Turning Reclaimed Scrap Glass into Cabochons
I was a glass artist for almost 20 years. Over that time I accumulated a lot of scrap glass. Some from my own workings, some from other artists. I love taking what has been discarded, and turning it into something beautiful.
Step 1: Gathering My Glass
I choose the colors I want from my scrap stash, and cut and crush it even smaller.
Step 2: Setting up the Fusing Mold
I line a section of steel pipe, that I got from my local welder’s scrap bin, with kiln paper and strategically place the scraps that I’ve chosen. The paper keeps the soon-to-be molten glass from sticking to the steel while in the kiln.
Step 3: Fused Glass Pucks
After about 20 hours in the kiln, the pucks are removed from their molds and cleaned up.
Step 4: Cutting the Glass Pucks into Disks
I reveal the inner designs by cutting the glass pucks with a wet saw, into 1/4″ thick disks.
Step 5: Shaping the Rough Stones
I then choose the areas of design that I like, and cut the rough shapes from the disks.
Step 7: Grinding and Polishing
I grind the stones, through at least six grits of successive grinding and polishing wheels, into their final shapes. Sometimes I stop at a matte finish, while others I take to a high shine.
It’s a time consuming process that took me some time to work out, but I love the final outcome.
