Recycled Glass Earring Tutorial

I have a Paragon Caldera digital kiln that I use for my metal clay. I chose this kiln because it is a great size for small items such as jewelry, it is programmable, and can be used for my metal clay as well as glass and ceramics. Very versatile for the price. It is a top loading brick kiln. For about $40 more, I can get a lid with a high temperature window, or if I want to anneal glass beads I can add on a bead annealing collar, or an enameling collar if I want to get into enameling. A very versatile kiln that grows along with your art. Clicking the following link will take you to the website, Clay-King.com, where I purchased my kiln.

First of all, I coated my kiln shelf with kiln wash. I also kiln washed the bottom of my kiln so that if any glass melted off the shelf, the bottom of the kiln would be protected. Kiln wash keeps the glass from sticking to the surface of the kiln shelf. Kiln wash can damage heating elements and care should be taken that no kiln powder or kiln wash comes in contact with the heating elements.

I then set the kiln shelf on top of kiln shelf supports to elevate the shelf and allow air to circulate around the shelf. I then put my assortment of glass beads on the shelf about 1/2" - 1" apart depending on the size of the beads. The larger the bead, the more space I allowed between beads.

All kilns are different and not all schedules will work for every kiln. It is best to take notes when you fire so that you can adjust the schedule when necessary to get the effects desired.

Be aware that there are different types of glass with different rates of expansion, or coefficient of expansion (COE). If mixing different glasses that have different COEs, the result can be cracked glass when cooling as the glasses cool at different rates. It is best not to mix glass together unless the COE is known for each piece. As for beads, it is best not to mix them and melt together.

With small items such as beads, the following firing schedule will be sufficient. Note that degrees are in Fahrenheit.

Firing Schedule
Segment One
Rate: 300 degrees
Temperature: 1450 degrees
Hold: 10 minutes

Segment Two
Rate: Full
Temperature: 1000 degrees
Hold: 1 hour

Segment Three
Rate: 200 degrees
Temperature: 100 degrees
Hold: 0

The whole firing process and cooling takes about 12 hours to complete.

If the bead cabochons are not completely round, fire again. The more you fire the glass the rounder the cabochons will become. Some beads didn't work as well as others. The beauty of using beads is to see the surprises that happens after firing. I found that many of my Czech glass beads did well as well as many of the Austrian crystal bicone beads. Any beads that are lamp work and have the bead release still in the hole do not do well.

After the cabochons are cooled, I clean the kiln wash off the back of the cabs by scrubbing with soap and water. After I thoroughly dry the cabochons, I then glue surgical steel posts with pads on the backs of the cabochons using Gorilla Glue and let them dry completely. I experimented with different glues and found Gorilla Super Glue to be the best for holding the cabochons securely to the posts. I love the no-clog nozzle. Just glue and hold for 30 to 60 seconds and your project is complete.

The earring posts come in different pad sizes. It is best to use the largest size possible for more surface area to hold the glue. I usually buy these from suppliers on Etsy.com