What were you most afraid of as a lampwork virgin?
I have been dreaming of this for over a year. Now I am finally set to try it out (outside for now, because garage ventilation is not done yet) and I am so afraid of lighting that darned torch!
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Yup, it was the torch for me too. I had no trouble with the hot head because I learned how to use it in a class. But within weeks I purchased a minor and was scared to death. I waited until everyone was miles away, had the phone all set to hit dial for 911 and held my breath. :D It does get easier, promise.
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you missed the burning yourself option.
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Lighting the torch. Actually I thought I would be freaked to do it but my husband set my torch up and literally pushed him out of the way and just lit the thing. Afterwards I thought..."gee, I thought that was gonna freaking scare me".
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Turning on the kiln. Seriously. Lighting the torch, melting glass, no problem. Actually turning on that kiln that had the potential to get incredibly freaking hot just made me incredibly freaking nervous. I practiced beads for at least a few weeks before I told myself they were good enough to bother annealing, but in truth, I could've made a perfect bead and still have been freaked out about the kiln ;)
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I had 6 options in the poll, but when I posted them, it took away the last 2.
The last 2 options were Everything scared me, and Nothing scared me |
I was so chicken to light my torch the first time, I made my best friend do it! :roll: (what does that say about me???? it's okay if she blows up but not me??:oops:) Luckily she lit it and still loves me!
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Mine was shocky glass flying around. I used to jump and scream everytime glass would start popping.
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I am with Angelinabeadalina. I was scared to death of my kiln. I had it for 3 weeks before I could convince myself to turn it on. :)
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yep the torch was not bad. But then putting that rod, in the flame, and warming it up, wondering what was going to happen. I did not even have a class, only watched YOU TUBE, so doing and seeing is two different things. I have not been at it very long, and have some white glass, that pops all over. I just ordered it, and dont like it. And it is grainy, and kinda translucent. Wont order that again. In fact, a piece of the rod flew over on the throw rug today, and burnt a big hole in it, before I could get it with the flat nose pliers. I HATE, the flying glass. But I Love making lampwork Beads. And the Bug has bitten me bad. I am having so much fun. :)
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COST...LOL.
This is an expensive hobby, so I would have to go with cost. |
Not being as good as I hoped I'd be - as fast as I wanted. That and firing up my kiln and it hasn't even arrived yet! It's on it's way though, so next week is when I will have to do it. Crossing my fingers!
The first time I had some glass shock off at me was scary! I guess I get to make some frit with that. Firedancer, I have some grainy, translucent white too that I bought online thinking it was a solid white. It doesn't pop though. I'm just going to use it for the core of beads and use the good stuff over top - hoping to use less of the nice stuff that way. And for practising getting good shapes. |
Lighting the torch didn't scare me because I had used a jeweler's torch for many years.
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I put a post on LE the day I lit my torch. I was unsure of the right steps, was it oxygen first, propane first?
Shawnette PM'd me and I called her and she walked me through lighting it. It was nice to have someone there. Have fun and don't be afraid to ask for help. |
I was - and still am - totally afraid of blowing myself up!
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Quote:
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Lighting the torch first and glass exploding second.
As to the correct procedure for lighting the torch and then turning it off just remember 'POOP.' Propane - oxygen - oxygen - propane. To start, light the propane then add oxygen. To stop, turn off the oxygen then the propane. Of course this is for a mix torch not a HH. |
I choose Option #5...EVERYTHING!!! I have an extreme fear of fire - a bit of a hold over from a childhood accident. Luckily, the scars are more emotional than physical, but my desire to make beads has helped me "tame" the fear...it never has gone completely away, but I'm way better than I used to be.
I must say, though, it keeps me ever vigilant! |
I was most afraid of burning myself. And I'm such a perfectionist as well... still trying to break that habit. LOL...
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I was most afraid of wasting my money if I sucked real bad and couldn't figure it out. Here I am 10 years later, happy so happy!
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DeAnne, I am so with you on that. Burning alive is my greatest fear in life. (Well, actually, not quite. My children burning alive and me being helpless to save them is a greater fear) over and above public speaking, dying alone, and any of those other great phobias out there, but yet I yearn to do this. As I told my DH, this is one thing I want to do solely for the sake of wanting to do it FOR MYSELF, and not for profit.
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I was afraid I would not be as good as I hoped I would be. I am so over that fear now since it is just a reality I have to accept even several years later.
Otter |
After over a year, I am nowhere near as good as I want to be....all other art forms have come relatively easy for me, so this has been very interesting. I wanted to work in glass eons ago when I was in college, but the school was so small, they didn't offer it. Now that I'm older & my body couldn't handle that, I feel very fortunate to have found lampworking & love playing with fire!
ginger P.S. For some of you that are finding some of the glass really shocky, you may want to try letting it sit in your kiln from room temp. through an entire working time & annealing schedule. I've found that this has helped some with some of the shocky colours....notice I said SOME, not all! |
Ginger: When you say to let our shocky glass set in the kiln, what do you mean? The temperature? etc. I have heard of the rod warmers, but cant afford that right now.
And you know how I look at the not getting good enough fast enough. It's this way. There are only two games that have ever kept my interest. That is Golf, and Chess, they are the only two games, you can never get good enough at. So I am hoping the lampwork, will be the same way. I hope I can never get good enough, and then I will never be bored, and always have a drive, to get better. Just an opinion here, or should I say attitude. At least a good attitude for me. |
having the tanks explode and take out a block on either side of me leaving lots of smoking cellar holes and graves behind. yup that was the biggest fear. The tanks after all are quite a bit bigger than those for my jewelers torch. I still think of all my torches as great big bombs just waiting for the chance to go off. wasn't too thrilled with the idea of burning the house down either. I suppose both would be leaky hoses, flashback etc.
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For me it was having the fuel in the basement. Then lighting the torch and now I have moved on to the darn popping glass. I just hate it. The first time I lit the torch hubby went and stood outside.....how is that for suppose. I guess someone had to be able to call 911.
I got some light aqua the other day that is the sockiest stuff I have ever seen. I had a huge chunk break off the other day that is totally shattered like a piece of tempered window glass. It was really cool looking. I tried to pick it up and take a photo of it but it shattered. Yep, the shocky glass, hate it with a passion. I have come to grips with getting burned, badge of courage. |
For me it was lighting the torch. It was odd because I didn't think I had any fear, but when it came to actually doing it... I was scared. Then, when I got my Lynx, I was scared again.
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Definitely lighting the torch......
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Nothing,I cant think of anything to be afraid of.
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Definitely lighting the torch. Flying glass bits was a close second--I kept asking my sister why she did something that caused PAIN? Then I found out ... I was just going to make beads to make handles for scroll books, I swear.
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