Fire Polishing Fused Glass

Fire polishing fused glass is done at a lower temperature than fusing. Depending on the thickness of the piece, how much you want the edge polished, or of course your kiln will all determine how you fire polish the piece.

Prepare your piece. If you need to grind the edges first, making sure they are nice and even. Then you will need to clean the piece with water, or isopropyl alcohol. After drying the piece, put the glass back in the kiln on a clean kiln washed shelf or fiber paper.

You must fire the piece up slowly, because you are working with a thicker piece of glass. You will want to attempt this proceedure on an item while it is flat, and before you try slumping it into or over a mold.

The typical temperatures are between 1300 and 1400 for about five to twenty minutes. Spectrum usually polishes at about 1300 and Bullseye at about 1325. Temperatures that are high enough to polish are also high enough to distort the edges of the glass, so stay at the polish temperature for only a short time.

Remember, you will want to polish an item while it is flat, before you try slumping the glass into or over a mold.

A good schedule would be:

400 degrees per hour to 1000 and hold for 20 minutes

As fast as possible ramp up to 1300 and hold for 5 minutes

As fast as possible ramp down to 950 degrees and hold for 60 minutes

Then down to 400 degrees per hour to 100 and turn the kiln off.

As you can see by this schedule, there are times to go fast and times to go slow. You will get best results by fire polishing fused glass before you slump the item into a mold.

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