It’s amazing how much art and engineering have in common. Art concepts are born from a small spark. But it takes hot, burning desire, coupled with ingenuity, to actually transform such obscure ideas into physical reality.
There’s got to be an easier way.
I’ve been making fused glass sinks for years. In the beginning, I constructed them using the layered method. This type of construction has a beautiful, round finished edge when the fused glass comes out of the slumping mold.
It wasn’t long before I expanded my techniques and started building sinks using the cast method. This sink style is much thicker. The glass comes out of the mold with a slightly texture edge. This type of sink construction requires grinding and polishing to make the edge smooth and shiny.
Sinks are advanced projects that involve a considerable amount of time to construct, a sizable amount of material and a skilled craftsman to complete successfully. When it comes time to cold-working your masterpiece, you want to feel confident that the job will go smoothly. And so it was our intention, to build consistency into this otherwise unstable task. That’s why we modified a readily available carpenter’s roller stand, into a customized sink support/guide that would provide us with reliable results time after time.
If it worked for me, it’ll work for you.
This new, re-purposed tool significantly streamlined my workflow and improved my success rate. Here’s how you can make your own sink stand/guide.
Start with your standard, home improvement store variety roller stand. Remove the metal roller. It comes off easily by depressing two buttons, one on each end of the roller. The mechanism works similar to toilet paper roll holder. Cut a 2” x 2” block of wood to fit between the uprights. Secure the wood in place with wood screws, one on each end. Cover the surface of the wood with a strip of nylon, like the white cutting board used in your kitchen. The nylon holds up longer than the bare wood and it won’t scratch your glass as the edge becomes shinny. Hold the nylon strip in place with two wood crews. Be sure to countersink the screws so they don’t come in contact with or damage your glass. Pre-drill two holes for the dowels behind the nylon strip. Press two hardwood dowels into the holes in the wooden base. These dowels serve as stops that help you maintain a consistent distance from the grinding wheel throughout the grinding and polishing process. Tip: Don’t glue the dowels in place. They wear out quickly, and therefore will need to be replaced every few sinks.
Once you have one of these stands, you’re certain to find multiple uses for it. So don’t hesitate to add this handy tool to the supply of tools in your studio.
Supplies
Roller stand
Wood screws
2” x 2” strip of wood cut to size
1”- 1 ½” wide strip of nylon cut to size
3/8” thick hardwood dowel cut to size
Excerpt from my Make a Fused Glass Sink Webinar
For more in-depth information on making sinks and large vessels, join me for my next webinar. All the pro tips and tricks will be revealed. Plus, you’ll get my custom firing guides for fusing and slumping sinks and large bowls.
Let’s get together and make sinks in my Make a Fused Glass Sink webinar Tuesday July 27, 2021.
Happy Fusing!
Lisa
Follow my blog for weekly inspiration sent to your inbox!
Upcoming Webinar and Class
Make a Fused Glass Sink with Lisa Vogt Webinar July 27, 2021
In this comprehensive Webinar, I’ll guide you step by step through the time-tested processes I use to make large-scale, functional vessels.
You’ll learn safe handling techniques for cutting oversized circles, how to fuse and slump thick pieces to retain consistent bowl height, plus trade-secrets for worry free drilling.
In addition to fabrication know-how, you’ll receive a complete supply list, specifics on kiln requirements, source information for the slumping mold and drill kit, as well as helpful installation tips.
With all the professional tricks revealed, you’ll gain the confidence and knowledge needed to make your own dazzling beauty.
In addition, I’ll demonstrates how to make a glittering dichroic sink. I’ll show you how to make a cast glass sink from nipped glass pieces, dichroic bits and frit. Plus, you’ll be guided through the various cold-working steps I use to finish the cast glass sink edge to a glamorous, professional, quality polish.
Sculptural Fused Glass, 4-Day, Hands-on Workshop October 19-22, 2021
Wesley Chapel, Florida, 4-Day, Hands-on, Class size is limited.
This is the turning-point workshop you’ve been waiting for.
It’s hard to describe what it’s like when I’m feeling the creative flow. Time flies. Hours pass in what I thought were minutes. My naturally distracted mind is focused on what my hands are doing, and nothing else. I get lost in my own world. When I return to reality, I feel rejuvenated and spiritually uplifted. That’s why I like sharing my studio space with others. I try to give them that experience and hope they feel the same inspiration and fulfillment I do. -Lisa
This class is for you! Any skill level can attend. Beginner, intermediate and advanced students alike will learn how to advance their glass fusing skills and expand their artistic style.
Join me and I’ll show you all the pro tips and tricks I use to make stunning 3-dimnesional art. You’ll learn how to combine advanced techniques in new ways to create extraordinary sculptural pieces of art.
You’ll leave class with several completed glass sculptures, my custom firing guides and a deeper understanding of sculptural fused glass fabrication. You’ll have the knowledge, confidence, and inspiration you’ve been craving to take your artwork to the next level.
Materials are included, that’s a $150.00 value!
May 2021 Student Testimonials
“My favorite thing about the class was the creative freedom – we were not required to make the same thing the same way. I was surprised by the variety and number items we made and the flexibility we had to go our own way with our projects. The glass studio was very comfortable and very clean with plenty of room.” -Ron
“My favorite thing about the class was the projects were tailored to our interests with user specific glass choices and design options. This makes the best type of learning environment. I loved the continued technical information that was used in daily discussions. Loved the amount of space we had for working and the use of top-quality tools and the hands-on assistance Lisa gave each one of us. You will hear and see me again. Thank you for your time and talent.” – Donna
“My favorite thing about the class was the creativity – putting things together in new ways – using different materials – and how welcome I felt. I was surprised how much we were able to get done and by Lisa’s ability to coach those of us on different levels. My least favorite part was that the class ended. The classroom setup was excellent – well organized. I really feel like Lisa gave me the tools to advance to a new level. It was worth the cost of the workshop, airfare, B&B, animal care and house sitting! Can’t wait to put what I leaned into practice and return for another workshop.” -Sue
Read more student testimonials on my website.
Artwear Designed for Artists by Artists Tell them how you really feel with bold T-shirts, Eco-conscience tote bags and sassy mugs.
Downloadable instructional videos for every skill level.
I replaced the wood dowels with 1-1/4″ high nylon washers from Home Depot. I screwed them into the vinyl surface, but not so tight that they can’t rotate. What I like about the nylon washers is that they last forever, they rotate as you are turning the bowl/sink and they have less friction than the wood dowels.