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Drop Ring
Basics
Most commercial drop ring molds are a
simple ring of vitreous clay, around six to eight inches in
diameter. These rings have a small hole in the center, and
are suspended on kiln furniture stilts before firing. The
basic firing process is simple:
- Apply kiln wash to the top side of the
ring. Make certain you coat the edges, and then wait
for the wash to dry thoroughly.
- Create a circle of glass that's
slightly smaller than outside circumference of the ring.
This circle could be fused in a separate firing or you
could simply cut an unadorned circle from a sheet of glass.
- The glass should be at least 1/4"
(6mm) thick (two layers of standard stained glass).
A good rule of thumb is that the glass should be 1/4"
(6mm) thick for the first four inches you want to slump,
then an additional 1/8" (3cm) thick for each two inches
after that.
- Use kiln furniture or firebricks to
prop the ring at the desired height. Take care that
the stilts don't block the hole in the center of the ring.
- Center the glass circle on the ring,
making certain that you can view the project through the
peephole of your kiln.
Now you're ready to fire. Click here
to continue.
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Copyright 2005 Brad Walker. All rights
reserved.
Parts of this discussion
have been previously published in Glass Craftsman
magazine. More advanced drop ring techniques, such as tack
fusing and slumping in one firing, making custom drop rings, and
creating rimless vases and bowls drop rings, will be discussed
in future daily tips.
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