[3D Printing Applications] How can 3D printing create new sparks when it meets etched glass?

[3D Printing Applications] When 3D printing meets engraved glass, new sparks fly!

Blogger Adidas participated in a GlitchCraft course (assisted by Dan Caligi) at UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, New York, a place that combines tradition and innovation where students experiment with 3D printing and glassblowing.



UrbanGlass is the first and largest artist glass studio in the United States, and the most advanced glassblowing facility in the New York metropolitan area. The facility partners with a local university, but also offers several courses, is open to the public for a basic fee, and provides scholarships. This summer, UrbanGlass partnered with Timothy, a visiting lecturer from Toronto, Canada. Timothy is an expert in the 3D rendering program Blender and has honed his glassblowing skills for years in a fused glass shop; three years ago, he began experimenting with Blender to create products for glass casting.



His experiments led to the rediscovery of the use of clay molds for hot glass blowing and casting—a process also widely used in Roman times. This method of creating a clay mold around a 3D-printed master object allows for the reshaping of 3D shapes in blown glass; simpler clay stamps can also be used on hot glass to create decorative designs and smaller textures on blown glass containers.

After the first day of the course, they familiarized themselves with the material they would be using to make molds—clay; that evening, they made a simple stamp with clay and basic sculpting tools; it was a memorable night, leaving behind some "handmade" marks. For some, it was satisfying, while others felt admiration for the person who possessed this skill; the clay stamps were dried and fired in a kiln, ready for us to use a few days later.
In the following lessons, we started using Blender, importing black and white graphics into Blender and learning how to generate 3D graphics from 2D images. We were trying to create more intricate patterns. After several nights of tweaking in Blender, we prepared the 3D print files in the user-friendly Ultimaker Cura software—and imported them into Ultimaker 2+ for printing—and saw the design model gradually emerge, which would become the basis for our final clay mold.



In the meantime between 3D printing objects, waiting for the clay to dry, and firing the clay in the kiln, we learn the basic principles of glassmaking, how to blow glass, make glass blocks, and prepare by pressing clay onto molds.



Then we will demonstrate another way of making clay molds, which is not just about making glass stamps; but about reproducing the entire form, and thus learning how to blow glass into the mold, and how to use more 3D printing to produce more clay molds.



Two weeks of classes that flew by

Because the two-week intensive course was too short to complete a single piece, Timothy guided them in creating a virtual and rapid 3D art gallery space as a finale during the last class.
They finished the course with a large number of molds and 3D designs, but thankfully it wasn't the end, as they still had some free time. UrbanGlass provides work hours for course participants so they can practice these new skills independently or refine their work in the cooling room.
Here are some results:



Amy is an artist-in-residence at UrbanGlass and a successful borosilicate glass artist who uses the Ultimaker printer for 3D printing . She was particularly interested in learning how to create clay molds for custom camera lenses with a photography theme, aiming to achieve a "distorted" photographic effect. Amy completed the work and assisted some inexperienced glassblowing workers, as well as others, by applying their clay molds to thermoformed glass bubbles with excellent results. (Included in the video)



Adidas found herself to be a complete beginner but yearned to learn hot blown glass to realize her dream of creating personal lamps. Further pursuing her desire to complete glass objects through 3D printing, she enrolled in a follow-up course in UrbanGlass - Part & Parcel taught by Anna Booth. Anna, an expert in lost-wax casting, taught Adidas how to photograph her existing 3D printed objects, replicate them into multiple molds for lost-wax casting, and then cast them into a variety of exquisite stained glass pieces.



Adidas is currently exploring how to use MoldLay 3D printing filaments to develop her glass lamp designs, hoping to create lamps with higher precision and larger sizes .
Amy, on the other hand, has purchased a 3D printer and is currently working on an artist's project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, featuring images taken using borosilicate glass lenses created with an Ultimaker printer, clay molds, and a flashlight.
This fall, Beryl Benbow will also be learning more about glass casting at UrbanGlass, with course videos provided by Beryl Benbow.

3D printing technology is advancing rapidly and is being integrated and applied to various industries. We are delighted to see such examples and look forward to more development and sharing in Taiwan. As a pioneer in 3D printing , we provide high-quality machines, printing consumables, and printing services , hoping to promote this technology to any industry. If you are interested, please refer to our other pages or call to schedule an appointment to learn about our various 3D printers .

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