How to make fused glass in a microwave kiln: large versus small kilns for making glass jewelry

When I was at the craft fair yesterday, many customers were intrigued to hear that I make my glass jewelry with a microwave kiln. A few wanted more details and wondered which is better: a large or small kiln? After working with dichroic glass for a year, I'd say that both are useful for different reasons. Here are some pros and cons for each.

SMALLER MICROWAVE KILNS: I think these are perfect for beginners. These kilns become hot at 1500 degrees F and the smaller ones are less cumbersome to handle. So as you're getting used to opening and closing the lid, checking on the piece, etc., I'd recommend starting with the small one. They're also less expensive, so why spend the money until you know you truly enjoy making glass?

As an intermediate glass maker (I refuse to call myself a "professional" at this point), I prefer using the small kiln for fine detail work. Because it heats quickly, I find that it's good for firing pieces at a particular stage or for adding decals. The small kilns heats within a few seconds, so I can heat items in 10, 15-second increments and then stop the process at the exact moment I want. This is especially effective when I want to purposely underfire an item or play up a particular glass texture.

Having it heat quickly is great when you're an impatient person like me, but large glass pieces tend to break when they gain too much heat at once. I've learned to deal with this by slowing down the heating process, but it's frustrating when your glass cracks right down the middle.

LARGER MICROWAVE KILN: The big kiln is bulkier and more difficult to handle. When I need to bring it to class, it's a pain fitting it into my bag. It also take about 8-10 minutes (depending on the microwave) for it to even begin heating.

Still, there are many advantages to using a large kiln. For one thing, it holds more pieces, which is especially helpful when I'm teaching. Because it heats more slowly, large pieces fire more evenly. I can stick a big piece into the large kiln, set the timer for 8 minutes and not have to worry about cracking. Even better, the slow heating time helps smooth out jagged edges, so glass that was cut on an angle ends up lining up with the rest of the piece.

The large kiln works best for larger pieces, however. When I've heated a batch of smaller ones, not all of the pieces have fired at the same rate and I've had to re-do them. Not does the big kiln work well for decals, which tend to come out over or under-fired. Of course, it's also more expensive.

Overall, I'm happy with both of my kilns and am getting better at using each for different techniques. Mostly, I love the fact that I can make beautiful pieces in my apartment -- and that the kilns are portable, which allows me to teach in different places.

Whether you get a large or small kiln, you'll enjoy your foray into glass making. Of course, wear gloves, protective goggles and always, ALWAYS put safety first!

Check out my handmade glass, enamel and wire wrapped jewelry at my WEBSITE/STORE or Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

My new toy: An extra LARGE microwave kiln for making fused dichroic glass!

When I was invited to teach a glass-fusing class at Maple Grove, I was asked if I could bring a second microwave kiln so I could fire twice as many pieces at once. I decided to invest in an extra large kiln, which is four times the size of my other one. It worked out perfectly because I was able to heat six pieces at once -- and all nine students went home with completed pendants.

Of course, I did a few test runs before using this kiln in public and the first thing I learned is that this tool takes, well, four times longer to heat. When I'm using the small kiln, I usually set the microwave for 30 seconds and then slowly fire my pieces in 15-20 second increments. However, I can't do that with this bigger kiln. It takes about eight minutes to even get hot enough so that the glass gets moving into shape.

As someone who's promoting glass-fusing on a public site, it's my duty to remind you that safety comes first. I frequently write about the minor cuts and burns I get while working, and how important it is to wear safety gloves when operating the kiln. Here's a reminder to also wear protective goggles when cutting glass or dealing with kiln work. I didn't the first time I played around with my big guy. I got complacent because I'd become so comfortable operating the little kiln. But when you're melting glass, there will be smoke and fumes -- especially during the middle of the process. I lifted the kiln mid-way to see how the glass was doing, didn't have goggles on and was hit by a puff of smoke. It went right into my eyes and I couldn't see for a second. I quickly flushed them out with water and was fine after that, but lesson learned. Always, ALWAYS wear safety goggles!

It's taken me a while to get used to the firing times needed for this tool. I generally let the kiln heat for eight minutes, then two more and then I can check on the glass in 15-20 second intervals like I do with the smaller one. Now that I'm getting the hang of it, I've been able to create much bigger pieces, like these statement pendants:

The really long one is almost four inches! I haven't quite figured out what to do with it; whether I want to just hang it from a chain or go all out and turn it into a crazy necklace. This kiln was great, though, for making Christmas ornaments this season. I unfortunately don't have photos, but I made two large glass Christmas trees and big glass mosaic hearts for friends. Each was about three inches and just the perfect size for ornaments. I have a bunch of the giant pre-cut hearts left over. They're way too big to wear as pendants. so I'm thinking they could work as year-round suncatchers.

I love making jewelry, but many friends have suggested to me that I make some other types of glass products. With this kiln, I can create ornaments, coasters, maybe even some small plates if I learn how to slump the glass in a mold. There are so many possibilities!

Check out my handmade jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.