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I have tried to explain a bit of the process of Freeze-n-Fuse below.
This is a new technique recently discovered (or recently re-discovered since
Ancient times). Phil Teefy of Rainbow Glass in Sacramento offered
a workshop in Napa in September 2006, where we made some molds out of RTV Silicone, made glass
leaves with the freeze and fuse technique, and did some kiln casting.
First, we made a clay base to rest the leaf on. We rolled out a sheet of
clay, moistened it with drops of water, and place our leaves on the clay (vein
side up). Using a dental pick tool, we made the lip of the silicone mold by
digging a 1/4" outline around the outside edge of the leaf into the clay.
We then drew a light outline 1/2" away from the ditch, and then sliced
the clay in a general leaf shape another 1/2" away from the outline.
Next, we needed to make a dam to hold the silicone mold making mix. Again,
we rolled out some clay, using 3/4" spacers on either side of the rolling
pin to ensure a level and evenly rolled clay strip. We sliced strips of clay
1" wide, and made a dam by placing the clay strips along the light outline
and edge of the clay base.
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Now we're ready to mix and pour the RTV silicone. The silicone mixture is quite expensive, so we measured the volume of our dam (L*W*H) so that we didn't make an excessive amount of silicone. After mixing the two part RTV silicone, we poured it into the mold, holding the bucket about a foot above the dam, and letting it run into the mold in a very thin stream, to prevent bubbles from forming in the mold. After pouring the mixture into the mold dam, we vibrated the table to help any bubbles that may have gotten trapped to work their way to the surface. |
For more molding instructions and ideas, check out The Enchanted Gallery. There are instructions and pictures of another silicone molding compound called Mold-n-Pour.
After the mold has set according to instructions...
Now we're ready for the fun, artistic, creative process of Freeze-n-Fuse! Yea!!
Tools: mold, plastic cups, Oral B "Hummingbird," spoon or stir stick, water, glass powder (frit size 08), a proper dust mask should be worn to prevent the inhalation of glass
 Start by measuring your powder into a plastic cup. You can mix colors with clear powder to create lighter shades. You may want to keep a record of the exact amounts of glass mixed (in grams) if you want to be able to replicate certain colors. It is easiest to mix several colors that you will be using in different cups before you are ready to pour them into the mold. |
After you have measured out and mixed the glass powders in their separate
plastic cups, you are ready to add a little water.
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Add enough water so that you can mix the glass easily. The desired consistency of the paste that you are mixing will look liquid-y when you stop stirring, but will have a paste-like consistency while you are stirring it. |
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Pour off any excess liquid. Stir again and check the consistency. Add or subtract water until the paste-like yet watery consistency is reached. |
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Paste-like consistency when stirring... |
Watery appearance when resting...  |
 After
you have all your cups of paste ready, you can begin adding them to the
mold, adding a little at a time and tapping with your finger to prevent
bubbles or pockets of water from forming.  Top of Page |
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After the mold is filled, use the hummingbird again to vibrate the mold and settle all of the glass, shaking all excess water to the top of the mold. This water can be sopped up with the corner of a paper towel. Place the mold in the freezer for at least an hour, and not longer than overnight. The water in the paste will start to dehydrate if the mold is placed in the freezer for too long, resulting in a finished piece that has "fallen apart". |
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After the piece has frozen, you can take it out and transfer it carefully to the kiln. The colder it is in your studio, the more time you will have to clean up your piece before firing it. Gently brush away any overhang or rough edges on your piece, after slipping it out of the mold. Place the piece in the kiln and fire. |
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| Programmable firing schedule for Freeze and Fuse pieces in the kiln: Segment 1: Segment 2: Segment 3: 1275° temperature for a matte finish
1300° temperature for a semi-gloss finish 1325° temperature for a polished finished, but a little loss of detail 5 minute hold
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This process is much easier to understand when you've got someone to watch, but with a little trial and error, you'll figure out the right consistency. (And it doesn't have to be too exact!)
The finished leaf (I haven't polished it or smoothed out the edges at all.) is 3-7/8" from tip to tip, and1-3/4" wide.
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When the finished piece is placed inside of the original mold it will be about 30% of its original size.  |
I added too much powder to this mold all at once, and the ball of wet glass sucked up the dry powder that I was using as an accent in the mold. |
This leaf stayed in the freezer a little too long - 2 nights. The extended stay dehydrated the poor little guy and it "fell apart" in the kiln. As the kiln heated up slowly, there was not enough water to create a viscosity to pull the glass in on itself. |
The frit used to make this leaf was too large. Fine powder needs to be used in order to get all the detail of the mold. Of course, if you're going for more abstract, this is a perfect look! |
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Freeze and Fuse Gallery:     |
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I found several great molds at The
Enchanted Gallery!
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There's even more great information on the Warm Glass Bulletin Board and the folks over at Pyros Glass Studio in Ithaca, NY have lots of info and even some kits to help get you started!
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After
adding water and stirring, lay the hummingbird horizontally across the
top of the cup to vibrate the mixture and settle the glass to the bottom
of the cup.
