respect for your courage to post this tute, good work!
the glass in the vortex, what is it? aurora or something like that? is it on the surface or cased in clear?
the high oxide glasses can produce weaker joins than normal. due to the high concentration in metals, often they are borderline compatible ... depending on how you work them. chrome greens are also notorious for being borderline. Not to mention possible allergic reactions to the metals in the glass if the colours are used in the surface (I'm thinking of the exotics, for example).
personally I don't use colours at all ... which is not to say they can't be used or are generally unsafe or anything ... but it takes several issues out of the equation ... and in my opinion, if you're making implements to be used on sensitive bits, you can't be too safe.
It's a bit useless to put colour in, anyway, I recon. It might look pretty, but is it going to get a girl more aroused if there's an imploded orchid at the end of the knob? ... also, I've looked a few times and as far as I can tell there are no eyes "down there" (contrary to popular myth) so again, not really any joy from the colour. And you're hardly going to display it on your mantlepiece like a trophy didlo ... or?
If you have problems with your arms getting tired, rest them in-between and garage it. Rollers were mentioned, but I find those really restrictive and I only use them for making 5 foot dildoes. For people who have problems pulling points out of heavy rod, try this. Have a think first, how long should it be? who will use it ... ie, it may look different if it's designed for someone to use on their partner as opposed to one which is a solo implement. In other words, think of the design you want before you make it ... do some research, it's fun
. Anyway, cut a length of X diameter rod (I use 20 or 25mm) about 1/3 longer than you need, attach something like a 9 or 10 mm handle on either side of your section. Those punties are unlikely to break and are still small enough for comfortable turning. And away you go. Push, pull, dot on knobbly bits, put in a curve and remember all the good annealing advice fron the previous posts ... make something that
you would want to use, you would feel
safe using ...