glass bails & drilling

shafeenan · February 01, 2015, 10:46:13 AM

Hi there - me again!
FIRST - Thanks again for the info on fusing timetables.
NEXT QUERY! having been spectacularly unsuccessful with:
(a) any of the kinds of wire I've tried (ie don't like the colour-change when you can see it through clear glass)
(b) making channels in the glass to take a wire or ribbon
I'd like to find out if anyone knows if one can buy glass bails in the UK. I have seen some items for sale with lovely u-shaped glass loops but haven't found a site that sells them.
Alternatively, can anyone advise on drilling holes (I assume BEFORE firing) - I've seen three types of drill bit that are supposedly ok for glass: one looks like a 'tube' or straight 'rod' coated in gritty stuff, one looks like an ordinary drill bit (with a spiral) and covered in gritty stuff, the third looks like an arrow-head. Has anyone tried any of them?
Thanks a bunch
Happy Sunday!

flame n fuse · February 01, 2015, 02:54:11 PM

you can drill after fusing, but you need to keep the glass cool. Build a dam of plasticene around the planned hole and add a little water. then you can drill, but take it slowly.

Zeldazog · February 01, 2015, 03:56:29 PM

Nope, if you drill before firing, the molten glass at fusing temperatures will fill the gap.

Tempsford Stained Glass used to sell glass bails, but I haven't seen them for a while, I think the guy who was making the Bullseye compatible ones in the USA no longer does them,

I did see a tutorial/YouTube video once a while back, perhaps if you Google it, you might be able to track it down?

shafeenan · February 01, 2015, 04:43:17 PM

Thanks - that's particularly helpful as I was assuming I'd need to drill first! like the plasticine dam idea. great.
Just in case someone else wants to find them, I did discover ready made glass bails on etsy, from the states, but £1 each BEFORE postage!

Zeldazog · February 01, 2015, 07:31:38 PM

Quote from: shafeenan on February 01, 2015, 04:43:17 PM
Just in case someone else wants to find them, I did discover ready made glass bails on etsy, from the states, but £1 each BEFORE postage!

That's about normal price, and if you take a look at how they're made, you'd see why, not a straightforward process.

Nicknack · February 01, 2015, 07:46:49 PM

You can get some fibre rope from Warm Glass, which you put in the glass so that when you fire it there's a hole where the rope was. You put a layer of glass, then a layer with a gap a bit down from the top, filled with the rope (with a bit hanging out of the ends) then a layer on top. After you've fused it you can pull out the rope and you will have a hole through which you can thread a chain, ribbon, or thong.

Hope this makes sense. Just an alternative.

Nick

shafeenan · February 02, 2015, 08:00:01 AM

Have been trying the fibre rope trick but it is very hairy. someone suggested rolling it in pu glue, so I tried that - whichever way I did it the rope got stuck inside and I have ended up having to drill it out! and in some cases the whole thing slipped so I got a groove rather than a channel! that's why I decided glass bails might be the answer. I shall persevere!
I wonder if that fibre board in strips might be a better answer?
Thank you to the person who sent me an email - I'll write to you separately.

Trudi · February 02, 2015, 08:16:48 AM

Instead of rope you can dip a cocktail stick in beadrelease .. Allow to dry.
The stick will burn out in the kiln and you'll have a nice hole.

Zeldazog · February 02, 2015, 08:46:26 AM

Or 3mm ceramic fibre paper. Cut in a narrow strip, it lays nice and flat, remember to make sure whatever you use overhangs the sides of the glass by a few mm, so that the glass doesn't melt down the side of it, and remember to leave it a bit of space from the top.

Pat from Canvey · February 02, 2015, 08:56:04 AM

If you have a disc bead with say a 5mm hole made in the same glass as your main piece of glass, you could slide the bead between two 3mm pieces of sheet before fusing and fuse. That way, the part of the bead inside the pieces will fuse with the main body and hopefully leave a semi-circular shaped bit to use as a bail.

Trudi · February 02, 2015, 07:24:24 PM

I've put a reply in the other thread

shafeenan · February 03, 2015, 02:34:44 PM

Thanks to all of you - and especially Trudi - I've sent you a PM as well as grateful thanks in the other thread.

shafeenan · February 10, 2015, 08:29:13 AM

Just want to tell all of you what a whizz Trudi is!
Chanced just one of the glass bails she sent me on Sunday. It was only my 11th firing up of my little SC2 so didn't want to chance them all!
A BRILLIANT RESULT (Trudi I've pm'd you as well)
Now just need to work out how to add a picture so I can show off - my best piece to date!

shafeenan · February 10, 2015, 03:43:13 PM

Here, I hope, is a picture of Trudi's glass bail in use https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=612719028872447&set=a.107477019396653.13012.100004030666122&type=1
I know it's not much design-wise, but I think Trudi's bail is a gem!

Trudi · February 10, 2015, 07:42:41 PM

woo hoo .. so glad it worked ok!! .. and I love the design!