Does anyone use the italian style rod rack?
 

I'm wondering if anyone uses the Italian style rod rack (see pic)? If so, do you love it? is it worth the money? Does it really work well? Any info would be appreciated!!

there was one in my last boro class. I have to say no I did not like it at all. I much prefer a rod rack made of boro. Its much easier for me to grab the glass.

If you are new or willing to learn a new working style, this could be good. Personally, I found it a pain to constantly adjust where the rods were (either droopy melting or not warm enough) and it is just easier (habit) for me to use a rod rest that sits at table level.

Aye, if preheating my glass were to become an issue I would probably go with stuffing some fiber frax (the high tem fiber blanket or the stuff the plumbers use) under the lid of my kiln and leaving a small gap that I could stick my glass rod tips into to preheat.

That or one of those George Foreman burger cookers that seem to sprout up on the shelves at the Good Will like mushrooms in the lawn after a good rain.

wow i feel pretty stupid now. last time i went up to see a friend (couple hours drive away) i left my rod rest there. i've since ordered and rec'd another, but i'll be damned i didn't even think of just making one out of 5mm boro.

FACEPALM!

we use the 10mm boro, melt the ends into a small gather and flatten one side so it won't roll. make sure its in the same place, and then add small raised dots to act as separators on the top and leave enough space between for small rods to rest between and large rods to rest on two of the raised dots. very easy to make.

The purpose of the Italian style rod heater isn't to "hold" your rods, but to preheat them to prevent shocking. If you use boro, or glass that isn't shocky, it's kind of a waste of money. If all you need is a rod rest, the boro rod trick mentioned above works great and is super cheap.

I've never worked with boro and don't know much about "hard" glass, but does anyone make that type of rod rest that I could purchase? If someone could make that type of rod rest, could a similar rack be made out of boro for the kiln when annealing soft glass? If I wanted to try to make my own, could my mini CC torch be enough fire power? Thanks, K

I love my rod rest. It's great for preheating rods, but I can even start heating my gather on the next bead, while letting my previous bead cool down before placing it in the kiln. Saves me lots of time when I'm in super production mode. Helps me with work where timing is important with thermal shock.

Boro one might be better, probably cheaper, but I couldn't resist a sale and bought a corina one last year. I would probably put it in my top 5 necessary tools

PS, I had to modify mine because I work with my torch at a very high angle (maybe 75 degrees from my worksurface). My complaint is that they don't go tall enough. Mine is balanced on a cherry box and a ceramic bowl.

I use this http://www.frantzartglass.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=52_66&produ cts_id=4579 for both boro and my soft glass.
If all you are looking for is a rod holder rather than something to pre-heat - this is only 6 bucks. I used to think the Italian holders were all the rave and wanted one but didn't want to spend that kind of money for it.

Like Shawnette said - the Italian rod holders were designed for preheating but when working with boro aren't a necessity. The Carlo Dona has always been advertised as a preheat item and typically are shown at the back of the flame with Rods preheating but most never use it that way.

There's a great You Tube Corning glass Gianni Toso vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYEQncNl4W0 which actually shows the holder in action(not a Carlo Dona but very similar). But in the video, it's mainly a holder and nothing else. If you notice in the vid - most of the rods are being pre-heated in a fire box. The flame size isn't very large so I doubt there's enough heat back there to actually preheat the rods since the rods are quite a ways away from the flame. More than likely getting radiant heat off the fire box more than the flame.

Personally, I never pre-heat my 104 rods. I just flash them in the flame before working them extensively and usually never have any shock issues. We are all different - what is one persons junk is another one's treasure so I certainly wont fault anyone for using it. Having said that - I can think of cooler stuff to spend 250 bucks on /wink

I have chosen to live without it as I don't want another item on my bench to get in the way of moving a 12 - 18 inch rod or tube around in the flame. I already "fight" with my shield stand post all the time being in the way of rods and tubes

I <3 mine. I use the $6 ones too, for organizing (ish) the rods on my worktable; these ones are great for preheating and for starting to melt the next rod in the queue. It took some time to get used to it - it always seemed to be getting in the way - but it's definitely one of my most-used tools. Even when I'm shouting at it.

I love mine for preheating. I agree they don't go high enough. Mine sits on two bricks. And it does take a bit of getting used to but I miss it when I go to classes.

I use and love mine. It's worth the price if you use it properly - set the glass rods in the order of how you plan to use them so the next rod is being preheated while you are working. Great for making murrine too.

Doesn't it get in the way? I have my frit and beadrollers over on my right hand side ... wouldn't it take up that room? I'm so tired of flying glass (yes, I am impatient and don't ease my rods in the flame) ... it would be nice for production work ... I think!!

I have one. It does get in the way. Also, it's not very useful with my Hellcat, because the flame's too wide, or my National premix, because the flame's too hot even at a distance - I pretty much only find it useful with my Mini CC running a large (for it) flame. There are some things it is useful for, mostly Italian-style production and similar work, and I like playing with it every now and then, but I get annoyed with it being in my way pretty quickly, and I usually leave it in the corner.

I use a Bohemian rod warmer. They are made from cast iron and you can preheat your rods and murrini on it.
I love it! Especially when I am making headpins and I have to change colors a lot. Really speeds things up.
However, it does require the torch to be tilted downwards or straight. I know most American lampworkers have their torch tilted upwards. I started this way when I was only doing lampwork for a few months, so it was an easy adjustment for me.

Hey Dusty ... do you want to sell yours since it's in the corner???

I love mine but do agree, it could use another inch or two in height,

I use mine in the small kiln to preheat rods, and to soak parts while I'm working on something else. example, lower torso, pelvic area and thighs are done, in the kiln soaking resting on my rest, while I work on the lower legs. That way I can quickly get them back to temp and they are evenly hot to start, attack the lower leg, make the patella, add the muscle definition, turn and create the tendons and hollow at the back of the knee, and put it back in to soak while I do the other lower leg, and repeat. Sure it takes two kilns, but that's always the case for me. I put all the previously formed part in on the rack cold and ramp it up, as well as any rods that may be an issue.

I think I am going to use the desire for one as an excuse to learn to torch weld metal and make one of my own.

Go for it Phill. DH built me a vertical rack for storing rods close to my torch out of angle steel, square steel tubing and bolts. It works mahvelous!

They're pretty easy to make. I made one a few years ago after seeing a coworker's but I never use it because it does take up too much space and my work area is small. Then, I saw the Japanese stye, which is smaller, so I made one and I don't use it, either, lol! I think I just like making stuff, lol! I can't weld, so I used JB-Weld.

Better Late Than Never
 

I guess I have come late to the party, but if anyone isn't using their rod holder any more, I would love to have the chance to purchase one. I always was going to order the Corina one, but I had various problems and just this year started making beads again.

Best of everything to you all.

Seems very space inefficient

I would think setting up a rack in front of your kiln and sticking the rods in there partway would be much more space efficient. I really don't have room for a portecana (?) on my bench.

exactly