技法
Parallel Welding
Japanese: 並列熔着
A basic form of the fusion technique, in which multiple glass parts are arranged side by side and joined together through firing. This foundational technique was systematized by Rei Chikaoka (2012) and served as the inspiration for the fiber-mold casting technique.
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Parallel welding is the basic form of a fusing technique in which multiple glass pieces are arranged side by side in parallel, and the contact surfaces between the pieces are melted together during firing to form a single unit (§13.3). This technique was systematized by Rei Chikaoka (2012, pp. 64–65) and presented as the “parallel fusing technique for sheet glass,” in which sheets of glass are arranged side by side and their side edges are fused together.
The practical advantage of parallel fusing lies in the fact that arranging flat glass panels vertically allows for the creation of thick, three-dimensional glass sculptures. While conventional fusing typically involves layering flat pieces, parallel fusing joins the sides of the pieces by melting them together, enabling the creation of three-dimensional structures composed of rod-shaped and plate-shaped parts. For this “vertical arrangement” of glass, uniform heat distribution within the electric furnace and the design of the support structure are critical; ingenuity is required to stabilize the glass using ceramic fiber boards and support pillars. The fusing temperature is selected from the full-range to the block-press range, depending on the composition and thickness of the parts.
Related Concepts
Fiber-mold casting, block fusing, full-fusing zone, ceramic fiber, powder-mold-forming—to understand the development of the author’s technical system.
This entry is written in Japanese by Rei Chikaoka and translated for readers outside Japan. If something reads oddly, the original is the source of truth.