Glass Casting & Coldworking
Cold glass can be carved, cut, and drilled to create gorgeous pieces with unique surface textures and shapes. Kiln cast glass allows you to turn wax sculptures into solid glass art pieces or put a relief into a solid piece of glass.
Adult Classes
The Crucible offers a wide variety of adult classes teaching different glass casting and coldworking techniques. Whether you want to learn the fundamentals of coldworking or how to work with kiln cast glass, The Crucible has you covered. See the complete list of glass casting and coldworking classes offered below.
3-Hour Taster: Glass Sandblasting
Come join this fun creative way to customize glass drinking ware! In this introductory workshop, we will design and hand cut vinyl stencils, and then use the sandblaster to etch the glass. You will learn what design elements work best for hand cut stencils, about resist materials, how to safely hand cut vinyl, and how to operate the sand blaster.
3-Hour Taster: Pate-de-Verre
One of the earliest techniques of glass manipulation, pâte-de-verre or “paste of glass” is a versatile kiln casting technique that uses glass paste. In this three-hour course, you will learn the fundamentals of pâte-de-verre, including color and application techniques, while making a small shallow bowl.
Enamel Imagery on Glass
Vitreous enamel fired onto glass is one of the oldest ways of creating permanent imagery and color on glass. This workshop will cover all the skills needed to mix, hand apply, and fire transparent and opaque glass enamels onto flat glass. Participants will take home small glass paintings based on their own designs.
Glass Coldworking & Engraving
Learn to grind and polish glass in our expanded coldworking space! Using glass blanks, students experiment with techniques in cutting, drilling, carving, and sandblasting. We will introduce lathe work concepts and provide the chance to complete at least two ground and polished objects. This is an entry-level course, but returning students learn more advanced techniques.
Glass Coldworking Lab
Lab sessions are a great benefit, exclusively for Crucible members! Practice the skills you learn in class and explore new possibilities with your craft. No instruction is provided during lab sessions, but a lab monitor will be present to answer questions, manage safety, and provide overall support. You are free to come and go at your convenience during open lab hours, however, you must provide your own materials.
PREREQUISITE: One-Day Coldworking Workshop or Coldworking and Engraving, and Crucible membership
Intro to Glass Coldworking
This is an introduction to the principles of glass coldworking. In this class, you will learn how to use the machines in our cold shop as well as basic glass coldworking techniques you can do at home to cut, shape, grind, and polish glass. We also cover safety, proper tooling techniques, and basic machine maintenance. Using glass blanks, we will explore sawing, drilling, carving, sandblasting, grinding, polishing, and gluing.
Kiln Casting Glass Sculpture I
Create glass sculpture using the ancient technique of lost wax. Students learn wax sculpting techniques to create wax positives that are invested in a refractory material to create a mold. The mold is de-waxed to create a void that is filled with glass melted in a kiln. When cooled the refractory is divested and the wax positive is now glass. An introduction to cold working techniques is included.
Lost Wax Kiln Cast Glass Sculpture
Make sculptural glass forms using the versatile lost wax technique. We will create a wax sculpture and cover it with refractory material to make our mold. The mold will be de-waxed leaving a void that we will refill with glass and melt in a kiln. After the glass has been fired and cooled, we will remove it from the mold and finish it in the coldshop.
Meet The Glass Casting & Coldworking Department Head: Daniel Stauber
Daniel Stauber’s first glass casting and coldworking classes began in January 2011 at The Crucible. Originally a metalsmith, Daniel was drawn to the limitless possibilities of working with glass. He has been involved at The Crucible ever since!
Being Prepared For Your Glass Casting & Coldworking Class
Glass Casting & Coldworking classes are held on the first floor of our building. Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility and we will be happy to accommodate.
Students must arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames.
The Crucible requests students always arrive in studio safe clothing when working. Layers are encouraged as the studio can be very cold or very hot.
