About the
Freeze 'N' Fuse™
Technique
Freeze 'N' Fuse™ is a fun new way to make 3D glass forms without refractory molds!
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What is Freeze 'N' Fuse™?
Freeze 'N' Fuse™ is a terrific new Pate-de-Verre technique to make 3D glass pieces without high-temperature molds. You can use any flexible mold, including inexpensive candy and soap molds. Pieces fuse on a flat kiln shelf at about 1300 degrees F.
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How does it work?
The basics are incredibly simple. Just mix glass powder with water. Place the slurry in a flexible plastic or rubber mold. Tap or vibrate the mold to make the glass powder settle to the bottom; then blot off the water on top. Put in the freezer. After the glass/water mix is frozen it will pop out of the mold like an ice cube. Place it on a flat kiln shelf and fire it at about 1300 degrees F for 20 minutes.
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Come on! Isn't there a trick?
Well, no; not really. There are techniques that let you control the color and surface finish, and many ways to make your own molds. We teach these in our classes. We also sell a line of products for those who are freezing and fusing.
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Can I see some examples?
Absolutely! The two glass shells below are cast from the original (right). I cast them in a latex mold. Latex molds are great for this sort of work because you can turn them completely inside out to pack the points of the shells. The glass shells are about 2 inches long. You can see that Freeze 'N' Fuse pieces shrink about 15% in all dimensions.
This next shell is special because it was made with Northstar borosilicate glass. It fused at only 1600 degrees F. This means that borosilicate casting is possible in ordinary glass fusing kilns! BTW, the points glow in the dark!
Here is King Tut. He was made in a big candy mold, and is about 6 inches tall. The linear details were piped out of a syringe using Pyros Ultrabind. They were placed on the inside of the mold before it was packed with clear glass.
Freezing and fusing works really well for thin sections and small pieces that you might use in jewelry. This sun face is about 1 1/4" across, and the rays are about 1/16" thick. It was cast in a commercial mold intended for polymer clay.
Of course, you can go larger. Here is a piece made by one of my students at Hot Glass Horizons. She was a metal sculptor and this was the first glass piece she ever made! She made the mold out of Silicone caulk, and was probably the best moldmaker I ever watched. This turtle is about 4" long and 3 inches tall. It was fused in an Evenheat Hot Shot kiln. Since it was a larger piece, I ramped up the temperature at 40 degrees/hour starting at 1200 degrees. It was completely done by the time the temperature rose to 1265!
And another student project: a spruce cone, about 6" long. This, too, was cast in a silicone mold made from cheap silicone caulk and Pyros Silicone Accelerator. Look at the detail on the scales!
And here is a snapshot of some colorful dinosaurs made from one of our kits. Since no one really knows what color dinosaurs were, kids can feel free to be creative. I like the red baby Triceratops...
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Do you have to anneal these pieces?
Yes. After fusing, this is solid glass and has to be annealed just as you would any solid piece of comparable size.
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How do you use Freeze 'N' Fuse™ pieces?
After they are fused, pieces are solid glass and may be used as you would use any other piece of glass. You can make them into jewelry, pins or magnets, or tack fuse them to larger pieces such as plates, tiles, etc.. The picture at the top of the page is a holiday set by Jennifer Kimball featuring FNF poinsettias.
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That's Cool! What do I need to get started?
First, you'll want detailed instructions, which you can find in several places:
- Our article in the July/August edition of Glass Art Magazine
- Our tech notes
- Our scheduled classes
- Our kits, which each come with instructions
- This interesting thread on the Warm Glass Bulletin Board
Second, you'll need glass powder. You can freeze and fuse with any glass powder as long as it is all the same COE. We sell powder kits based on Bullseye 90 COE glass. All kits come with color mixing charts and instructions.
Third, you will need flexible molds. You can use candy or soap molds that you buy at any craft shop, or can make your own molds using Latex, Silicone or flexible Polymer Clay.
Fourth, You will find our Pyros Wetting Agent to be an invaluable aid in filling rubber or plastic molds while preventing bubbles.
Although freezing and fusing requires NO binder, you might sometimes want to use a binder to make a sticky paste. This is helpful if you are trying to paint designs on the inside of a mold, or pipe glass paste through a syringe or pastry bag. Glass powder fuses at relatively low temperatures and you need to make sure that you use a binder that burns out well at low temps. I have tested a lot of binders and recommend Pyros Ultrabind.
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Do you sell starter kits?
YES, we have two kinds. Our fun kits are suitable for anyone who wants to try this. We currently have four fun kits with more on the way. Kits come in bright TV-dinner style packaging, and include molds, glass, mixing cups, accessories and complete instructions. Our more advanced starter kits come with mold materials, tools, powders and more detailed instructions. We also sell individual supplies for those who are freezing and fusing.
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I tried it and my pieces came out wrong. What happened?
I've probably made that mistake! Look for Freeze 'N' Fuse troubleshooting tips in
How to Freeze 'N' Fuse -
Do you teach classes?
Absolutely! See our scheduled classes, or drop us an email to inquire about classes near you. We are currently booking classes in 2007. We are happy to come to your facility, especially if it is warmer/sunnier/less-flooded than upstate New York :-)
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Is there a book or video about Freeze 'N' Fuse™?
Coming soon! Look for our book and video in late 2006.
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How can I order Pyros products?
Our on-line shopping cart is finally here! Of course you can still place an order by phone, fax or email. We are real people and would love to talk with you! Just check out our contact information.
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How does this compare with other pate-de-verre techniques?
Like any technique, it has its advantages and limitations. Benefits include fast results, fine detail, less cleanup, no refractory molds, no binder or wax to burn out, and a lower, faster kiln cycle. It is also easy to maintain thin sections and add inclusions to the glass.
Here are the limitations: You do not get crystal-clear castings, due to the numerous tiny bubbles that are trapped in the piece. Also, at least one side has to be flat. Then there is the obvious fact that Freeze 'N' Fuse pieces shrink when they are fired. It remains to be seen whether large castings and more complex shapes can be done with this technique, so I don't think that this spells the end of refractory molds :-) .
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How did you come up with this?
First of all, I'm not the only one. I recently heard from a lady named Lynn Miller in North Carolina, who independently started freezing and fusing at about the same time I did. Neither of us knew that the other existed! Apparently we were both listening to the same channel on the cosmic radio. I think this defines "synchronicity"! And just recently I was talking with a mold maker who used to work at the Franklin Mint, and he said that at one time they explored a similar process for casting porcelain.
So anyway, here is how I stumbled over it. Back in 2004 I was looking for the "perfect" binder to make glass clay. Since then, I've recanted on that idea, and now think that there is only the "appropriate" binder for what you are trying to do.
At that time I was doing burn-out testing on a lot of binders and I needed something to compare them to. But I couldn't get plain wet paste out of the mold! Then I read a paragraph on casting engine blocks that included the word "freezing". A lightbulb went on; I tried it, and the pieces popped out clean as a whistle. When I fired them I was just amazed. I'm still testing binders, but Freeze 'N' Fuse has taken on a life of its own.
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Is freezing and fusing patented?
Not as far as I know. In fact, I've tried to make sure that it will not be patented. Please use it; this is how we advance our art. If you've ever thought about patenting something you can read more, here.
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So why did you trademark the name "Freeze 'N' Fuse"?
Only as a name for our particular product line. After investing a lot of time in this, I thought it was worth having a name that identifies my work. As far as the technique itself goes, I'm always happy to teach it and I'm delighted that people are using it!