The latest project was another big one: 200 award medallions for the 40th Anniversary of the Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games at Thanksgiving Point in June. The hardest part of the project was cutting 400 glass circles. But, like eating an elephant, the only way to approach a project is this is, one bite at a time.
After calculating just how much glass I'd need, and allowing for waste (that means glass breakage other unforeseen mistakes) I ordered in supplies and got started.
Cutting circles...
Red glass cuts easier than white - it's a little "softer" and more forgiving. I'd just gotten the new small circle cutting tool and it was a good opportunity to get used to a new tool on the easier to cut glass.
And off I went...
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Between scoring and breaking the glass, there was only so much I could do each night before my hands needed a rest. It took a few days to get all 200 red circles cut.
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The white circles were a little harder to work with. The glass is "harder" meaning it's more brittle and doesn't cut break as easily.
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But after a few nights, a few cuts and a few blisters, there were 200 white circles ready to go. However, all 400 circles needed to be smoothed first - to remove the rough edges that remained.
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While the white circles were wet from the grinder it was the perfect time to apply the decal. You've seen me use these decals before in this post: A Memorial in Glass
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After applying the decals they need to dry completely before going into the kiln, so I let them sit over night.
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Then glued each white circle to a red circle using a drop of liquid hair spray - yes, hair spray. The secret of hair spray glue is this: Choose a brand that is cheap and unscented. Fill a kiln shelf with medallions and fuse.
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After firing all the circles and replacing the ones that been ruined I had 200 finished medallions.
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But I still had to glue bails on the backs of them. I'd chosen a Celtic themed bail (of course) and finally, they were done and ready to ship.
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And if anyone's curious - 200 2 1/4" glass medallions weigh 16 1/2 pounds... In case it shows up on a trivia challenge some day.