Creating Layered Dichroic Jewelry with HoneyDoo Zuper Glue
HoneyDoo Zuper Glue is a great way to build stackups of fused glass that you can easily transport to the kiln without worry of your creation toppling. In this video, learn how to make a layered dichroic glass tile, fuse it in the kiln, and cut it into pieces for jewelry. Gather your materials: various fusible dichroic on black and clear glass, a 2” x 2” square of black or other color glass for the base, a 2” x 2” piece of clear glass and HoneyDoo Zuper Glue.
If you’ve ever had super glue cure in the bottle after only using it once, then you’ll love HoneyDoo Zuper Glue! The triple distilled process of HoneyDoo Zuper Glue removes all the impurities during the manufacturing process, producing a cleaner and more consistent bond each and every time. HoneyDoo Zuper Glue remains pure and ready for use over and over again.
After cleaning your glass, begin by cutting the dichroic glass into smaller shapes and bits. You can plan out a particular design if you’d like. But, I’ve found that totally random dichroic arrangements turn out beautifully. I also like to use smaller pieces of dichro as opposed to filling large areas with the same pattern.
HoneyDoo Zuper Glue cures quickly and burns off clean in the kiln, making it ideal for using with fused glass projects that are made up of several small pieces.
For your first layer of dichroic, dab a bit of HoneyDoo Zuper Glue under each piece of glass before laying it on the base piece of glass. As you construct, you want to try to keep the whole stack fairly level. This will prevent the clear cap from sliding off of the stack when it’s in the kiln at elevated temperatures.
For the second layer of glass, dab a bit of Zuper Glue in the spots where the pieces will overlap.
Continue building, remembering to keep the stack fairly level.
When you’re happy with the arrangement, decide where to glue the clear cap and place it on the glass. It’s take approx. 30 seconds for the HoneyDoo Zuper Glue to really grab on. It will fully cure in 2 to 3 hours. You don’t need to wait for it to cure before you put it in the kiln, though.
Remembering that all kilns fire differently and that both the type and placement of glass in the kiln will affect the firing schedule you use, here is a sample full fuse firing schedule that includes a bubble squeeze segment to help eliminate bubbles between the multiple layers of glass in your stack. (A bubble squeeze segment is a slow, extended warm up between 1000 and 1150 degrees Fahrenheit or 590 and 620 degrees Celsius that allows the glass to slowly warm up and relax to express any air bubbles between layers of glass.) It’s a good idea to keep a journal of your firing schedules for reference so you can change them as needed.
Your dichroic tile is now ready to be cut up into smaller pieces that you can make into pendants, earrings, magnets and more. Begin by cutting the tile in halves or thirds. Each subsequent cut should be in halves, as well. It’s hard to remove small portions of glass from the edges of the tile, and it becomes harder to separate the glass as the pieces become smaller. For small and exact cuts, you’ll need a wet tile saw with a diamond blade for cutting glass.
When you’ve got your pieces cut to size, you’ll fire them in the kiln again to soften and fire polish the edges. If you want a very defined edge, fire the bits to a lower temperature like 1400 degrees Fahrenheit (760 degrees Celsius). If you fire to 1480 degrees Fahrenheit (804 degrees Celsius) or higher, your pieces will become globs.
Attach bails and findings, when they’ve come out of the kiln, and you’ve got a handful of beautiful, new, layered dichroic jewelry.
For more project ideas and instructional videos, visit http://www.Streuter.com.
For ordering information or help with questions, email info@streuter.com.
Contents:
-cutting dichroic glass
-layering dichroic glass
-applying HoneyDoo Zuper Glue super glue
-tips for building the stack
-cutting the dichroic glass tile
-sample firing schedule for a full fuse with a bubble squeeze segment
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