Kiln Formed Fused Art Glass Fish

Special thanks to my Facebook friend Edith Underbjerg Kirk for kindly allowing me to use her fused fish design.

This example has been made as a fused glass pendant; the beauty of this design is that it can be made in various colors and sizes.

It may be made as a piece of fused glass jewelry, enlarged for a wind chime or a sun catcher.

Adding dichroic glass to the basic design will produce a very bright and sparkly sun catcher.

Mica powder will also give a great sparkle finish.

Single or multiple fish can be included in a plate or decorative panel design.

The fish has a central spine to which the head, tail and ribs are fused; it is about 3 1/2 inches long.

The following dimensions can be altered to suit the size and color of the selected design.

To make the fish you will need the following items:

One piece of clear fusing glass about 3/8 inch wide x 3 3/8 inch long.

One glass triangle head1 3/4 inch wide x 7/8 inch deep.

One glass tail 5/8 inch x 1 inch x 1 1/116 inch deep.

Glass rib 3/16 inch wide x 1 5/8 inch long.

Glass rib 3/16 inch wide x 1 1/2 inch long

Glass rib 3/8 inch wide x 1 3/8 inch long.

Glass rib 3/8 inch wide x 1 1/4 inch long.

Two small pieces of glass stringer.

One small glass pieces for the eye.

Glass cutter.

Prepared Kin shelf.

Fiber paper or thinfire paper.

Glass kiln.

To make the art glass fish proceed as follows:

Step1. Cut all fusing glass pieces to size.

Wash and dry glass thoroughly.

Step 2. Assemble fish on prepared kiln shelf.Clear glass strip is the fish spine.

Lay head, ribs and tail on clear glass spine.

Place small piece of black glass on fish head (eye) and two black glass stringers on tail.

Put kiln shelf in fusing glass kiln.

Step 3. Bring temperature up quickly to between 1450° F -1500° F.

Due to only using, one layer of glass the fish will be contour fused rather than fully fused.

Monitor kiln temperature carefully to ensure that the kiln does not over fire and distort the glass.

Step 4. Once the glass is nicely shaped, turn off glass fusing kiln and wait until the kiln has cooled down to room temperature.

Remove glass and fit jewelry pendant bail on either end of fish.