

Just finished making a few. In a large microwave kiln you can make a slab about 3" x 3"". 2 pieces of 3mm glass will make a slab about 1/4" thick. If you need thicker stack 3 pieces of 3mm. Remember, all the glass has to be the same COE or from the same source. Start off with a firing schedule of 2 minutes at a time. After 4 to 6 minutes increase to 3 minutes each time. This helps keep down the glass splitting. Check it after each cycle and when it gets cherry red let it cool (hardest part).It will take an hour or so to cool. When cool, knap it as you would normally. Let me know how it goes for you.

[@1995bassfisher]

@@CaptMike just got done worked great thanks so much

[@marleneoutlaw5132]

Capt Mike, I am a little confused. I am a stained glass mosaic artist and I want to explore this method. All I have is standard stained glass. However, I watched several videos of a lady that uses broken wine bottles to do this same thing. I am wondering if you are saying we need to use fuseable glass? And are you saying one cannot mix the type of glass?

[@raysanders332]

I am disappointed in most videos on KZbin for not showing where the ingredients can be purchased. Some do show it, but they still cannot be found.

[@CaptMike]

I try to help with finding supplies, but you can always ask me and I will try to respond.

[@raysanders332]

@@CaptMike Thank you.

[@angelabeach7669]

I'm a newbie.....how much should I price my fused pieces like this for?

[@CaptMike]

All the market will bare, pluse 10%.....Actually I have seen prices all over the place. I have seen prices as high as $20 each, depending on the materials used and then much lower. Myself, since I use only scrap material I sell for $5 each or 3 for $10. I have been told I sell too cheap, but your market will dictate what you can get.

[@erichornbaker8038]

I really like the blue one with marble white on. What did you mix?

[@CaptMike]

I think that one was fused using a blue 3mm piece that had white streaks in it. I capped that with clear.....probably! I have made literally hundreds of these pendants so it is hard to remember exactly.

[@wendypheonix3385]

Thanks Mike, I had an experimenting day yesterday. Few successes and few not so good. What can I do with the not so good ones? Can they be broken and mixed or something? Thanks Mike xx

[@CaptMike]

You can try re-firing or mix the glass with the same COE glass.

[@wendypheonix3385]

@@CaptMike thanks Mike I appreciate your suggestions xx

[@MarkTravisMusicPage]

Hey I had a question from an older video you made. You showed plaster of Paris doesn’t stick to bathroom tile but that it will stick to ceramic. Isn’t the bathroom tile made of ceramic ?

[@CaptMike]

Mark, I will have to re-visit the video to see what I said, but if I remember correctly, plaster will stick to un-glazed ceramic but will not stick to glazed ceramic. At least that is what I was getting at. Reason; one is porous and one is slick.

[@MarkTravisMusicPage]

Capt Mike do you think it would have the same result if you place it on glass?

[@MarkTravisMusicPage]

Capt Mike I mean regular glass not plexiglass

[@manuelgarcia6750]

Is that a Jack Russell in your picture?

[@CaptMike]

Yes, that,s Toby. Sadly he had passed on and I miss him so much.

[@mellisasouza908]

How do we know if we have the same type of fusible glass, I have some but I don’t know the ( coe) type?

[@CaptMike]

Mellisa, that is a real problem. You could take small pieces of different glass and fuse them to check the compatibility (if incompatible it will crack). What I do if I am not sure I make pendants out of the same glass by cutting it into smaller pieces or save it for stained glass projects.

[@raysanders332]

Do you feel it makes any difference in what size kiln you start out with?

[@CaptMike]

It depends on what your end goal sare. If you only plan to do a small amount of glass work a small 120 volt electric kiln will work fine, but if you plan to get into ceramics, a larger 240 volt kiln is a good investment as it will do both glass and ceramics.

[@raysanders332]

@@CaptMike Sorry Mike, I did not make myself clear, I was asking about the kilns for the Microwave. It may be a stupid question.

[@CaptMike]

@@raysanders332 There are no stupid questions. Get the biggest microwave kiln offered. It will work great for small glass projects such as pendants and will also handle bisqueware that will fir inside.

[@raysanders332]

@@CaptMike Thanks Mike, a lady had recommended getting the smallest one if you are just beginning. I have ordered the large one.

[@victoriaperea667]

what happens if you accidentally use glass with different coe's and how can you possibly avoid this if youre using a bunch of scraps???

[@CaptMike]

It' aggravating, but all it will do is crack. If you are using scrap art glass segregate it by color. Test,test, test!

[@nancyruegsegger4259]

You can use different GOD's of glass successfully if the #is within 4 #'s of each other

[@CaptMike]

@@nancyruegsegger4259 I'm not sure I understand. I know that COE 90 and COE 96 are not compatible (within 6 # ). Float glass is hard to determine the COE as there are many different manufacturers. Most of the time (for me anyway) bottle or float glass does not work with COE 90. All my stringer material works with COE 90, but I have some glass rods,COE 104, that will not work with COE 90. It want to crack where it melts together.

[@lobstershorts1]

How many glass layers can you do before it doesn't fuse?

[@CaptMike]

Never tried to see how many will fuse.....but I will. I have done three 3mm in the MWK with no issues. Are you thinking pendants? Larger pieces of glass fused one on top of another seem to give more problems that small pieces.

[@lobstershorts1]

@@CaptMike I was curious. I just found out about microwave kilns this weekend

[@CaptMike]

@@lobstershorts1 good luck on you MWK adventures. Remember, it is addictive!

[@raysanders332]

Can you use gold leaf in Microwave glass?

[@CaptMike]

Ray, I have never tried. If you have the gold leaf I would put a small piece between two pieces of glass and give it a try. I have none or I would try it for you.

[@raysanders332]

@@CaptMike Thanks, Mike, I am getting everything I need to start my Microwave glass fusing. I did ask you another question on a different video about using pendant frames in glass fusing. I have always been told not to put metal into a microwave. I guess the kiln makes the difference.

[@raysanders332]

@@CaptMike I feel a slab of cobalt blue and a slab of clear with a strip of gold leaf in between would be great.

[@raysanders332]

Next, I am seeing people leave the turntable in and some people saying to remove the turntable and the turntable drive, how do you feel about that?

[@raysanders332]

My next to last question is, can you use silicone molds in microwave glass fusing?

[@maryr8364]

How long does a kiln last?

[@CaptMike]

Mary, I have been using my original kiln for about 3 years and except for wear and tear of the soft parts, it is still going strong. Thanks for watching!

[@darrenstettner5381]

I’m just finding out about being able to use a microwave to melt stuff. Is it okay to use my microwave in my kitchen? Or does this ruin a microwave and make it unsafe for preparing food? Do I need to do it in a well ventilated space or is it safe to do inside a room in my house? I’m just wondering if there are any gases or anything to be concerned about. Sorry if you covered that in the video and I missed it.

[@Gilded_Cage_Princess]

I haven't heard of using a designated microwave for this like I've heard of blenders wi rh papermakijg.

[@darrenstettner5381]

@@Gilded_Cage_Princess thanks. I’m thinking I can probably just snag a cheapo second hand one off Facebook marketplace. But my kiln just arrived and I’m too eager to try it to wait. Hopefully it’s safe in terms of any gases it might emit.

[@brucestevens2639]

Great tutorial. This is a must see. I am just starting and I have a question for you. Does the clear glass have to be COE 90? I would appreciate an answer. Love your channel. Thanks

[@CaptMike]

Bruce, all the glass must be the same COE; 90 clear over 90 colored or 96 clear over 96 color, etc.

[@brucestevens2639]

Thanks Captain Mike. I was getting a bit confused with all the info.

[@CaptMike]

@@brucestevens2639 No problem. If you ever have any questions, please ask.

[@erichornbaker8038]

I just got my kiln and I wanted to melt depression glass and it didn’t work. It caught fire after 5 min. I read you can use silicone molds in your kiln? Is that true? Mine burnt

[@CaptMike]

Eric, do not use a silicon mold in a microwave kiln. The temperatures are way too high for any type of silicon or rubber based material. You need to kiln wash the firing platform of the kiln and use kiln shelf paper to keep glass from sticking. Depending on what you want to do, you can just place the glass on the kiln shelf paper and fire.

[@erichornbaker8038]

Yeah I did that?

[@erichornbaker8038]

Yeah I had a feeling the mold wouldn’t work! Lol! I’ll try again without the mold

[@Cashewcream]

I hope the yellow triangle still looked like a slice of pizza after it was fused.

[@CaptMike]

It probably did, unless I f ired it hot enough and long enough for it to round out!

[@iamlennii6791]

I use a microwave kiln as well as a real kiln. All I will say is if you want to sell your items you really need to anneal the glass properly - and the microwave kiln will not do that. Research this for yourself but it's fact :)

[@CaptMike]

Hi Lennii, you are right, a microwave kiln has no way to accomplish proper annealing. However, my experience has shown that small glass objects (1 to 2") usually exhibit no stress if proper attention is paid to glass COE. Of the hundreds of glass pendants, most mixing colors and Dicro I have made I have had maybe 10 crack. It is always a good idea to let your glass ware, even that fired in a regular kiln, sit around for awhile to determine how stable it is. Any glass is prone to cracking. Thanks for the comment and for watching my video.

[@dianne5704]

I have a question about annealing. Could you place the kiln in a insulated box (like a cooler) to keep the temp higher for longer?

[@crumbdav]

People who are using a microwave for a kiln, probably dont have a diamond grinder. Just saying... great information though. Thanks..

[@CaptMike]

Good thought David and thanks for the comment, however many of us who just like to experiment bought microwave kilns just for grins and giggles and also have most of the bells and whistles that make glass and ceramic easier..