Tips For Finding Glass To Fuse In A Microwave Kiln

[@NeopetsBountyHunter]

YOURE AMAZING!!!! I’ve been wondering this for years!!!

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

Thanks for watching 😊

[@diannecrea7090]

Thank you. So helpful! 💕

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

Thanks for watching, I am glad you found the video helpful. 😊

[@pheona1164]

I learn so much from you. I've wanted to experiment with a personal kiln since I saw it on your channel a while ago and this helps a lot when making purchasing decisions. Signed up for the newsletter. Ty!

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

Thanks for watching and joining the newsletter. I am happy the information is helpful 😊

[@Susie_Floozie]

I used to dig up old bottles in a vacant lot, but something about the broken glass stirred my soul. I began painting the shards, sealing the sharp edges with gold paint and embellishing the fragments of embossed words. It later came to me why I did it: Enhancing the flaws removed the stigma of brokenness, making the scars a positive focus of the piece...much like the shattered parts of my own psyche cried out on a subliminal level for a similar healing. Well, HELL--live and learn. There's nothing like getting a sudden deep realization that gobsmacks you silly.

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

I think that is one of the things I like most about upcycling there is something healing about creativity on it's own but it is enhanced by using something broken or unwanted. There is a metaphor in there some where that I am not putting into words very well. :-)

[@orirune3079]

Another good source of bottles is sparkling water bottles. Topo Chico has a great pale green color (and thick bottles), and I've found green, light blue and dark blue sparkling water bottles as well. I too have been fusing different glasses together in the microwave and have had almost no issue. I've seen a couple pieces crack here and there, but it's pretty uncommon.

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

Thanks for sharing your experience and for the tips on finding glass. 🙂

[@robinbrook5624]

For those who don't indulge, you can just place an ad in a local online group/app and people will often give you their empties for free! Thrift glass, I refuse to break an older nice glass item, however places like Goodwill receive chipped or broken items and occasionally have a piece get broken in the store. Contact the manager and tell them you would like their broken pieces. Most will let you have them for free, since they were just going to put them in the trash anyway.

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

Great ideas thanks for the tips. 🙂

[@beverlywalker8215]

Have you tried fusing frit, crushed glass? I have heard that crushing glass allows the fusion of different COE values without the fracturing issue. I haven't tried it yet as I'm still gathering glass to recycle and testing crush methods.

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

I haven't tried fusing frit but thanks for the info and for watching.

[@orirune3079]

I've tried something similar with my recycled glass. I use those same tile nippers to shape my glass a bit (usually just cutting off sharp corners). It leaves me with a little pile of small glass chips, which I save and mix together. You can fuse them into a little pendant by putting a small pile of those chips in your microwave kiln and firing them together. It makes a sort of confetti-like pattern in the pendant.

[@lrb3989]

I use tequila bottles blue and brown

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

Thanks for the info 🙂

[@lrb3989]

@ and it’s fun to collect them 😆

[@kbeth9967]

Have you ever used Uranium glass?

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

Sorry I haven't. Thanks for watching.

[@kbeth9967]

@@UpcycleDesignLab You should try it . Uranium glass would make awesome beads for jewelry! ! I could send you some uranium pieces if you want to try it and don’t have access to uranium glass.. I tried your technique for making beads and I failed..lol

[@UpcycleDesignLab]

@@kbeth9967 thanks I will look into it. I make plenty of failures myself fusing glass in a microwave kiln is a very inexact science. 🙂