(samples of submissions for 2006 Warm Glass Magnet Exchange)

Rorschach Tiles -  How to ....

The following describes the process I use to make them.  Virtually all of what I describe can be modified with generally predictable results.

Start by building a dam.  I use 2” high strips of ¾” vermiculite board (a refractory grade material which cuts/works like wood) fastened together with 3” SS screws to create a dam with an internal cavity of 6” X 6” X 2”.   I line the interior walls with 2” strips of 1/32” thin fiber paper (NOT to be confused with Bullseye Thinfire paper, an otherwise outstanding product not appropriate for this application) secured to the board with 25 gauge high temperature (Ni-Chrome) wire; this insulation makes disassembly (and reuse) of the dam walls easier.  

Place the dam upon a kiln shelf which has been well-covered with several coats of wash.  Fill this dam with pieces of glass of your choice.  I use pieces with a surface area of approx 1” square with little concern for the shape; different sizes will prompt different patterns.  This is a wonderful opportunity to use scrap/broken pieces &/or previously fused but unused or discarded elements (“Don’t refuse to re-fuse!”).  A 36”sq. dam (above) will hold approx. 1500 gms. of glass (because of the substantial variability of weight/area of art glass, a very approximate equivalent is two ft.sq.). While this charge is intended to reach the brim of the dam, the height of this glass will, upon melting, fall by about half to approx. 1”, to occupy all the free (air) space originally occupied by the glass shards.

(About colors: as with a pot melt, you should use dark ones (particularly black) very sparingly as they tend to overwhelm the others disproportionate to their volume.  And, while this process works not-at-all with cathedral glass (Yuck!), blending nuggets of clear with the opals can create some particularly interesting windows which draw attention to the tile’s depth, similar to cat’s eye marbles.)

Prior to the manipulation, the kiln shelf should be steadied within the kiln, either by placing it directly on the kiln floor &/or buttressing the shelf against the kiln walls.  During manipulation, drawing the tools through the inch-thick molasses-like consistency of the molten charge may cause the shelf to become unsteady or shift were it simply sitting on short posts (the dam containing the charge needs no such bracing).  Additionally, during manipulation, your tools should approach the bottom of the glass charge, but you should be mindful not to scratch the kiln shelf and draw any of the dislodged material (wash) or fiber wall liners into the glass.

        Now the fun/art begins!  This is one of very few interactive fused glass process which are conducted at temperature, and all the appropriate safety considerations regarding eye and clothing protection should be observed.   The charge is heated to approx. 1700 deg. F.   As there is no threat of thermal shock to the shards, fire at the maximum rate of which your kiln is capable.   Upon reaching temperature, the molten mass of glass can now be manipulated with the same metal-tipped tools which would be used for combing.   Cooling these tools in an ice water bath will help retard the annoying adhesion of the glass to the metal tips and singeing the wooden dowels to which they may be attached, which will occur in a matter of seconds, so … work quickly!   After mixing the shards in a combing-like fashion, close the kiln lid, return the tools to the ice water bath, allow several minutes for the molten charge to return to working temperature (1700 deg. F.), and repeat as often as your artistic sense suggests.   The frequency and direction of your combing passes (along with the original size and distribution of the glass shards) will determine the internal pattern you create; as usual, experience will be your best guide.   When done manipulating, allow the mixture to remain several minutes at temperature before ramping down, to allow the surface of the charge to settle and any bubbles introduced to return to the surface.

          Crash cool to the annealing stage, which should be extended to reflect the substantial thickness of the glass block.  The System 96-recommended schedule is as follows:  

Constructed in this fashion, an uncut glass block is like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates; until you “bite” into one, you never know what you’re going to get!  The discovery (tasting) is a large part of the fun.   The photo(R)  illustrates the cooled block, which has been top-lapped and trimmed on three sides.   I use a MK-100 tile saw with a 10”, .032 width Result multipurpose diamond blade supported by 6” aluminum wheel stiffeners.   The cooled block is cut into ¼ inch-wide slices to reveal the interior “pattern”.   The pictured block yielded 22 slices; because I usually set aside the less-figured outer ends (for a pot melt or other reuse), I was able to create 10 paired sets.  NB It is critically important to the Rorschach process that, going forward, the sequence and orientation of the cut slices be maintained, or else the symmetry that the process depends upon is compromised/destroyed.

These slices can then be lightly trimmed by a flat lap machine or a surface grinder, to assure that the pairs, when joined, fit together cleanly/snuggly.  Because the top surface is where the pairs are joined, it is the top surface (only) which benefits from being lapped or ground; the bottom tends to be very flat in any event.  The grinder set-up shown in the photo, which includes an adjustable gate/fence screwed into the grinder’s surface, is an extraordinarily useful arrangement for grinding straight lines, parallel lines and/or other consistent, regular shapes (squares).  Note also the tube through which flows fresh water directly onto the face of the grinding head (not shown is a similar tube attached to the grinder base for the continual discharge of waste water).

Paired sets are created by “book ending” slices.  This is done by taking adjacent pairs and abutting their top surface (lay the right slice down on its left side, and the left slice down on its right side).  Because combing of the molten charge is conducted from the top surface (no kidding?), it is the top of the block which tends to be more “figured” than the bottom and the sense of symmetry is enhanced by this orientation.  While you may be initially disappointed with the seeming lack of symmetry the process shows when you view these paired sets from the top, you will find the symmetry is substantially greater when you observe their underside (go ahead … peek!).  After all, it is the underside faces which were closest together before being sliced apart.  I separate/surround these pairs with glass strips and mullite dams before I return them to the kiln for a second, more “ordinary” firing cycle:  

When you remove the piece from the kiln and clean away the kiln wash or paper, you will find a dramatic (positive) difference between the bottom side pattern and the top side.   While the top side currently sports a shinier, fired finish, these pieces are intended to be reversed and will almost certainly be further incorporated into a larger plate/bowl/dish arrangement and refired (during which process, the rough/shiny texture distinction will also be reversed).  At this point, (after you saw to separate the several (10) matched pairs) the Rorschach process is largely complete.  Depending on your trimming, slicing and grinding, the above project could yield as many as 30 (10 bars X 3 ea.) 1.75”sq. tiles.    Your yield may fall, however, if you elect to irregularly trim the bars to capture some particularly fascinating figure, &/or you may elect to discard some whole bars altogether.  Now is the time to closely examine these slices in order to capture what you think are the most interesting images which you’d like your audience to “see”.  While some will doubtless be more interesting and pleasing than others, I feel certain that you will consider many/most to be simply and literally “fantastic”.

Hmm … now, what to do with all this “scrap”?!

(samples of submissions for 2006 Warm Glass Magnet Exchange)