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A 13-part Oceanside Glass learning series with Jackie Knowles, built for artists who want a clear path from tools and compatible glass through firing, troubleshooting, safety, and a finished sample project.
Search a technique or choose a producer to narrow the lesson list.
Want to learn how to cut glass? This video on Glass Cutting Basics introduces essential techniques for cutting sheet glass cleanly and accurately—perfect for both beginners and experienced kilnformers. Learn the tools and tips you need to shape glass for your kilnforming projects with confidence.
Using heat and gravity, art glass can be shaped over and/or into molds in a kiln to create an almost endless variety of forms. In this lesson you will learn about glass “slumping” methods, with a focus on using commercial ceramic molds.
In this lesson, we will cover strategies for successfully reheating pre-fired work, the cumulative effect of heatwork on glass, and how to anneal works that have been fired multiple times. We will also look at some special considerations.
Want to learn how to fuse glass? This video on Fusing Basics, introduces essential fusing techniques that can be applied to creating everything from simple art pieces to complex kiln-formed projects.
In this lesson, you’ll learn the effects of firing to different tack fuse temperatures. We’ll also cover firing schedule considerations to avoid thermal shock and promote effective annealing.
Check out this tutorial from Wissmach Kiln Consultant Drew Kail!
The holiday season is here, so it's time to decorate the house! We here at Wissmach designed a fun and cute fused glass tree ornament project to help. The video shows each step in the process described on our website. We also list the firing schedules. We encourage you to watch the video and then use the tutorial as a reference. Let's get started!
Wissmach Kiln Consultant Drew Kail provides a detailed tutorial on creating beautiful kilnformed patterns utilizing gravity and flow.
Wissmach Kiln Consultant Drew Kail provides a detailed tutorial on a really cool technique where artists can make a variety of colors using clear frit mixed with colored frit powder. There are many ways this technique can be applied but it's especially useful and relevant for casting projects.
Lesson 1 of this instructional course provides an overview of the glass fusing process and walks through all the necessary tools and materials while noting which are 'must-have' vs. 'nice-to-have'.
Lesson 2 of this instructional course introduces tack, contour, and full fuses, breaks down the phases of a typical firing schedule, and demonstrates how to program a kiln.
Lesson 3 of this instructional course explains C.O.E.s and glass compatibility principles, as well as qualities to consider when choosing glass for a project, including color consistency, reactive potential, workability, and manufacturer support.
Lesson 4 of this instructional course demonstrates how to create bubble-free projects that maintain their desired size and shape post-firing. It also explains how glass thickness changes according to 'The 6mm Rule', why bubbles form during firing, and the benefits of introducing bubble squeezes to firing schedules.
Lesson 5 of this instructional course introduces frit, stringers, noodles, and rods, shows techniques for incorporating these accessory glasses into projects, demonstrates how to work safely with each one, and explores the different aesthetics they can produce.
Lesson 6 of this instructional course delves into the causes and prevention of devitrification, and provides a step-by-step tutorial of how to clean a project prior to kiln-firing it.
Lesson 7 of this instructional course shows how to prepare kiln shelves and molds with shelf paper and shelf primer. It explains the the advantages and disadvantages of primers and papers, and also demonstrates the specific preparation differences between kiln shelves, ceramic molds, and steel molds.
Lesson 8 of this instructional course demonstrates how to use fusing molds to slump, drape, and cast glass pieces. It provides sample firing schedules for each of these techniques, and also explains how to modify schedules to account for different glass viscosities.
Lesson 9 of this instructional course is a make-along that combines the skills learned in Lessons 1-8 by walking through the step-by-step creation of a simple slumped dish with a fishy twist! It shows how to follow a fused glass pattern while also providing an opportunity for hands-on practice with sheet glass, accessory glasses, and multiple kiln firings.
Supplementary Lesson A of this instructional course outlines key safety precautions to take while glass fusing to protect your health and maintain a safe workspace, including how to properly perform dust-generating and fume-generating activities. It also provides key certification ratings to look for when choosing safety equipment for your studio.
Supplementary Lesson B of this instructional course tackles the most common problems glass fusers face: unsightly bubbles, scummy devitrification, and unexpected cracks. It also takes a deep dive into why each of these issues occurs, better allowing artists to diagnose and remedy future fusing issues.
Supplementary Lesson C of this instructional course describes strategies for designing fusing patterns, including size, complexity, and color palette considerations. It also shares tips on how to design patterns as efficiently as possible.
Come take a virtual tour our factory in Baja California to see how our tile and art glass is produced!
In the Cut Like a Pro series, industry experts, Steve Shupper of Glass Accessories (Toyo) and Meggy from Colorado Glass Works, team up to bring you current on the many tools and methods of glass cutting.
There are many options for finishing glasswork once it has come out of the kiln. You can use expensive machines to cut, carve, grind, and polish work. Or you can achieve these results simply, effectively, and inexpensively by coldworking with loose grit. (Loose grit is composed of particles of abrasive media, in this case silicon carbide, the same material typically found on wet/dry sandpaper.) In this lesson you will learn the advantages of working with loose grit over fixed-abrasive machinery, how to set up a grinding station, how to grind glass with loose grit, and different finishes you can achieve.
This instructional course's special Bonus Lesson demonstrates how to cut, shape, and engrave dichroic glass without damaging its delicate surface, as well as how to kiln-fire it using techniques that maximize the sparkle and depth of its dazzling coating.
Wissmach Kiln Consultant Drew Kail clears up a few things about what strikers are and what to expect when you use them in your glass projects.
This new video tutorial explains the 6mm rule in glass fusing and what to expect when firing different thicknesses of glass.
Check out the latest educational video from our Kiln Consultant, Drew Kail. He goes over some simple tests to learn if you have a hot or cold spot in your kiln, how different glasses have different viscosities, and how different process temperatures impact different Wissmach glass products.
This tutorial is for an 8”x8” fused glass sushi-style plate.
Wissmach Kiln Consultant Drew provides a detailed and in-depth look at glass color reactive potential, its meaning, and how it shows up. Different colors hold different amounts of reactive materials. Results are not quantifiable or uniform and may vary based on batch, process temperature, specific color combinations, and other factors.
This latest video from Wissmach Kiln Consultant Drew provides a variety of seasonal project inspiration and instruction.
Wissmach Kiln Consultant Drew provides some fun and creative powder stencil projects.
Many people find cutting billets intimidating, so our Kiln Consultant Drew Kail has created a quick instructional video showing how to do it in a few simple steps.
Create a winter-themed landscape piece with depth for richness and dimension.
We love glass, and we love our community - Happy Almost Valentine's Day, folks! To make this fused glass heart, our Kiln Consultant Drew cut a heart shape out of two pieces of fiber paper that were each 1/4” thick, to make one 1/2” thick mold. He then lined the fiber paper mold with papyrus paper and placed another piece underneath on the kiln shelf. He then alternated 1/2” thick strips of glass using 96-52 Dark Red Transparent and 96-03 White and fired the heart to a full fuse.
Delphi Glass demonstrates how to create mosaic stepping stones, from layout and materials through the finished garden-ready piece.
A Delphi Glass technique lesson on drilling holes in glass safely and cleanly for fused, stained, and mixed-media projects.
Tour Delphi Glass materials and stained-glass selections with a focus on browsing glass choices and studio inspiration.
Delphi Glass introduces drape molds and how they shape warm glass forms in the kiln.
A Delphi Glass explainer on annealing: why glass needs controlled cooling and how it supports stronger kilnformed work.
Delphi Glass covers foundational glass fusing concepts, tools, and setup for getting started with kilnformed projects.
A Delphi Glass lesson on reactive glass effects and how color chemistry can influence kilnformed results.
Delphi Glass demonstrates drop rings and how heat, gravity, and kiln setup create dropped glass forms.
A step-by-step Delphi Glass project video for making a mosaic stepping stone.
Delphi Glass shows how to cast leaf forms with fusible molds for textured kilnformed glass projects.
His Glassworks explains how to use diamond drills to make small holes in glass for coldworking and studio projects.
A His Glassworks coldworking lesson on choosing the right abrasives for grinding, smoothing, and finishing glass.
His Glassworks walks through diamond abrasive types and how they work when shaping or finishing glass.
A His Glassworks explainer on siphon-fed sandblasters and how they move abrasive media for glass surface work.
His Glassworks introduces flat lap grinders for diamond disks and where they fit into a glass coldworking workflow.
A His Glassworks lesson comparing electroplated and sintered diamond wheels for lathe-based glass coldworking.
His Glassworks demonstrates hand-lapping glass with silicon carbide abrasive for controlled coldworking by hand.
A His Glassworks lesson on using pumice as a pre-polish step before final glass polishing.
His Glassworks demonstrates coldworking with diamond disks for grinding and refining glass surfaces.
His Glassworks compares loose grit grinding with diamond disk grinding so artists can choose the right coldworking approach.
Steve Shupper demonstrates how to score and break clean glass circles with a Toyo Super Circle Cutter in Oceanside's Cut Like a Pro glass cutting series.
A behind-the-scenes Oceanside Glass look at Sabine Maiberger teaching leaded stained glass panel fundamentals during the Glass Craft & Bead Expo classroom series.
Scandia Wood shares creative approaches for using Fusers Reserves specialty glass in fused work during an Oceanside Glass demo and artist chat at Glass Craft & Bead Expo.
Erica demonstrates controlled safety breaks and clean glass cutting habits using a portable glass studio system in Oceanside's GCBE classroom series.
Carol Erickson demonstrates decorative soldering as a structural and visual design element for stained glass work in Oceanside's GCBE classroom series.
Wesley Wong demonstrates kiln-formed glass easel stands and functional display ideas for finished glass art in Oceanside's GCBE classroom series.
Jamie Kuykendall demonstrates advanced vitrigraph approaches for organic shapes, flowing forms, and confetti-style elements in Oceanside's GCBE classroom series.
Elyse introduces decorative soldering basics for adding texture, dimension, and intentional detail to stained glass work in Oceanside's GCBE classroom series.