People often wonder how hard it is for a glass artist to consistently produce high quality works. There are many steps to the creation of each piece and at any of those stages errors can occur that produce different effects. This FAQ (frequently asked questions) has been compiled to help people understand some of the many steps involved in the creation of a fine piece of glass work. It concentrates on the fusing and slumping area of glass work.

Essential things to know about handmade glass!

In this world where everyone expects everything to perfect, there are important things to remember about handmade glass.

Hand made glass is not perfect! If you want perfect and identical glass pieces, I can't help you. Go to a retail store and buy factory made glass!
Each piece I make will have some variation in size shape colour. I work hard to be consistent and keep variation to a minimum but the glass varies and when the glass goes into the kiln it's out of my control!
Even large pieces costing thousands of Euros, hand made in world famous glass works of Murano and Venice, will have slight variation and imperfections such as an air bubble.
It's the slight variation which you should cherish and value. That's what makes each piece unique, like a finger print!

Colour and texture
The glass that I use (from USA) is not perfect or identical. It can have variation in colour, pattern or texture. Some colours such as red might have wave patterns.
Some variation such as waves and spots are not visible in the raw glass and will only be visible after being fired in the kiln.

Air bubbles
The raw glass sheets are not perfectly smooth, so when two pieces are fused together, air can become trapped between them. Air bubbles are more likely to occur between larger pieces of glass because the air can't move and escape during the time it is in the kiln.

Shape
Each is subject to the temperatures and influences of the kiln. Slumping in the mold can vary. The glass might not slump evenly into the mold. It's not unusual for larger pieces especially, to be not perfectly flat at the base.
If you want a perfectly flat base, you should buy glass which has had the base ground flat. Buy glass made in a factory!

Protecting your glass and the surface it sits on
If your glass is going to be moved around, there's a good chance something will get scratched. My kiln fired glass is harder than ordinary glass such as table tops. I'm sure you don't want to scratch your table top!
To protect your handmade glass and the surface you put it on, I recommend you have something under it such as a placemat or self-adhesive small silicon rubber feet to the underside. I put small silicon rubber bumpers on many pieces. That way they are less likely to scratch other surfaces or be broken. They will be much more stable and not slippery.