How to make connected glass rings?
 

I hope I can explain this correctly. I would like to make connected glass rings, sort of like chain mail.

Are there any tutorials that I can purchase that show how to make them using boro. Free tutorials are great also.

Thanks

I have no idea experience wise, but it seems that if you are using boro It could be done the same way as making jump rings in metal, conceptually. Make a spiral of boro around a cold pipe or mandrel. Something that is the diameter that you want your rings to be. (i think i have read that it should not bond to to metal.) Then when cool you can nip the rings, and then just close them up in the flame with some tool to hold them. or pliers or jax or something. It seems like this would be easier than trying to make each circle alone, then open and close them. I would be interested if this works or not. I do not work in boro. I am just making it up, based on things I have read, and my soft glass work.
You may also try searching/asking in the boro room :)

I have just uploaded a simple instruction on how I make my boro chain onto my flickr, hopefully it might be helpful.

I use wood to rest my chain on when it is cooling off to try and reduce shock(it does singe, so don't use good stuff). I haven't had any trouble at all doing it this way.

I popped a metal pipe of the correct diameter onto my desk with a clamp I flogged off my husband shhhhhhhh.....

Feel free to sing out if I can help any further, I am not a chain or boro expert by any stretch of the imagination - but I did learn by buggering up... a LOT before I got it right.

Cheers,

Nat :cool:

ps. you can use this technique just the same as the chainmaille people make if you make sure the internal diameter is not too small (ie. the chain is not too chunky)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/...86bf14aaae.jpg

Oh, here's a pic of the first one I made. I did the complete links in colour and then joined them in clear boro. I just used 5mm rod and it did come out a bit chunky and of course using the metal pipe the links are round rather than oblong but I was really happy with it. Later I make some chain using 3mm commercial stringers and they came out much more delicate.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/...15de3af432.jpg

Nat :smile:

Check out Kim Edwards' glass chain mail.. awesome, light as a feather and so beautiful!
http://www.lonetreestudio.com/chainmail.html

Wow, thanks for passing that along Jody, those are all beautiful and delicate!

I do glass chain maille
 

That is how I started glass. I know this sounds like a cop out. But practice, practice, practice.

Sue

Natsprat thank you so much for the visual guide and for the support. I have seen these but had no idea where to start.

Thanks so much for the POSITIVE inspiration and for the tutorial I had absolutely no idea where to even start!!!
Jody, Jaci and Rebecca thanks for the information and ideas.

Natalie, that's a great little instruction sheet! And your chain came out great!! Thanks for sharing.

glass chain
 

How do you keep the glass from breaking as you are making the additional links? Then after you finish you pop it into the kiln?

See my post in the other thread.

You can use a graphite rod to wind the class to make the links - graphite will expand when heated and then contract when it cools which will allow you to slide off the coil. But you have to use boro. You could also use tungsten.