ADVANCED FUSING CLASS WITH LUCIE BOUCHER

Went to Waterville last Saturday and attended an advanced fusing glass taught by Lucie Boucher.  She was smart and funny and gave me quite a few ideas about new techniques to try.  I took pictures and will try to remember all the things she said.  :

The first picture is for the SMASH technique.  As you can see in the above picture, Lucie has placed several small pieces of colored glass over a round clear blank.  She placed that on a kiln shelf and placed small layers of fiber paper on the corners.  Over that she puts a shelf which is weighted down by kiln furniture.  And she fires it with the following schedule:

300dph......................................................1225 degrees...........................hold 3 hours
Full............................................................1500 degrees...........................hold 1 1/2 hours
Full..............................................................900 degrees...........................hold 2 hours
100dph........................................................700 degrees...........................off

Lucie said she broke her kiln shelves when she used this technique.  I tried to find this technique on the internet but was unsuccessful.  I didn't try searching with the term smash.  Will try now. No more information on this technique.  I guess I will have to try it myself.

 Above is example of kiln shelf on top of other kiln shelf with glass pieces on it.

This is most interesting.  I believe she called it Flow Fusing.  The first layer on bottom was 6mm clear; second layer was stringer and noodles; 3rd layer was 3mm clear.  She said it was 6 or 7 layers.  She put piece down on kiln shelf, but one side was elevated and during fusing the molten glass flowed to the lower side.  In fire polishing she went real slow; 20dph and held it at 1000 degrees for 4 hours.  She did cold working with a lap grinder, first using a 20 grit and working up to a 400 grit. 

The above image and following images are what I believe is a murrini maker.  I have a smaller version of that.  This one was steel which she lined with fiber paper. 

The above is working with fiber blanket to make a mold.  You place kiln furniture on the kiln shelf and toss the blanket on top of it, then place your glass over that.

Examples of all the pieces, the yellow dish using pattern pieces as well as the small blue dish and the piece furthest back, Lucie made with 1800 stringers.  Finally she talked about Hotline Mold Hardener.  Pour it on and press with a rolling pin.  Get it saturated.  Let it sit til its dry enough to cure in the kiln.  The advantage of this is that you can get a smoother surface than with the fiber blanket. 

All in all it was a wonderful class.  I enjoyed Lucie and she gave me lots and lots of information.