Glass Fusing and Lapmworking

Many people ask why don't I offer glass beads if I do glassworking anyway. There are a wide range of wish list in my blog comments and other feedbacks: some people would like some long ones and others wish to have somehuge ones or even tubes. There are many great ideas and inspiration in these comments, but fusing and lamworking are two totally different things.

Fusing
Fusing means cutting and layering some glass sheets and fuse them in a kiln at about 1500F. The end result is determined by the temperature and time spent in the kiln.




Lampworking
For lampworking you need a special torch to heat the glass rods until melting point. Then you "twist" it on preaheated stainless steel rod. These rods are previously covered vith a special liquid, that helps to separate the rod and the glass from each other.


Both of them has to be annealed. Annealing is a way of slow cooling method to minimie the stress inside the glass. If it is not sow enough, the glass will break.