Pressing glass, porcelain and metal into pottery

Simon: I have a friend (a fellow potter) who puts pieces of broken stained glass into a depression he creates while throwing a bowl (the depression is in the center of the inside bottom, not the outside). He says that the glass melts nicely into a puddle and fuses to the bowl. He has even had some success in lifting the kiln lid quickly and stirring the glass with a metal rod to swirl it while it is molten. (He might be doing that during raku, rather than regular firing. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me, but the results are beautiful. I always wondered why he had no eyebrows :>) No idea what he uses for clay or glaze, so in that, you are on your own. I just know that it's possible. Hope that helps, Wayne Seidl

Organic matter burns up, glass melts, metals mostly melt. Ceramic shard?? impossible to know what temp they were first fired to. I suggest you look into the learning the technique of mosaic. You could still make your own pots and mosaic found items after.

I place pieces of broken wine / sherry bottles into the bottom of bowls, blues and greens work well. I fire to cone 9 and it melts well, cone 6 is a bit too low a temperature and the glass looks like melted plastic.

Different glass has different melt temps just like glaze (its a similar material) so its best to keep it contained inside a bowl when firing.

When the bowl cools it contracts at a different rate to the glass to you get crazing, which is very affective.... but don't use the bowl for liquids / food.

Regards

Kevin.