Glass Slumping
The process with glass slumping is similar to glass fusing but it does not require as much heat. During the heating phase glass is brought slowly up to around 1000 deg f. At this temperature the glass begins to soften and the edges will begin to glow. At around 1200-13000 deg. f. the glass will take the shape of your mold and the pieces, if any, will begin to stick together.
Challenges
The main concerns when heating glass depend on the thickness and diameter of the piece. The larger the piece is the slower you have to heat it to avoid thermal shock. Other challenges include knowing the right temperature for your particular kind of glass and making sure you anneal the piece correctly to avoid weaknesses in the glass.
Market
With the reemergence of the craft market, glass work in general has made a noticeable comeback. Many of the major wholesale shows are becoming predominantly glass because of its wide-range appeal and utilitarian capabilities.
Kilns
Though we do have glass specific kilns like the chameleon series, glass slumping can be achieved in any of our kiln series. All of our automatic control options come with pre-programmed glass slumping schedules which can also be customized by the user.
