Metal Molds

Since stainless steel is durable and lightweight, it makes the perfect mold material for glass fusing projects. They are slumped over instead of slumped into because of the cooling rate.

These metal forms can be used for countless firings. They can be a lot more expensive than clay molds.

One of the issues with these molds is getting the kiln wash to adhere to the smooth surface. For more information and hints on getting the wash to stick, be sure to check out Kiln Washing Metal Molds.

Most molds are heat treated stainless steel and come in a variety of shapes and forms. Here are a few of the types of molds:

When using any type of mold to slump into, be certain that there are holes drilled into the bottom of the mold for air to escape. Trapped air can ruin a terrific piece of fused glass.

These forms do need to be covered with kiln wash before fusing your glass into or over them. The smooth surface makes applying kiln wash a little difficult.

Unlike clay molds that contracts less than glass, stainless steel forms contract more than glass, therefore slumping on the outside of these forms works best. Because the metal contracts beneath the glass, it gives a little extra space to slide off your draped piece.

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