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Boro Room -- For Boro-related tips, techniques, and questions.

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  #1  
Old 2011-04-25, 8:10am
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Default Tubing woes

How come when I blow a bubble in my tubing I always end up with a thick spot? I've watched Brent's video on tube implosions several times and I still can't get a nice even bubble. Then if I try to condense it back down and re-blow it gets REALLY wonky.
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Old 2011-04-25, 8:34am
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Is the thick spot where the tip of the point was? If so, try removing the extra glass from that spot before you blow it out. Get it as thin as you can, and when you heat the point, don't heat the tip. Only heat the wide part.

However, chances are, if it's not overly thick, it won't effect the finished product anyways.

If the thick spot is somewhere else, it's your heating technique. Once you get the point heated up, take it out of the flame and keep rotating it but don't blow in it. Give it 4-5 seconds for the heat to even out throughout the piece, then blow.
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  #3  
Old 2011-04-25, 9:00am
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I'm pretty sure it is where the tip is. I'll try thinning it out before I blow. I did try going ahead with some of my wonkies yesterday. My implosions were ending up crooked and I think it's because the bubble isn't condensing evenly which I thought might be from the bubble being thick in that one spot.
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Old 2011-04-25, 10:24am
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If the bubble isn't condensing evenly, it's a result of uneven heating when melting it down. Also, when you melt it down and get it nice and hot (to the point where it would drip if you stopped rotating) take it out of the flame and keep rotating until the glow goes away. That will help center the design. I find also that angling the tube from cool end up to parallel and back while imploding will also help keep it centered.
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  #5  
Old 2011-04-25, 5:37pm
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Thanks Chad (and thanks for always answering my questions too)!
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  #6  
Old 2011-04-27, 10:33pm
glasspyro glasspyro is offline
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One of the things that has help me in dealing with tubing is by using this tearing technique

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3hax_VH3rs

if the tubing is small enough I go ahead and just heat up the end and use the tearing technique to close it at the same time remove excess. Then blow out /condenses it till its nice and even. With larger tubing I usually marver close then tear.
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  #7  
Old 2011-04-28, 7:11am
nate-d nate-d is offline
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Here are two of Brent Graber's free videos that helped me out. I finally got a perfect bubble after watching. Then decorated this perfect bubble with rows of dots, just about to implode and then my flame started sputtering. I ran out of propane. Urrrgghh!

http://vimeo.com/6302328

http://vimeo.com/6303406
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Old 2011-04-28, 7:31am
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I always pull that little bit of thickness off, then lightly puff out a test tube end. Let it cool, then heat the whole thing at once. Nice and even every time
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  #9  
Old 2011-05-17, 4:26pm
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"Turning and Turning" I repeatedly find myself mumbling when teaching a class...
always keep your work moving... not fast but even
and waiting for a sec for the glass to "skin over" makes all the difference!
If you blow right out of the flame, naturally the THINNEST spots will move.
Waiting, usually only one or two seconds, lets a small skin form of cooler glass... THEN, when you blow, the THICKEST part moves!
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Old 2011-05-17, 9:40pm
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I think the key to blowing out an even bubble is having even heat and the correct setup. When heating your tube, you want to make sure you are condensing the glass evenly. You don't want to heat the end of the tube too much or the glass will just get really thick on the end. Make sure to heat the side of the tubing and condense it evenly with the tip of the tube. It is good to heat a little then remove from the flame, then heat a little more then remove from the flame. By doing this a couple times you will get the heat to disperse evenly through the tubing. It's important especially when using thick tubing. Another thing to pay attention to is how you take the glass out of the flame. If you take it out too quickly you will have one side that will be much hotter than the other which will cause it to blow out unevenly. If you slowly remove it by moving it to the outer edge of the flame, make a couple rotations then take it out of the flame it will be much more evenly heated. Then pause for a second, then blow. As you blow, begin with a light puff and as the glass cools blow a little harder.

If you follow all these tips correctly you should be able to blow out an even bubble.

Good luck!

Amir
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  #11  
Old 2011-05-18, 11:31am
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What Fishman said, especially about the thick part blowing out after the thinner parts freeze. Blow a little to form the bubble then blow harder to thin out the end. Timing is everything! Amir's technique for removing from the flame is also important. Even heat = even bubble.
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Last edited by fyrsmith; 2011-05-18 at 11:34am.
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  #12  
Old 2011-05-18, 4:01pm
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Standing on your head with your tongue sticking out chewing gum gives good results too. Just kidding, I have been blowing small things off and on over the last few years and it is tricky I am not good enough to give advice except don't give up.
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  #13  
Old 2011-05-19, 12:49pm
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Even application of heat is the key, and that depends on an even spin.

Of course, if what you're starting with isn't perfectly even walled that throws things off, which is why trying to recover a flobby bubble can be more trouble than starting fresh.

Be sure to blow to the 'end' of a bubble. Usually I heat it, blow a bit, look at it, blow some more, look at it, then blow with very sharp pressure as it reaches the end of the working stage.
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Old 2011-05-19, 1:19pm
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I was wondering, how do you know when the implosion has finished 'imploding' ???
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Old 2011-05-19, 7:40pm
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When it looks like a flower. Don't roll your eyes at me it's true. lol You look from the top and you can kinda see it. Also the lines come together (compresses) on the back very small about a quarter of an inch in a little divot 1/8th to 1/4 inch deep, you heat the spot very hot and shove a rod in the divot pause for two seconds then pull all the bubbles out and as you are doing this you are forming the stem. Melt the sides some more to move more glass to the back. Clear as mud isn't but this is how I do it. Ask more questions if this needs to be clarified more.
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  #16  
Old 2011-05-20, 1:21pm
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You get a sense for when it's imploded enough based on visual analysis while working, as well as experience. Often too little is better than too much, because with too much implosion (really, compression) you run out of clear space towards the rod end, and your petals/pistils/dotties will get smooshed, forming a golf club shape on the end.
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