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Tuesday, June 22. 2010Introducing High Gloss Black Glass & High Gloss White Glass
We can now offer you two new glass materials: High Gloss Black Glass and High Gloss White Glass. Open the floodgates of your creativity. What images does their super shiny sheen conjure up in your mind? What will you guys make with these materials?
Gijs' egg cup big hearts is $40 The Angel pendants as seen above are $23 The candle holder below is $89
The materials have a start up cost of $5 and will cost $6.99 per cubic cm. Initially the start up costs for Glass were $15 so this represents a significant price drop in the start up costs. The start up costs of the Milky White Glass has also been reduced by $10 and this material will cost $5.99 per cubic cm. Even though the design rules are the same, the gloss materials are nicer to the touch and stronger. Process The materials are made by 3D printing recycled glass. The fine powder is built up layer by layer and a binding material is applied to the glass powder that will become your product. When the 3D print is complete it is baked in an oven to fuse the glass powder. Your products are then subsequently enameled to get their glossy finish.
As you can clearly see in the Angel picture there is a fair amount of "definition" from the 3D printing process in the form of bumps and the like. The enamel smooths the 3D prints out considerably and these prints are closed so not porous as the Milky White Glass material is. The models are however far from completely smooth. A lot of the objects made with this process look really good and very arty. But, significant warping may occur and the overall dimensional accuracy of this process is still limited. 3D printing glass is amazing but also very new and a very experimental process.
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This looks promising
 I'm thinking about trying some kind of ashtray as a gift with this glass ...
It's always great to hear of new materials offered !
Could you elaborate on what you mean by 'stronger' ?
I don't have any hard numbers on that I'm afraid. But because the emaille in effect adds another layer & the structure is more closed it becomes stronger. We've also noticed that the material is less fragile in handling.
Does emaille mean enamel?
Hey Joris, how does this enamelling process work? Do you cover the 3D glass piece in fine glass powder and bake it, or is it a synthetic enamel process where you paint on the synthetic (plasic) enamel? -Shawn...
Hi Shawn,
The process for enameling we use is, painting it and then backing it again in a kiln. So it not synthetic! Peter Paul
Hi!
How does the enamel-process affect the already limited translucency of the milky white matte glass? Does it block light completely or does it still let some light through? I'm thinking about how this material would work in a tea-candle holder or any form of lamp-screen. Would I be better off with the original material or is the enameled material better?
The additional enamel layers does make it all a bit less translucent so in that sense I would say to use the original material without the enamel. How ever the enamel layer also makes the material easier to use/ clean, stronger and it does not block the light completely.
I like your ideas! So keep me posted on you progress. Cheers Peter Paul |
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