Here is a simplified overview of the long and complex process of making this piece. I have not included everything, we use a lot of traditional skills and a variety of machines which have been built or modified specifically for us. Most of this engineering I do myself, I will put more photos online and some videos (current ongoing project is 30" blade diamond saw).
Sheet glass is cut into strips then printed or painted with rubber printing blocks in a method similar to Indian traditional printing. This technology was developed by Jenny.
Detail of printing methods. The paint used is a ceramic material modified with flux.
Highly complex lamination, using dichroic glass. It takes about a day to do each layer and we have been developing this method alone for a year or two (not forgetting the 30 or so years it took to get this far).
Precarious lamination in kiln, upside down which is another recent development requiring complex mathematics, logistics, fine balancing, cutting and assembly. Ignoring the development time so far this has taken about 2 weeks or so.
Final assembly with complex counter weights, which was developed after looking at cantilever architectural methods of cathedrals etc.
Our firings are long and technically demanding, the maximum firing temperature is around 900°C.
Out of the kiln the piece weighs approximately 20+ Kilos.
The glass has been roughly chiselled to shape using a special pitching chisel. This photo shows grinding / flatting on flat bed.
Grinding the edge with a diamond wheel lathe, not really visible is the sling counter balance to take weight off heavy piece.
This shows the piece ready to wax up prior to polish.
