If you would be so kind...would it possible to take a heap of broken bottles, in pieces about 1" x 1" , tumble them until they are smooth (like glass you find washed up on beaches) put all the pieces into a metal container and fuse all the pieces together in a kiln? to make a solid/porous block?
Grateful for any advice, Heath
issues
first, it depends on how far you want to fuse them. they could be barely tacked together or really fused/slumped to take the shape of your mold. some loss of definition will occur either way. second, you would have to use a plaster/silica mold as the glass will stick to metal and then crack upon annealing and cooling. and any kiln worked glass will have mold residue fused to it when it is finished. so if you are looking for a clean surface, grinding and polishing would be required. also with this type of glass you will expect to see devitrification in the fired piece. this is generally an unwanted effect of this process where the surfaces of the glass crystalize as it cools and produce a cloudy effect. regardless, if you have access to the equipment and a reliable annealing chart for your particular type of glass, go for it. be aware it is an unforgiving material in its manipulation, and good results usually only come through repeated experiment and correction.
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