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Fusing takes place at a higher temp than bending so fuse first on your kiln shelf then sag over the top of a slumping mold to bend to lamp shape. Make sure the glass slumps to the mark that conforms to the mark on the lamp mold. You can mark on the slump mold with a pencil and you can see the mark at the bending temp to manipulate the glass up or down on the mold to hit the mark. Each piece must hit the same spot. To help the gravity fall of the glass prop the molds with small pieces of brick to direct the fall, you still have to use a rod and move the glass some when it is soft to hit the mark. Compatable glass is necessary for fusing different color but you can successfully fuse the same sheet to itself, forinstance stacking for color density.

Flat glass on the mold before going into the kiln for slumping. Cut the shape of the glass to be bent and place it on the slumping mold, marking the position so each successive piece is in the same place. Most glass slumps at 1250 degrees and at this temp will hold its edge and will not pick up surface textures. Bringing the glass up to temperature takes about 1 hour and 45 mintues. Visual checks are necessary to make sure the slump is to the bottom of the mold.

This shows a completed slump into the mold. The anealling process take aproximately four hours.

The slumped pieces are now pin supported on the mold, when all the pieces are in place grinding is necessary for a good fit.

This is the way the system looks out of the box, The slumping molds are coated with shelf primer and ready for firing. The primer is generally good for five to ten firings if they are 1250 or close but a fusing application of the molds requires recoating with primer each fire. The fusing temp causes the primer to lose its release quality and the glass will stick on the next fire.
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