Cascadematerials (pdf)
DownloadSheet Glass
● 6mm clear 1Ft² or 3Ft² of 3mm clear (Possibly more if your mold is larger.)
● 3mm clear 1/4 to 3/4Ft² if 6mm clear is used. The larger the shade the greater the amount needed.
Transparent Medium Frit in multiple colors.
In the example the colors used are:
Navy Blue
Dark Blue
Dark Aqua
Teal Green
Dark Green
Light Green
Ming Green
Medium Amber
● Stainless steel Floral Former or equivalent. Almost any stainless steel container can be used as
long as it doesn’t taper inwards towards the opening. It must also fit in your kiln with 2-3 inches
between the top of the mould and the lid of the kiln. The kiln shelf can be removed to fit it in.
● Ruler, Marker.
● Compass.
● Small Paint Brush.
● Small Scoop.
● Bullseye Fusing Glue, both the pink and blue gel will work.
● 3mm Fiber paper or Silkemat (This is mostly for large molds and those that have a slight undercut
or ridge on the surface.
● Kiln Wash.
● Grinder (this is only required if the hole in the top of the shade needs to be enlarged.)
A pendant light fixture or a lamp base with a harp will both work. It is best to decide on the fixture before making the lamp so the hole in the top of the shade can be customized to fit the mounting hardware of the fixture. However if you have a glass grinder it can be adjusted larger after firing the glass. Please note that a simple cord and socket may not be strong enough for larger shades, a fixture with a chain or steel cable will be needed. Please see below for more options. Assembly of the fixture will be covered in the class.
To the right are typical fixtures that are ready to use. There is no assembly but the glass would only be supported by the cord so only a small light weight shade could be used. The two fixtures on the left, A & B, have a smaller candelabra size socket which is ideal for smaller lamps. They are meant for a ceiling installation but a plug and switch could be added to the cord if it is long enough. The two fixtures on the right, C & D, have very large sockets which are likely too big for a small lamp unless the shade is very wide but short. They are available with smaller sockets but it may take some searching online to find one.
For shades that are heavy, a chain or steel cable is required to support it. There are swag kits that can be purchased with everything you’ll need but it is possible to build a fixture using components pictured on the right. With this option the hole in the top of the lamp will only be about 1/2" so this is also suitable for small shades. You will need a threaded tube, small socket, two or three nuts, two standard metal washers and two rubber washers and a loop finial that will all fit on the tube. A vase cap, chain and lamp electrical cord are also needed. If the lamp is to be plugged in, either the socket or cord will need a switch and the end of the lamp cord will need a prong end to plug into a wall outlet.
Mounting the shade on a lamp base with a harp already in place is another good option. If a base with a harp is not available one can usually be added, though the base will most likely need to be disassembled to do that.