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Sea Shell Inclusions
This is part of a
series on inclusions in glass. To start at the beginning,
click here.
It's not uncommon for people to try sea
shells as an inclusion in glass. As with most inclusions, this
is most often attempted by sandwiching small shells between two
layers of glass, then firing to a full fuse.
Unfortunately, sea shell inclusions are
rarely successful. Most often, the shells disintegrate and
crumble, leaving behind a whitish powder. Alternatively, the
shells can create large gas bubbles or trapped air in the glass.
Successful fusing sometimes occurs, but this is less common.
It's difficult to predict how a
particular shell will behave when used as an inclusion. Even
two shells of the same type may behave differently when fired.
This is because shells contain impurities and chemicals that can't
be detected with the naked eye. As a result, there's no easy
way to tell how a shell will react to the heat of the kiln just by
looking at the shell. And since trial and error most likely
results in the shell turning to powder, shells are more often
successfully used as forms to create molds and cast items, rather
than as inclusions.
Coming soon -- using
shells to create molds and cast items.
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Copyright 2006 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
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