Jill Smolkin Posted February 26, 2023 Report Share Posted February 26, 2023 Hi wonderful community! I am looking to embark on a coffee table project (this is just for myself) and would love to make ceramic legs with a glass top (this is where the weight issue could be). What are your suggestions? Should they be hollow so a metal rod can be inserted (after firing) for strength, or would solid be better? They need to be approximately 14" in height and I'm guessing 3-6" in dimeter. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 26, 2023 Report Share Posted February 26, 2023 Wheel thrown or extruded, would be my best bet on these. If straight they should hold on their own depending of course on how much weight your glass is. You could make them for a metal pipe or angle iron to fit into, but I don't know is it would be needed. Try designing it showing the dimensions, shape of the legs you are thinking of then post for suggestions/criticism. I am certain you would get enough feedback to come up with an aesthetic and safe construction. best, Pres Jill Smolkin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 26, 2023 Report Share Posted February 26, 2023 If you make them kinda thick they should be plenty string without any additional support structure needed. With a glass top nobody's going to be sitting on it anyway. Jill Smolkin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeU Posted February 27, 2023 Report Share Posted February 27, 2023 I used to make bird bath bases about the dimensions you mentioned-a little higher-and some were used as pedestals to put thick round glass tops on to make patio tables. Never had any issues with the weight on top. Sounds like a fun project-hope you come back w/pics of the finished table. Jill Smolkin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 27, 2023 Report Share Posted February 27, 2023 How do you plan to connect the legs to the top? Jill Smolkin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Smolkin Posted February 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2023 (edited) Thank you for all your replies! This is my original idea that I've landed on (so many ideas... ), but I'm open to suggestions . I am planning a combo of wheel thrown (the center "stem", which goes all the way to the top to become the center of the flower) and hand built (the flower and leaves). In the center there will be a place for a bolt (there will be a hole in the glass) and then secured by the ball on top, as well as glued to the glass. Look forward to your feedback! **Edit: forgot to mention there will be 4 of these legs Edited February 27, 2023 by Jill Smolkin Magnolia Mud Research, Chilly and Kelly in AK 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted February 27, 2023 Report Share Posted February 27, 2023 Instead of just a bolt, you might consider a threaded rod to run through the entire leg and embed it in the leg before firing to further strengthen the leg... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Smolkin Posted February 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2023 1 hour ago, JohnnyK said: Instead of just a bolt, you might consider a threaded rod to run through the entire leg and embed it in the leg before firing to further strengthen the leg... Oh I never thought of that before firing! Is there a special kind of threaded rod I should be looking for? One that can withstand the heat (cone 6). Silly question maybe but I am still fairly new to all this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillyissilly88 Posted February 27, 2023 Report Share Posted February 27, 2023 If you're looking for a more lightweight option, hollow legs with a metal rod inserted after firing could be a good option. This will help to reduce the weight of the legs while still providing enough strength to support the glass top. If you're looking for a more traditional option, solid ceramic legs could be a good choice. Solid ceramic legs are usually thicker and heavier than hollow legs, but they can provide more stability and strength. You'll want to make sure that the legs are thick enough to support the weight of the glass top, so you may want to consider using a thicker clay or adding extra layers of clay to the legs. Magnolia Mud Research 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 4 hours ago, Jillyissilly88 said: If you're looking for a more traditional option, solid ceramic legs could be a good choice. Solid would be a bad choice. There's a limit to how thick the clay can be before you get cracking and explosion problems. Pres 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly in AK Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 I believe metal should be added after firing. I can’t think of any metal commonly available (as a threaded rod) that wouldn’t be ruined at cone 6, also the clay will shrink around it and most certainly crack. Epoxy or epoxy putty is a good choice for bonding metal to the clay, it cures very strong, is dimensionally stable, and fills gaps. Plan for the shrinkage of your clay, if you make a space for a rod it’ll be significantly smaller after firing. That’s going to be one cool table! Callie Beller Diesel and Pres 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 20 hours ago, Jill Smolkin said: Oh I never thought of that before firing! Is there a special kind of threaded rod I should be looking for? One that can withstand the heat (cone 6). Silly question maybe but I am still fairly new to all this Stainless steel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 11 hours ago, Kelly in AK said: I can’t think of any metal commonly available (as a threaded rod) that wouldn’t be ruined at cone 6, also the clay will shrink around it and most certainly crack. +1. @Jill Smolkin, have a read through of what happens to stainless in regards to high temperatures, here is one link. There is a reason nobody does it. Re your design, I would suggest making the base as one piece and the top as another. After glaze firing I would secure the base onto a flat surface and seal the bottom edge with a very thick coil of clay then fill the base with cement. Once the cement has nearly set insert a piece of threaded rod into it. This will give you a good solid and sturdy base with a threaded rod without compromising the strength of the threaded rod or the clay. Firing it in two pieces also allows one or other of the two pieces to be remade if there is damage to it during the firing. Callie Beller Diesel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 Hey neighbour! I used to work at Danziger Glass before the owner died. Gluing the glass in place for a piece of furniture isn’t advisable because there’s not a lot of adhesives that will hold by themselves that aren’t also very visible/ugly. A mechanical connection like the threaded rod suggestions are best. BUT ALSO: To make a glass top coffee table safe for household use, you need to use tempered glass. A child or a pet crashing through something like that would result in serious injury. You can’t drill into or cut tempered glass after it’s been tempered, so you have to custom order it with info about hole placement. There are places here in town you can do that, but I’d have to check if they only deal within the industry or if you can walk in. When we were doing it, the tempering had to happen in Vancouver, so there is lead time on a piece like that, and it isn’t cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 3 minutes ago, Callie Beller Diesel said: and it isn’t cheap @Jill Smolkin I did cut work at a glass shop for about 3 years after grad school, and we would regularly have people come in needing a new top for their patio table that blew over and exploded. Back then (25 years ago) a tempered 48" circle with a 2" hole for the patio umbrella was about $500. People would freak because they bought the entire patio set for $400, so they would just go buy a new set. Nowadays glass is much more expensive, but the internet has saved the day and you can get cheap patio table tops online. So you may want to check online and see if there's something pre-made that will work for you. You'll probably also want a polished edge of some sort, and depending on the design you might need something thicker than standard plate, like 3/8" or 1/2". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 I’ll be the one who says “no” … combining ceramic, metal, and glass … three very different materials with completely different needs … two out of three are breakable and dangerous when broken … into one large piece that needs to support weight and meant to be inside somebody’s home … overall this is not a good idea. Better design and materials choices exist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 Mea makes a good point about there being better materials, and there is a reason those glass coffee tables went out of style. The only reason I’m not saying “don’t” outright is because this has the flavour of an AUA assignment. If that’s the case, talk to Martina, Zimra or the tech and let them advise you. If you are at any of the city run facilities, Workshop or MUD, they should be advising you against this. You can combine the materials safely, but the end result is going to be VERY heavy and not especially practical. The thickness of glass you’ll need is going to be stupid. We did occasionally get projects like this at Danziger. We would tell them yes, but. The “but” being they’d have to pay for it to be done properly, and fast wasn’t in the equation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam41 Posted March 23, 2023 Report Share Posted March 23, 2023 I'm also considering how to make bases for tables, though will use wood not glass. One of my teachers just made a couple of furniture pieces that are gorgeous. You might look at the work of Austin Coudriet or Kelsie Rudolph (both are on instagram). Kelsie makes handbuilt furniture and Coudriet large-scale sculpture and furniture. He has great tips about drying and firing large work. Rather than using steel rod I think you might want to consider building internal support structure (out of clay) that prevents slumping and provides strength. Both these artists show useful examples of this construction and it's been helpful to me. Kakes and Min 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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