Hello,
I'm new to fusing and molding, but I have a potential client who wants specific geometric patterns in dinner plates. Given his request, I've decided to go hexagonal. The borders on the lines, circles, etc. must be clean and clear. I'm especially concerned that the design will warp during the slump. Would a great advantage be gained by firing clear glass on the same plane as the colored designs? What I mean is using a clear base, and, rather than fusing a single blue square on the top, fusing a single blue square surrounded by clear glass.
I would think that this could provide a good amount of resistance to curtail the curve on the borders and keep them sharp, but I am not certain about this. The six sides around the center will be used in the designs.
Can I expect good results when using streamers in the fuse? I've been reading the group for a week or so, so I've seen the tips on selecting glasses with the same COE, et cetera.
When I create the first design, should I create a disk to be slumped, or should I cut the sides (like a 6-sided snowflake) and eliminate the darts / excess material that would gather at the corners?
I've thought about creating the patterns inside the mold, and then fusing them all together, instead of separate fusing/ slumping phases?
lastly,
I've thought about prepping the (purchased)and fuse, and asking a local stained glass shop to slump it, because I haven't got a kiln yet. Would any Fort Worth stained glass shop consider this, or is this kind of request too unprofessional?
Thanks,
Chris the Unwise