Questions - Glass on Glass Mosaics.

13 years ago

Hello all. I've been lurking and enjoying your beautiful artwork for sometime now, and I also browse the garden junk forum as well.

I am not exactly new to glass, I own a kiln, and have dabbled in fused glass, but lately I have a new obsession and that is taking all that old glass and gluing it. I think I've enjoyed gluing things all over things since I was about two. I just recently realized there's a name for it, mosaics!

Mostly, I want to know how mandalas or glass folding tables are made. Is it a special glass? Tempered glass? I would think if I were to just cut a sheet of clear glass and start mosaicing it would be so easy to break. How do you make something strong enough to hold up yet hang in a window or go on top of a table? I want the light to show through, so wouldn't want to use an MDF or backerboard substrate.

Any suggestions would be so much appreciated. Thank you for a great place to come and admire and be inspired!

Laurachristine

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Comments (11)

texaswild
13 years ago
Welcome to a great playground, BEANY. I'll let those w/experience advise you, but if I were going to mosaic a glass top table, I'd use 1/4" plate glass for the substrate. One of my patio tables has a glass top, and I've been thinking of mosaicing it for some time. IMO, it w/not be easily broken. FLAG can tell you a little story about an accident w/a GOG table top, and the amazing strength it showed when it fell to a concrete floor. I think most of the glass on glass (GOG) artists here prefer Mac glue or GEII as an adhesive.
beany3u
Original Author
13 years ago
I'm thinking maybe a microwave turntable for a mandala, but not sure how to find those either...but the glass tables, even the folding ones with tempered glass are usually expensive. Maybe I'll have to pay closer attention to thrift stores and garage sales etc. I'm just not artistically ready for that kind of investment yet. Thanks for the tip on the Mac Glue or GEII silicone.
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texaswild
13 years ago
I used a microwave turntable for a little table from my bro. Used a large ceramic pot for its base. By all means, check Salvation Army, Goodwill - all thrift stores. I've seen them available there.
Microwave turntable
Calamity_J
13 years ago
Hi Beany! Welcome to the Obsession of GOG!!!heh heh! I LOVE doing GOG and anything is Fair Game!!! I have used the mirror door of a shower door set, 1/4glass, tabletop glass, old wooden windows, Plexiglass tubes(ice bucket) old outdoor plexiglass globes,

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Glass on Glass
beany3u
Original Author
13 years ago
Wow, beautiful stuff. I asked on freecycle.org and got a glass microwave plate and going to try hitting the thrift stores this week to see if I can get some more. This one has a built in pattern on it which might be a little harder to do than if it was flat, but still, I love it! Thanks so much for sharing!

Calamity how were you able to hang the one I see here with the bird house? Drilling slowly with water and a diamond bit?
Calamity_J
13 years ago
Yup, I think I used a diamond bit and a sponge for keeping water around the bit when drilling. Haven't tried drilling a microwave plate as of yet, I know that some things are tempered and may explode/break apart when drilled. I was going to also mention that all the glass used on that bird house one, is scrounged old 70's stained glass, that I find at thrift stores/garage sales/for sale by owner websites...so I probably don't spend very much on my projects, I spend money on the marine silicone and outdoor grout and sealer I use as I want it to last(I use thinset when I can)
silvamae
13 years ago
Calamity, I found six cobalt blue saucers at a thrift shop. I wanted to use blue on the last guitar I made so I got one of the saucers and nipped it with the wheeled nippers (as I have done a thousand times before). The saucer EXPLODED all over the porch. It was scary. So guess it wasn't annealed, probably made in China. So be careful out there, people!
nanatricia
13 years ago
Corral plates and cups will explode also.
spiritcat
13 years ago
I have used acrylic for a substrate and Weldbond and Goop (nasty smell...do outdoors with fan) So far it seems to hold up..haven't heard from the buyer that it is having trouble. I don't think I would put it outdoors though.
bicem
9 years ago
Hello all

I have dabbled in other media like oil and acrylic painting, Recently I got interested in
glass tiles / stained glass mosaics (complete newbie). My question is, can I mount
stained glass art work on an acrylic sheet (plexiglass) by using glue? I have searched
several forums and cannot find an answer.

thanks in advance
brokenbitmosaics
9 years ago
SilvaMae has the info on her hubpage

Here is a link that might be useful: mosaic on plexiglass