Bead Brunch Demo Recap...Setting a fused glass cabochon

Thanks to all who came to Bead Brunch last Sunday, June 10th. In honor of the Fused Glass Trunk Show the demos were setting fused glass in metal and PMC. If you missed the show, Weir Glass will be back in late February for another Trunk Show.

The first demo focused on using PMC3 with fused glass. More on that demo in a future post. However, for those of you who were at the demo and wondering how the piece turned out, it did survive the kiln firing and looks great.

The second demo was about using fused glass as a setting in sheet silver. The steps are outlined below and include bonus "after" photos of soldering and setting the piece in a ring.


Step 1: Choose the piece to be set and measure the thin bezel strip (28 gauge) around the setting. The strip should fit snugly around the stone. Solder bezel closed using hard solder.






Step 2: Solder the bezel strip to the backing of the setting using medium solder. Here I used 22 gauge sterling sheet cut to a circle using a disc cutter. Check the solder join all around to make sure that the piece is completely soldered to the plate. If there are gaps, lightly tap them flush with a rawhide hammer to close and resolder.


Step 3: Cut a ring band from 18 gauge ring stock and size to fit. Close join using medium solder from the inside of the band and draw it through the seam using the torch.








Step 4: Even the ring band by using a flat file and filing on both edges.









Step 5: Solder finished bezel to ring band using easy solder.









Step 6: File and polish ring and set stone.









The ring is ready to wear.

Do You Fuse?

We've got fused glass on the brain at Beadissimo. Bead Brunch and a Fused Glass Trunk Show are coming up on June 10th. Pictured at the left are some beautiful samples of the fused pieces that will be at the show.

Kate will be doing both demos. At 10:30 Kate will show how to make a pendant combining fused glass and PMC. (A sneak-peak from our class on August 2nd.) At 11:30 she will bezel set a fused glass piece in sterling silver so it can be worn as a pendant.
The Trunk show starts at 10 AM and will have many lovely fused pieces that are all ready to wear on a cord or you can take the design further and create a lovely beaded necklace around one of these beautiful centerpieces. Hope to see you at the show.