Glass Casting & Coldworking Classes
Cold glass can be carved, cut, and drilled to create gorgeous pieces with unique surface textures and shapes. Kiln cast glass allows you to turn wax sculptures into solid glass art pieces or put a relief into a solid piece of glass.
Upcoming Bay Area Glass Casting & Coldworking Courses
Browse below for all upcoming Glass Casting & Coldworking classes. Please note that due to safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, all upcoming Crucible classes are in-person with strict health and safety policies in place for students, faculty, and staff. You must review all Crucible policies before registering.
Glass Casting & Coldworking Adult Classes
The Crucible offers a wide variety of adult classes teaching different glass casting and coldworking techniques. Whether you want to learn the fundamentals of coldworking or how to work with kiln cast glass, The Crucible has you covered. See the complete list of glass casting and coldworking classes offered below.
Note: Due to COVID-19, we’re unable to offer all of the classes listed below at this time. You can sign up to be notified when specific classes are offered or browse a list of upcoming classes here.
3-Hour Taster: Pate-de-Verre
One of the earliest techniques of glass manipulation, pâte-de-verre or “paste of glass” is a versatile kiln casting technique that uses glass paste. In this three-hour course, you will learn the fundamentals of pâte-de-verre, including color and application techniques, while making a small shallow bowl.
Glass Coldworking & Engraving
Learn to grind and polish glass in our expanded coldworking space! Using glass blanks, students experiment with techniques in cutting, drilling, carving, and sandblasting. We will introduce lathe work concepts and provide the chance to complete at least two ground and polished objects. This is an entry-level course, but returning students learn more advanced techniques.
Glass Coldworking Lab
Lab sessions are a great benefit, exclusively for Crucible members! Practice the skills you learn in class and explore new possibilities with your craft. No instruction is provided during lab sessions, but a lab monitor will be present to answer questions, manage safety, and provide overall support. You are free to come and go at your convenience during open lab hours, however, you must provide your own materials.
PREREQUISITE: One-Day Coldworking Workshop or Coldworking and Engraving, and Crucible membership
Kiln Casting Glass Sculpture I
Create glass sculpture using the ancient technique of lost wax. Students learn wax sculpting techniques to create wax positives that are invested in a refractory material to create a mold. The mold is de-waxed to create a void that is filled with glass melted in a kiln. When cooled the refractory is divested and the wax positive is now glass. An introduction to cold working techniques is included.
Kiln Casting Glass Sculpture II: Reverse Relief
Kiln cast reverse relief is creating imagery inside of glass. You will carve hardened plastic-silica, attach it to the inside a mold and melt glass into it. When complete, one looks through the glass to see the imagery, giving an atmospheric and mysterious feel to your piece. An introduction to cold working techniques is included.
PREREQUISITE: Kiln Casting Glass Sculpture I
One-Day Coldworking Workshop
This introduction to our glass cold shop is designed to prepare you for the cold shop CREATE Program assessment. We will demonstrate safety, proper tooling techniques, and machine maintenance. Using glass blanks, we will also delve into the tools and techniques of sawing, drilling, carving, sandblasting, grinding, polishing, and gluing glass.
Glass Casting & Coldworking Youth Classes
In the Glass Casting & Coldworking Department, we offer youth classes specifically for ages 12-18. In these classes, The Crucible provides a unique setting for youth to get hands-on with glass, exploring their creative voices and absorbing real-life lessons in science, technology, engineering, and math. You can see all The Crucible’s offerings for youth here.
Youth Cast Glass Sculpture (ages 12-18)
Learn the fundamentals of glass casting, including making open-faced molds from a clay positive and three-dimensional lost wax casting. You will learn to sculpt with wax, prepare and divest molds, and kiln fire your glass pieces, then explore a variety of finishing techniques, including grinding, sandblasting, and polishing your final work.
Being Prepared For Your Glass Casting & Coldworking Class
Glass Casting & Coldworking classes are held on the first floor of our building. Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility and we will be happy to accommodate.
Students must arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames.
The Crucible requests students always arrive in studio safe clothing when working. Layers are encouraged as the studio can be very cold or very hot.
