Glass Slumping
Glass slumping and draping is a method with goes hand-in-hand with glass fusing. There are various terms for this method of fusing including: sagging, slumping, moulding, draping, bending and forming. Their meanings are very similar and are often used interchangeably giving rise to raised eyebrows by some students.
While slumping is basically glass slumped into or over a mould, sagging is a downward sinking of glass caused by its unsupported weight as the glass softens when being heated. Bending is the term used when added weight is applied to the glass, causing the glass to move before it would normally do so and moulding is the term used to fuse a piece of glass into something which is a fixed shape. Moulds being used for slumping or indeed for sagging, must be made from materials which withstand very high temperatures.
Although there is nothing to stop the new student from going straight into a beginners slumping course, many will find it more beneficial to join a simple fusing course in order to understand the initial fusing processes and what can be achieved by them.
