Meltdown Arts is located in Northern California in the heart of Trinity County.  We cater to many home interior ideas whether it be fused glass tiles, wall hangings, architectural stained glass, mirrors, or cabinet knobs.

We pride ourselves in our meticulous detail, especially when it comes to working  with copper fused in glass; one of our specialties.

We believe in functional artwork that will reflect your personality, as well as your home, in a way that accentuates it.  Let us make your glass interior dreams a reality.  

                  Thanks-Gina and Casey Massei

On this site you will notice a variety of terms to explain certain      styles of art glass. Some of you will be familiar with these terms, others not.  Here is a brief explanation of a few of the terms listed here.

Fused Glass- Fusing is carefully layering many different pieces of glass together to create a single pattern and a whole new piece of glass.  After the glass is laid out, it is fused carefully in a kiln to reach temperatures of up to 1500 degrees, and in some cases, higher.  A special programming is required to keep the pieces from heating or cooling too fast so they do not break, and anneal properly.

Lampworked Glass-Lampworking is a technique of glassblowing that utilizes a torch in creating a finished piece.  Borosilicate glass, or Pyrex as it is more widely known, is the type of glass we use here at our studio.  Pyrex is a much harder glass than soda -lime, and has a much faster setup time. This allows for many small intricate pieces to be melted together to create a very detailed finished product.

Sandblasted Glass-Sandblasting is used in many different industries and happens to be an excellent tool for a glass artist.  By blasting a piece of glass with Silicone Carbide under high pressure, the glass takes on a very soft appearance.  It is an ideal surface to paint with soft oil paints to give the piece of art even more depth and intricacy.

Slumped Glass-Slumping glass is the second process a plate or platter goes through to give it the final shape it will take.  This is done at a lower temperature than fusing--around 1250 degrees.  The molds are made of clay or stainless steel and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

This page was last updated: March 29, 2009

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Stained Glass

Stained Glass starts with sheet glass.  All of the pattern pieces that make up a window are then carefully cut and ground to make up the design.  There are two basic ways to create a panel, which are lead came construction and copper foil construction.  They can also be used together in a window, and there are many examples on the stained glass page. 

With the lead came construction, pieces are fit in to a lead "I beam" and then the joints are soldered together, and the entire window puttied.  This is typical for larger windows.

Copper foil construction is done by foiling the edge of each piece  of glass then applying flux for the solder to stick to.  The entire line is soldered not just the joints, and it is typical for a more detailed window.

The piece to the right was made using both methods.