Success with Recycled Glass for Fusing?

IksBeadedCreations · #1 2012-08-31, 10:07am

I've been sifting through the Tips threads and reading up on using recycled glass. From what I've been reading glass from windows and glasses is a different COE of glass than jars and bottles. I have all sorts of questions floating around in my brain.

Do any of you use recycled glass and have you had a lot of success with it? I'm looking to experiment by crushing glass and putting it into small molds like pendants, knobs, paperweights etc... I'm wondering if I can mix the coloured bottles with clear, or if I should pretty much stick to a one colour item just to avoid compatibility issues.

I've read about the COE testing by layering a known and unknown and pulling a stringer. Is this the best way? Is it just a lot of trial and error?

If I make something with recycled glass, slump it, clean it etc... is there a chance that it would break because of compatibility issues down the road, or is that the kind of thing that happens as soon as it cools? My concern is that if I make something and sell or gift it, could it crack and break 6 months later? I understand the thermal cracking with beads, but I'm not sure how it works with fused glass. If you use a polariscope and there are stress cracks, is there a way to fix it or is it done for?

Thank you so much for your help! I'll probably have way more questions as I go along

Eileen · #2 2012-08-31, 10:12am

I have done a little fusing with unknown COE glass and from what I have read you use glass only from the same piece. That is what I did with mine. My reading tells me that a crack can happen down the road, not only immediately, so I didn't want to chance it.

I don't know about the polariscope and showing stress, but as far as I know, once you mix COEs there is no way to fix the piece if it stresses.

Three Muses Glass · #3 2012-08-31, 10:23am

You should stick with glass from the same bottle, window, etc. Even if the bottles are the same brand and color, it doesn't mean the COE is the same.* You can add other things that aren't COE dependant like a little gold leaf, some silver leaf and things like that. I wouldn't even use enamel and definitely not frit. There's a good chance you'll get devit fusing bottle glass or window glass too.

*I once fused some bottles together from the same case of beer. Conservative schedule. The rainbow colors through a polariscope were absolutely spectacular. That's a bad thing and it was destined to self-destruct. Which it did.

Eileen · #4 2012-08-31, 10:49am

The glass I used had a different fusing temp than my 96 also, so you would probably want to play around a little and experiment.

Eileen · #5 2012-08-31, 11:03am

These starfish (the lighter one color ones) were made with glass frit made from crushing a piece of heavy float glass and full fusing in a home made mold.

Three Muses Glass · #6 2012-08-31, 12:06pm

Those are so cool Eileen!

Eileen · #7 2012-08-31, 6:37pm

Thank you Rebecca. My DIL was given a rubber starfish by her professor when she graduated with a degree in social work, along with the story of the starfish "makes a difference to this one" .

She gave it to me and I made a clay mold to use for fusing. Several people wanted to do the same, so there are others floating around out there now too, LOL.

nwmud · #8 2012-08-31, 7:18pm

those are so cool. they look great.

Eileen · #9 2012-08-31, 7:23pm

Thanks Ritch. The other two were made with 96 COE glass and I was able to use a couple of colors of frit, but I like the solid color ones just as much.

bob · #10 2012-09-01, 3:27am

Quote:

Originally Posted by IksBeadedCreations

I've been sifting through the Tips threads and reading up on using recycled glass. From what I've been reading glass from windows and glasses is a different COE of glass than jars and bottles. I have all sorts of questions floating around in my brain.

Do any of you use recycled glass and have you had a lot of success with it? I'm looking to experiment by crushing glass and putting it into small molds like pendants, knobs, paperweights etc... I'm wondering if I can mix the coloured bottles with clear, or if I should pretty much stick to a one colour item just to avoid compatibility issues.

I've read about the COE testing by layering a known and unknown and pulling a stringer. Is this the best way? Is it just a lot of trial and error?

If I make something with recycled glass, slump it, clean it etc... is there a chance that it would break because of compatibility issues down the road, or is that the kind of thing that happens as soon as it cools? My concern is that if I make something and sell or gift it, could it crack and break 6 months later? I understand the thermal cracking with beads, but I'm not sure how it works with fused glass. If you use a polariscope and there are stress cracks, is there a way to fix it or is it done for?

Thank you so much for your help! I'll probably have way more questions as I go along

The coe of window and bottle glass are different, they are formulated for two different purposes.

compatibility issues can show up any time from when you take it out of the kiln to months or years later.

If you don't mix your glasses you wont have any problems. Some people don't mind useing polariscopes but I hate tying up my kiln for a day just to find I have an issues with my glass.

The coe of float glass is in the 82 coe area.

Most people don't like fusing with recycled glass but I do. It is a lot stiffer than art glass so it likes a longer soak at your higher temps.

Here are a couple of my pieces:

Bob