Getting dead center on a maria

[Three Muses Glass]

Any hints, tips, tricks or advice? I can't see straight I guess. My implosions are getting better but they're always a little off and it's driving me bugshit!
Helps?

[jamie lynne]

Get some glasses.

I don't know but I look forward to the answer.

Ohhh you could place a little clear where you think the center is and then give it a spin and see how close you were?

[glassroger]

In John Kobuki's class he taught us to use the chill marks that look like concentric rings on the bottom of the maria as a guide to help find the center. Then we heated the approximate center and using a cold stringer we pulled up a tiny little dot of clear from the bottom of the maria. This creates a tiny little bump of clear on the bottom of the maria to use as a guide for centering the design. Mine are never perfectly on center, but using this little trick I can get them close.

[Kim V]

What he said

Originally Posted by glassroger

In John Kobuki's class he taught us to use the chill marks that look like concentric rings on the bottom of the maria as a guide to help find the center. Then we heated the approximate center and using a cold stringer we pulled up a tiny little dot of clear from the bottom of the maria. This creates a tiny little bump of clear on the bottom of the maria to use as a guide for centering the design. Mine are never perfectly on center, but using this little trick I can get them close.

[Cosmo]

You get dead center on a maria the same way you get to Carnegie hall...

But seriously... once you put a punty on, you have a few seconds to adjust it. Rotate the whole piece and slightly pull on the punty and it will usually center itself.

[Three Muses Glass]

That makes sense! Thanks, I'll try that. I was polishing out the chill marks first.
Jamie....I have glasses. And multi focal contact lenses. And I wear a visor with magnifying lenses and look like a total dweeb when I work.

Chad, I'd take a taxi to Carnegie Hall...
Tubing is SO much easier to center. Sigh.

[Cosmo]

A tourist in New York asks Arthur Rubenstein, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall"?

Arthur answers, "Practice, practice, practice".

[Three Muses Glass]

I know what you meant.

[Mr. Smiley]

I don't worry about where dead center is, unless I'm trying to punty up... when you're starting your design, like a flower, I put my first tiny dot off center... then i rotate the maria and place another dot... I do this all the way around and if i don't move my arms... just rotate the maria, they'll all be the same distance from center... or at least close. I hope this makes sense...

[gmkcpa]

Aim for an eighth inch off center. You'll hit the center every time! (if you practice, practice, practice)

[Kevan]

I was scrolling down the new posts rather quickly and read this thread as saying

Dead set against getting malaria.

lol

[Three Muses Glass]

Yeah, no malaria for me.
Thanks guys, I'll try this stuff today.

[gmkcpa]

Are you talking about getting the maria centered on the punty that you used to make the maria, or are you talking about putting a little clear dot in the dead center of the maria? You've got responses above to both.

If it's putting a little clear dot in the dead center of the maria, remember that after you make your maria you have two guide markers. Assume you use a 1/2" rod as a punty that you use to make a 1" maria. When you look at the face of the maria you see two circles-the 1" diameter maria circle and the 1/2" diameter punty rod circle. When I go to place my dot in the center I do NOT look at the maria circle; I look at the smaller punty cirlce. It is easier to hit the center of a 1/2" circle than it is to hit the center of a 1" circle.

[Three Muses Glass]

Yes, on the maria itself but it never hurts to have more input.
I'll try what you wrote as well. I think it's the clear glass that gets me all crosseyed but it's probably just my eyes to begin with.

[cheng076]

The optics of the maria make seeing the center of the maria difficult unlless you look straight on at the face so that is one issue. John K, Sabina, and others here in the Seattle area I've taken classes frrom use the method glassroger mentioned. A nice bonus using that method is that if you put the stamen dots on the side of or sloping base of the little point and melt it all in the dots will stay close together in the final stages and go in further since they start sort of going inward toward each other ahead of the other elements. DTMS?
PJH

[J.Meader]

I have found that it helps to rotate the rod as you press down to form the maria, this way I can see if my rod is getting off center and make small adjustments before glass cools to much. Then again I sometimes make my implosions on a maria that a little off center and i get a flower that is not symetrical and a little more realistic...

[Three Muses Glass]

OK, I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't clear or something. That's not new. I can make a good maria no prob. What I can't do is find the center of the thing and pretty much have to start my decorations from the outside and get to the middle that way. It's limiting.
But thank you for all the tips! Today was a tiny bit better.

[J.Meader]

opps my bad I didn't read your first post correctly Now I understand what Roger was saying. ok I am off to find my way to Carnegie Hall .....