Hand Rippled Sheet Glass

This subcategory of textured glass represents a pinnacle of glass-making craftsmanship. Our three primary styles of ripples are Herringbone Granite Ripple (rough ripples with a zigzag or feathered pattern),

Granite Ripple (rough ripples without the zigzag), and Smooth Ripple (smoother, more widely spaced ripples). Each ripple has its own typical uses, such as Smooth for water ripples, waves, and flower petals, Granite Ripple for tree bark and sparkly border rows, and Herringbone Granite Ripple for leaves, tree bark and borders.

How are ripples made? During the sheet-forming process, rotating the roller faster than its own forward travel causes the rippled effect. Imagine a car tire spinning up gravel. The spinning tire piles up gravel behind as it slowly moves forward. In glass, the rapidly cooling and solidifying top and bottom surfaces of the sheet are forced to slide over one another using the still-fluid middle layer as a lubricant. The top layer bunches up while the bottom layer remains relatively flat. The resulting texture quickly chills enough to permanently retain the ripple pattern. The Herringbone effect comes by sliding the roller back and forth in its bearings at the same time the ripples are being formed…definitely an acquired skill!

Concerned about cutting ripples? Although rough textured sheet glass is unavoidably harder to cut than smooth glass, Uroboros is proud of its reputation for the best cutting products in this class. To increase your success rate cutting heavier textured glass:

 

• Pay attention not to score too heavily. The score line should not flake after the cut.
• Plan wider pieces and shallower curves.
• Tap firmly and crisply under the score line starting at the edges of the sheet.