Sheet Stained Glass COE

[billtcat]

So I got all this sheet scrap from a gal that gave up stained glass work, Anyone have any idea what the most commom COE of this stuff is. I WANN MELT IT !!!


Bill

[PyroChixRock]

prolly 90...could possibly be 96.

[billtcat]

hmm looks like I need to try some mixing and see if it survives the kiln.

Bill

[Dennis Brady]

If it was for stained glass, it makes no difference what COE it is - it won't fuse to anything except another piece from the same original sheet. With non-fusing rated glass, the COE is too different between colours and between individual sheets in each colour to be used for kilnforming. Plus, it's almost guaranteed to badly devitrify - most at 1200F slumping temperature and pretty much all at 1450 fusing temperature. None of it can be colour mixed and extremely little of it will survive a kiln firing.

If you try taking it up to melting temperature (1500F) you'll likely have a colour shift to something that looks like a cross between baby shit and swamp water.

Unless you can identify the specific makes (most people that do stained glass could help you) there's little if anything you do with that glass. I've experimented with about a dozen different makes of art glass (non-fusible) and found that some of the Spectrum and GNA can be used, but nothing of the other makes.

[dislexei]

Depends on what glass. if it's system 96 well then it is just that. But there are other makers with there own batches.

[Dennis Brady]

Even if it's identified as Spectrum, it likely can't be used. If the glass came from somebody that did stained glass (as opposed to kilnforming) it's exceedingly unlikely any of it was Systems 96. The colours are the same, but the glass is significantly different. One major difference is that the art glass contains calcium (which encourages devitrification) while the Systems 96 glass has substituted zinc for the calcium. The other major difference (even more important) is that regular art glass isn't made to the assured COE standards of Systems 96.

In short, if you ain't sure it's Systems 96, it ain't useable.

[Alfred]

Unless you want to use it for stained glass.

[wahoo]

I say mix your little heart out. years ago I made little pendants and stuff will scrap stained glass and didn't have a problem. I did it in the first class I ever took that was taught by two scientific blowers. I still hang out with the guys so if I remember I'll ask them more about it.
If you have never worked with soft glass before just remember to heat it slowly.

[UmaJulz]

Bullseye sheet for fusing is tested compatible across the line. actually I have only ever fused BE and CBS dichro- 90COE. Never wanted to get into the whole "system 96" thing.

I leave the little "tested compatible" sticker on my sheet glass in case my memory fails. hahaha, in case...

You can melt sheet glass for things like beads, staying with the same sheet or, like I said above, witin the BE tested compatible stuff.

[FredLight]

A few years back, while working at Pacific Art Glass, I sold a box of busted up stained Glass to a marble maker. After he went home and played around, he said it was closest to 96, but had marbles where he mixed it with 90.

After checking one under a polariscope, it looked to be just fine with 96 Spectrum Clear. He actually gave me one, and it's still in one, perfectly round, piece.

If you are making anything that you NEED to survive, don't risk it. But otherwise, have fun!

[prairieson]

I WANN MELT IT !!!

I'd recommend melting it then!

Seriously though, we've used stained glass scraps to make small blown vessels, sometimes with good results... sometimes not so good. It would probably be a good idea to not mix different sheets for reasons mentioned above, and the irridescent stuff will burn away and be pretty useless.

What the heck, nothing ventured nothing gained. What's the worst that could happen... you'll waste a couple of hours having some fun experimenting.