Glass Transfer & Wire Mobile

Figure A

Steps:

1. To prepare slides: Trim pictures 1/8" larger than microscope slides. Set aside. Note: When photocopying images, be sure to "mirror" image so that when transferred, the images will face correctly.

2. Clean microscope slides with alcohol and dry.

Figure D

3. Brush the Vitrea 160 onto the slide in a vertical direction about 1/8" thick. Then brush the Vitrea 160 onto the slide in a horizontal direction.

4. Place the slide onto the trimmed photocopy. Pick up the slide and burnish the copy to the glass from the center to edges using your finger.

5. Place the slide, glass side down, on the inside of a folded piece of parchment paper. Use the fid to burnish the back of the copy to remove air bubbles and ensure good contact with the glass. Pay attention to the edges.

6. Let dry for 24 hours.

7. To cure, bake at 325 F degrees on the center rack in the oven for 30 minutes.

8. Let cool and soak in warm water 5 minutes.

9. Pull the cured, soaked slide out of the water and rub the paper backing away with your finger.

10. Wet-sand with a 1500-grit sanding disc to remove lint. Dry. If the transfer has any edges that chipped or if you missed an air bubble, fix with a permanent marker.

11. Seal with a clear acrylic spray seal and let dry.

12. Glue a two-pronged jewelry finding to the top of each finished slide and set aside.

13. To assemble the mobile: Start creating the coil that the mobile hangs from. Use your hands to mold the coil, starting with the center and keeping the rings about 1/4" apart. You want your coil to be approximately 4" across.

Figure E

14. Once the coil is finished, continue the wire down 4" to 6" and curve the wire in the opposite direction, thus creating an "S" curve. Make a small eye at the base of this with needlenose pliers. Cut away excess wire with wire cutters. Set Aside.

Figure F

15. Create the first branch of the mobile by creating another vertical spiral approximately 3" across. Bring the wire out of the coil in an "S" shape about 3" above the coil. Bend the wire straight up and create a loop to attach to the previous wire piece. Twist the wire around the base of the wire loop and create a reversed "S" shape about 3" long.

16. Create another coil at the end of the "S" shape, starting with the outside coil that is horizontal in direction and about 3" in width, coiling inward. When you reach the middle, cut away excess wire with wire cutters.

17. Glue a 10mm bead on the end of the wire in the center of each vertical coil and let dry.

18. Prepare the microscope slides for hanging by cutting a 12" piece of fishing line for each slide. Start with one end and thread on a 10mm bead and then another seed bead. Now bring the same end of the fishing line back through the 10mm bead and the first seed bead you strung. Tie a knot, glue, and cut the tail off.

19. Pick up the other end of the fishing line and string on a 4mm bead, Crystal disc, 10mm bead, Crystal disc, and seed bead. Tie an overhand knot at the base of the last seed bead so that there is 1-1/2" of fishing line between the previous cluster of seed beads and this one.

20. Drop down 2" on the fishing line and string a seed bead, a roundel, and one of the microscope slides back through the Crystal disc and seed bead. Knot off, place a drop of glue on knot, and trim tail. Prepare each slide this way.

21. The arm connects into the spiral hanger from the eye we created in the center. Open the hook on the end spiral hanger, slip in the eye of the first arm, and close the hook.

Figure G

22. Hang the mobile; then place the microscope slides on the vertical coils starting with the first arm of the mobile. Each horizontal coil will hold up to 5 slides.