Twistie Theorycraft

[FourTailsLampwork]

Twisties start in a variety of ways -- paddles, plugs, cones, lollipops. However, I don't recall any discussion of the reasons why a given twisty might begin with a particular shape. Maybe it is the analytical academic in me, but I think that such a discussion would help people who are building their own twisties or who are just starting out, and might reduce the number of "mistakes." I find that if I know WHY I do something that my results are better -- I can be more intentional about the results. (If I have just missed it, or if someone is planning / has written a tutorial on the topic, my apologies -- this thread can just redirect or die quietly.)

So what things have folk observed about why one might choose a specific starting shape over another? Here's my observations to get us going.

PROS:

*PADDLES: Paddles are really useful for several specific applications. Encased twisties have fewer air pockets and are more uniformly encased when you begin with a paddle shape. Paddles also help you when you are layering a transparent over an opaque to deepen the color. Finally, they are good for creating a specific spacing or order of colors, and they give more defined space for particular colors than the other shapes. They pull out most smoothly into flat vine or ribbon cane.

LOLLIPOPS: Equally good at layering transparent over opaque. Better for fewer colors. Okay as a flat ribbon.

CONES: Much less waste at the ends, good for round applications or uneven spacing. Easier to form when using glass bits and shorts. Better as a round cane. Cone shapes can come from optic molds.

PLUGS: Most even for twisties that have single color stripes, or straight pulls intended for murrini. Plug shapes can be used in optic molds, but are easiest for hand-cut ridged stripes.

CONS: Paddle, Lollipop, and Plug shapes may need to "pick up" the ends of stripes to make sure all colors get stretched through the twistie or cane. That means you have the potential for "dog bones" and wasted glass. Cones and plugs are less precise for layered applications.

Sometimes there is no real difference between the shapes, and it comes down to personal preference. I pulled some twisties yesterday, and there was no difference in color stripe placement between a cone and a paddle in the same base glass / 2 stripes IB / 1 thick stripe color formula. However, the basic shape DID result in some differences in the finished twisty. For example, cones produced less intense base colors in the final twistie, and encased cones were more uneven (lots of air pops!) and did not have as smooth a finish as did paddles. It was harder to get absolutely even single color stripes out of a paddle.

So when you make twisties, when would YOU use what shape, and why? When the shape does not affect the finished product, what shape would you use?

[Mickip15]

Personally, I have tried all these methods and keep going back to the cone method even if it needs to be encased, due to less waste, seems easier to have more controlled line applications and so much easier to melt everything in and reshape in cone method.

Micki

[rainygrrl]

Interesting question! I use a variety of methods but I've never thought about why. Except for ribbons. I think I need more coffee before I tackle this intellectual challenge...

[EchoTantuli]

I almost always use the plug for mine, except for dichroic which I use the the paddle method for.

[MelanieG]

I use the cone method when I want a nice tight twist, and when I am encasing my twistie or using multiple layers to effect colour blending.

I use the paddle method when I am making an organic twistie where precision is not so important, and when I am using organic colours where I want the colour to go deeper into the cane so that the twistie itself is more reactive all the way through.

When I want a fast, two-colour twistie I don't bother making a paddle or a cone, I just stripe onto the rod and go for it. This is purely to save time.

I don't use plugs for anything twistie-related. I don't see the point of this at all - maybe someone can explain it to me. I use a plug to pull dichro stringer, but that's not a twistie. I like to make a core of clear and then wrap the Dichro around that cylinder and encase it. I find my dichro stringer has more bling this way than other ways I've tried to pull it, because it has dichro all the way around.

[karrina310]

Wonderful question! I mostly use cones and always forget about making paddles!

What is the difference between a paddle and lollipop? I thought they both started with a large flattened square looking flattened 'paddle'?

I'd love to see pictures of all and uses for each shape. I am definately flat cane challenged! I try and pull flattened ones off the end of the manderel, but it never works out well.

Wonderful post! Thanks so much.
Karen

[FourTailsLampwork]

TY!

I don't know if others make the same distinction I do between a lollipop and a paddle, but here is what I mean. Both start with a blobby round gather on the end of a rod. To make a lollipop, I mash the glass flat with tweezers, so it looks like a flattened mostly-circle. To make a paddle, I reheat the lollipop, and square off the edges, so the shape at the end of my rod is a flat quare shape rather than a flat circle.

Make sense?

I started thinking about WHY one used certain shapes way back when I took a short two hour "hotspot" class about pulling rainbow cane with Lance McRorie, and he noted that different base shapes could produce different results. I definitely found that that was true when I wanted to get colors together or balanced, and I found that I had to start with a paddle to get flat ribbon.

[rainygrrl]

Originally Posted by MelanieG

I like to make a core of clear and then wrap the Dichro around that cylinder and encase it. I find my dichro stringer has more bling this way than other ways I've tried to pull it, because it has dichro all the way around.

Ingenious!!