Strip Cut Construction Techniques
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Cutting the Glass
In my work, I use almost all Bullseye glass, but any kind of compatible glass can be used - as long as the various glasses used are all compatible with one another. Some colors of glass, such as black, will blend together when laid up in parallel strips in such a way that the delineation between the strips is barely visible; and others will have a very distinctive striped pattern, such as Bullseye’s French Vanilla. You will have to experiment to get the effects that you desire.
Cutting large quantities of strips can be a difficult and tedious task; particularly since art glass is often slightly textured. There are various methods and tools to do this, but a simple cork backed straight edge, running pliers, ruler, and hand held glasscutter are usually sufficient. One trick is to first cut the glass into thicker strips than needed, and continue bisecting the strips until the final width is achieved. For example, if 3/8" strips are
required, cutting 3" wide strips - then 1 ½" strips - then 3/4" strips - then 3/8" strips prevents frustrating breakage. It is helpful to pre-cut the amount of strips you estimate you will need, so you can concentrate on design and assembly during the next step.
Damming the Piece
If the project is thicker than 1/4", you will need to create some kind of enclosure to contain the flow of the glass during firing. Without an enclosure, or dam, the glass will spread out as it tries to equilibrate at a thickness of 1/4". I use strips of ceramic kiln shelves for the dam material, but stainless steel strips or pre-made stainless steel shapes will work also. I line the damming material with 1/8" of fiber paper. If a smoother edge is desired, an inner layer of Thinfire® paper can augment this. I cut the fiber paper and Thinfire® 1/8" shorter than the thickness of the piece. So, for a project that will be 3/8" in thickness, 1/4" strips of the fiber paper and Thinfire® will be needed. This will allow the surface tension of the glass to stay above the level of the fiber paper, and will minimize a rough, “needled” edge when the pieces of glass are fused together.
Assembly
The project can be assembled within the dam, or alternatively, it can be assembled with temporary weights or rulers holding the project in place as it is assembled - and the dam and 
fiber paper lining added as a last step. Whether the project is assembled starting in the center of the design and working outwards - or starting in one corner and working down and out - depends on your preference, and on the particular design.
As assembly progresses, the strips of glass can be cut to the needed length either with a glasscutter or a mosaic nipper. One nice aspect of a strip-cut project is that it lends itself to on-the-fly design changes if it does not look right as it the lay-out progresses.
There are both advantages and disadvantages of creating strip cut pieces in this technique. The advantages are the types of designs you can create, and the absence of trapped bubbles. The disadvantages are that some degree of edge
grinding and polishing will be necessary. And, in some situations, grinding and polishing of the surface of the glass may also be desired. All of these steps requiring additional tools.
After the piece has been fired, the top and bottom sides of the project will look distinctly different. The top will be smooth and glossy, but the lines between the strips of glass will have a wavy, organic appearance. The bottom of the piece will be satiny rather than glossy, having picked up a texture from the Thinfire® paper. It may also have picked up any imperfections on your kiln shelf, but it will have crisp, straight lines between the strips and the design elements. It is quite acceptable to use either side as your display side - but it is best to decide this during the initial design process to avoid disappointment.
Once construction is
complete, and the dams are in place, and the shelf is in the kiln, some additional supports are usually added to insure that the dams do not move during the firing process. Although the glass does want to spread out at high temperatures, this does not present any enormous outward force – yet it is worth making extra sure that your dam assembly will stay precisely in place.
