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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2009-07-13, 1:03am
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Question My lampworking greatly improved when...

For those of you who would no longer consider yourselves newbies, would you be willing to finish the sentence, "My lampworking greatly improved when..." All of you lampwork veterans have so much wisdom to bestow on us learners, and I for one, would be so grateful. Thanks in advance.
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  #2  
Old 2009-07-13, 1:41am
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When I bought the DVD from James Smircich! Learned a lot of movies on youtube and buying almost any tutorial there is.
I also learned a lot of technics at a workshop from Carla di Franscesco!
http://www.carlee.de.
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  #3  
Old 2009-07-13, 3:56am
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Watching Loren Stump give a class and hearing him say "Wait, wait, wait" a thousand times....
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  #4  
Old 2009-07-13, 3:59am
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my lampworking greatly improved when I learned.........heat control.
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  #5  
Old 2009-07-13, 4:04am
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My lampworking greatly improved when I started working off mandrel. (Soft glass)
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  #6  
Old 2009-07-13, 4:07am
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My lampworking greatly improved when I started focusing the flame where I wanted my glass to 'move to'.
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  #7  
Old 2009-07-13, 4:09am
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Two things actually. Like Pam, when I really understood heat control, I could do things that had previously baffled me.

Second was breaking down and wearing some reading glasses in addition to my AUR-92. (A pain, I may have to look at an Opti-visor.) I didn't realize I really couldn't see the details well enough to be precise.
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  #8  
Old 2009-07-13, 4:21am
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My lampworking greatly improved when I started to relax and learned heat control.
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  #9  
Old 2009-07-13, 6:37am
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My lampworking improved when I started throwing away every piece that wasn't 100 percent up to MY standards of sale...
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  #10  
Old 2009-07-13, 6:58am
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My lampworking greatly improved when...I started to get "the feel" of the glass and its movement at various stages of molteness (is that a word?).

When the gather or piece was between two punties and the glass would go molten, there is a loss of control and rigidity that I had to learn to deal with by synchronizing hand movements, maintaining consistent distance between the punties (or punty and blow tube), and learning coordinated axial spinning. (Still learning about these things too)
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  #11  
Old 2009-07-13, 7:06am
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Oh this is a good thread! So, Pam, Gail, TikiTeri, and others who mentioned or eluded to Heat Control, how does the newbie go about learning about it besides time behind the torch?
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  #12  
Old 2009-07-13, 7:16am
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A Jim Smircich class or even his DVD is great at teaching heat control. He's a great teacher.
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  #13  
Old 2009-07-13, 7:32am
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I have "aha" moments every time I watch someone else work.
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  #14  
Old 2009-07-13, 7:57am
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When I improved my studio lighting...
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  #15  
Old 2009-07-13, 8:01am
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My lampwork greatly improved when I did the following:
- I took a class from Dawn Ceccacci who made me realize that a) I wasn't spinning my mandrels evenly b) I had my elbows way out in the air ( I was really tense!) c) I wasn't holding my glass vertically and applying it like writing with a pencil down through the flame.

I'd read a lot of books and knew exactly how I was supposed to be holding my hands, but I wasn't actively doing it. Watching Dawn made a big difference - things definitely clicked. As a newb, it really helped me to have a one-on-one session with someone who knew what they were doing.

In addition to heat control, I had to learn patience (I work on a HH) so I don't fry everything.

I also learned that I had to put away my silver glass and go back to black/white/basics and improve my skills at those before trying anything fancy. It's really hard to look at all the pictures of beautiful beads in the daily show and tell and settle for making simple beads, but you'll be better off in the long run if you keep it simple and learn the basics, and then start having more fun after you've mastered your dimples and general shapes.

Lastly, set your expectations low when you are first starting out. Lampwork is challenging. I've done a lot of different crafts in my life, and I've been lucky because I've been good at them. I expected to start creating beautiful beads in no time flat when I first started - boy, was I wrong! Melting glass and controling it takes a lot of skill and practice and that translates directly into time spent at the torch. One day, I'll get there...

--Robin
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  #16  
Old 2009-07-13, 8:14am
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ditto -
heat control

-Donna
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  #17  
Old 2009-07-13, 8:19am
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My lampwork greatly improved when I prepared and went to the 2005 Gathering in Louisville. First, I entered everything: the Silly Bead contest, the Bead Pen auction, the Hat auction. To do that I had to make the same things over and over again and really stretch my limits of boredom. They may not have been terrific, but they did require me to set specific parameters and work to them. I spent months on this.

Second, watching the videos of other people work (most making things that I have no interest in making) while listening to the artist explain changed my own style of working. It was really a shocking discovery for me.

I came home with a different mindset and a slightly different style of working (and I hadn't touched a torch) and ABSOLUTELY NO CREATIVE JUICES LEFT after the marathon preparations. Fortunately, the juice came back.
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  #18  
Old 2009-07-13, 8:55am
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..when I started making things outside of my 'comfort zone'. By signing up for themed exchanges and challenges, making things I wouldn't usually try.

..when I started taking classes. CLASSES CLASSES CLASSES!!! I can not stress how great classes are. You might only learn 1 thing in a class, 1 thing that will change the way you do something or 1 new technique that is a creative catalyst but it is well worth it. Classes are also another way to force yourself to do things with glass you wouldn't usually do. They also help you to work faster. Think of it this way.. someone is teaching you in 1 day, 2 days, 3 days.. things they have taken YEARS to figure out. You get years worth of trial, error and successes in 1 class... take classes! You won't regret it.
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  #19  
Old 2009-07-13, 9:02am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asimeral View Post
Oh this is a good thread! So, Pam, Gail, TikiTeri, and others who mentioned or eluded to Heat Control, how does the newbie go about learning about it besides time behind the torch?
Heat control is really one of those things you have to learn by hands-on experience. Learning the different glows glass has at different stages of heat, how far to work in the flame, how to keep your bead evenly warm without having it reach a molten state, spot heating where you are working, how to work the sides of the flame for stringer work, the heat - pause -pull of making stringer, how different glass colors react in heat (stiff, soupy, shocky, boil) etc.. someone can show you once or twice, but really the only way to understand it is to play and practice in the flame.
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  #20  
Old 2009-07-13, 9:11am
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My lampworking greatly improved when I made the same bead over and over hundreds of times.
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  #21  
Old 2009-07-13, 9:32am
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My lampworking greatly improved when...

• learned heat & stringer control

• found my own voice/style (which I'm still focusing on!)
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  #22  
Old 2009-07-13, 9:44am
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My lampworking greatly improved when..

I learned that the shaping is done outside of the flame..not in it!
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  #23  
Old 2009-07-13, 9:55am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asimeral View Post
Oh this is a good thread! So, Pam, Gail, TikiTeri, and others who mentioned or eluded to Heat Control, how does the newbie go about learning about it besides time behind the torch?
Practice, practice, practice! Time at the torch doing things that increase your knowledge. If you do the same bead over and over again, you don't learn a whole lot. Be creative! Try this, that and the other. Don't be afraid of losing a bead. My trash cans were full when I first started really learning. Make a bead. Hold it out of the flame and see how long it takes before it cracks! Make a bead and apply stringer. Melt it in. Use a stringer or tool to move the colors around to see how they move. Make a bead and hold it in the flame until it melts off the mandrel. Do it again, but save it just before it would have fallen. Use the flame to round your bead. Turn the mandrel up and down to learn how to make the glass move and what amount of heat it takes to do it. Most of all, don't be concerned if you make beads that are not perfect. Whatever you do, you are learning.
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  #24  
Old 2009-07-13, 9:57am
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When I got some decent lighting. It's amazing what you can do when you can see.
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  #25  
Old 2009-07-13, 10:00am
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Right on the money and of course HOURS at the torch.

Oh, and I need to add....when I learned to take my time. You don't have to rush or hurry. You can sit there with a bead for hours if you need to.


Quote:
Originally Posted by pam View Post
my lampworking greatly improved when I learned.........heat control.
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  #26  
Old 2009-07-13, 10:22am
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OK, I don't recommend this one - but it sure worked for me!:

My lampworking greatly improved when I got laid off. Torching every day really helped!

Regards,
- Becky in MN
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  #27  
Old 2009-07-13, 10:31am
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My lampworking greatly improved when I:

1. Learned to relax & to be patient.. especially on a Hothead.

2. Learned to turn the mandrel slowly! I was spinning that thing so fast!

3. Learned to keep stringers just outside the flame for accurate application.

4. Realized that there's almost always a way to achieve the look you want. As a beginner, other people's beads seem impossible. Like magic! It IS magic, but once you know how something's done, you realize it's not some supernatural gift bestowed to a lucky few. You too can PPP (and P some more!) and surprise yourself.
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  #28  
Old 2009-07-13, 11:32am
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This is all really, really good stuff. Thanks everyone! One thing that really jumped out at me is this:

Quote:
Originally Posted by pam View Post
Make a bead. Hold it out of the flame and see how long it takes before it cracks!....Make a bead and hold it in the flame until it melts off the mandrel.
I (being a perfectionist) would never have thought to purposely fail at something to learn it. I have taken the approach of not wanting to find out. What a great idea.

Everyone, your input and knowledge is so invaluable!
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  #29  
Old 2009-07-13, 1:13pm
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When I broke down and bought a creation station.
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  #30  
Old 2009-07-13, 3:23pm
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When I stood behind someone to teach them how to lampwork when I was fairly new. Tehy just wanted to try it. For some reason that "clicked" it for me. I could see by showing them all the things I had been doing wrong.
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