Post #808310 by MadDogMike on Sun, Mar 12, 2023 10:04 AM

I had an idea to combine ceramic and glass into a mug several years ago. I tried a bunch of times but never was very happy with the results.

This was the most recent attempt in 2017

I like the effect with the ceramic "scales" on the outside, the gaps between them, and the red LED ice cube inside. But it's difficult to match the curve of the scales with the curve of the glass. You can see here where they don't match up.

The problem is that the clay shrinks when fired (about 6% for my clay) so you have to start with it bigger than you want and hope it shrinks to the right size. I measured the circumference of my glass and added 6%, that gives me a target. I added 3 layers of sheet craft foam. It gave me a little more that 6% but I figured a little too big was better than a little too small.

In theory I could lay my little slabs over the enlarged glass now and they would be the right sized. But if you take them off too soon they are soft and they warp or spread open a little. If you let them dry too long they harden and start to shrink, then the break against the glass. So a new plan. I have access to some fiberglass orthopedic splint material. It is water activated, you get it wet and in a few minutes it hardens. So I wet it and wrapped it around mu glass, securing it with elastic bandage material.

Now I have a hard concave shell that is an exact match for the outside of my glass plus about 6.5%. I can cut and texture my scale, form it to the inside of the shell. As it dries and shrinks, it will pull away from the shell without deforming (I hope).

[ Edited by MadDogMike on 2023-03-12 10:07:34 ]