Strip Cut Construction Techniques
By Steve Immerman
First published in Glass Craftsman, Issue No. 206, Feb/Mar 2008
Introduction
Many glass artists begin by working with stained glass, which is usually two dimensional construction, wi
th the glass laid out in a single thickness and assembled using either lead came or copper foil. Fused, or kilnformed glass is a process that not only allows, but encourages thicker and more complex projects, opening up a myriad of new possibilities of creating art out of sheet glass. Most of my work over the past four years has been made using a technique called called “strip cut construction”. With this technique, I am able to create one-of-a-kind pieces that contain designs, such as that shown in to the right. Klaus Moje is the artist to which this the development of this process is usually attributed.
The Process
In strip-cut construction of a fused glass piece, strips of glass are cut from sheets of glass, and assembled on edge, rather than laid flat. This technique not only lends itself to designs with geometric and linear components, but also produces an almost bubble-free final piece.
The process begins by determining the size and shape of the project to be created, and then drawing the outline of the project on a piece of Thinfire® paper. This refractory paper performs a dual purpose - is used to cover the kiln shelf, preventing the glass from adhering to the shelf during firing, and is also very useful for drawing the design guidelines for the project. One can draw just the outline, or draw a complete layout of the design. Thinfire paper can also be run through a laser printer if a complex drawing needs to be reproduced. After firing, Thinfire® paper gives the back of the glass a smooth, slightly textured surface. I feel that it is preferable to shelf separator (kiln wash) because it minimizes the chance that particles of the shelf separator will find its way between the many strips of glass during firing.
The Thinfire® paper is then placed on the kiln shelf. The shelf can be in the kiln, and the project assembled inside the kiln, or the shelf can be placed on your worktable and moved to the kiln after assembly. The type of kiln you have will determine if construction within the kiln itself is even a possibility. A front-loading kiln or a very deep kiln would make this awkward; while a bell or clamshell type kiln would make it easy.
Once the design and colors have been chosen, sheets of compatible sheet glass are cut into strips for the desired thickness of the finished piece. Three eighths of an inch is a reasonable thickness; and easier to cut than 1/4" strips, but any thickness can be used. The glass can be cathedral, opal, or a combination; and the piece may also contain design elements that are not of strip cut construction, such as pre-fired pattern bars, aperture pours, squares of solid color, frit patterns etc. The strips can be very long, or very short. Pieces composed of very short pieces can resemble mosaics, as seen below.
