It's A STAIN!

Drafted some critters...pheasants, turkey, not sure yet what the next one will be...but the project is platters of glass with stained and enameled designs.
first
Decide on the mold to use for the platter..done
prep mold..done (since i put them away prepared ..i am ahead of the game)
Gather materials for staining
palette knife/glass palette
brush
glass stain...I use Reusche master stainer's
binder...i use squeegee oil
cut substrate blank glass


picture 1 shows the stain mixture
(the stain is finely ground chips of glass that has added flux and minerals or ore that strike the color.. it has to be chopped smooth first)

chopped and ready for the binder

here the binder has been added and mixed well
on the glass palette
then gathered back into a puddle

badger hair brushes are the key to flawless strokes...primarily I use a number 1
you can thin squeegee oil with mineral spirits ... it doesn't take much...like a drop

the set up before the oil was added ( i mixed the line up adding in the pictures)

this shows the chosen molds and my selection of stains and enamels the substrate palette and knife and brushes

the secret to great lines in addition to correct brushes is rolling the tip
this movement allows for the thickness of the line to strike without a lot of blotch



Here is the first platter a flock of pheasants



then a standing turkey...




fire one I generally slump the substrate into the mold
with the line trace (that is what the first step is called)

since they both mature at the same temperature
the line trace fires at the highest temperature
1400 F

each enamel color fires at a specific temperature as well and needs to go onto the substrate in the order of high temp to low temp
to keep what the lower temp colors are from evaporating off the glass...the chips will still be there but the mineral will leave if the temp goes to high

and you have been taken through a day in my studio ...staining glass