What were you most afraid of as a lampwork virgin?

[Reenie]

lighting the torch. My son sat down and did it for me and then I sat down from there. Once that initial fear was over...I've never looked back

[jhgenii]

My kiln! I have a kiln controller, but I dont trust it. I feel like it will ramp up and take off.... Does anyone actually leave thier kiln unwatched?

[Jammy]

Originally Posted by agw

Not being as good as I hoped I'd be - as fast as I wanted. That and firing up my kiln and it hasn't even arrived yet! It's on it's way though, so next week is when I will have to do it. Crossing my fingers!

The first time I had some glass shock off at me was scary! I guess I get to make some frit with that.

Firedancer, I have some grainy, translucent white too that I bought online thinking it was a solid white. It doesn't pop though. I'm just going to use it for the core of beads and use the good stuff over top - hoping to use less of the nice stuff that way. And for practising getting good shapes.

I think that 'grainy' white is anice white. I have some too, and no matter how much I flame anneal it before I try to melt it.....it always pops everywhere. I HATE it. But I read recently that it is supposed to be reactive with intense black. But maybe you're right, it would probably make a better core for beads than regular white, because it isn't so soft. Maybe?

[DPete1104]

Lighting the torch...I still have trouble with getting the gas turned on high enough so the spark will ignite it and yet not high enough to make a fireball. I'm still hesitant about it...and watching someone (whose name will not be revealed) lighting her torch easily with her cigarette left me jealous. Maybe I should get one of those nice butane gizmos ppl use to light candles etc.

And oddly enough I never had any trouble lighting the bunsen burner when I worked as a ladoratory tech...

[Granger'sGlass]

Zippos are great for lighting your torch. They can't shoot out flames like a butane lighter if they get melted. The cheapest ones are around $15.

[jhuels]

I was terrified to turn on the kiln. Then someone told me it was nothing but an oven. Jill

[menty666]

Originally Posted by DPete1104

Lighting the torch...I still have trouble with getting the gas turned on high enough so the spark will ignite it and yet not high enough to make a fireball. I'm still hesitant about it...and watching someone (whose name will not be revealed) lighting her torch easily with her cigarette left me jealous. Maybe I should get one of those nice butane gizmos ppl use to light candles etc.

And oddly enough I never had any trouble lighting the bunsen burner when I worked as a ladoratory tech...

My National and my Cricket have touchy valves. Those two I always light with a bbq lighter that gets tucked up on a shelf afterwards. My RedMax I light with the sparker though, and I use the minor to light the major

[BetsyNH]

I've been lampworking for 6 weeks now, and still flinch every time I light the torch... I use a flint thing, and it takes until the 4th or 5th try to light... I'm most afraid that I'll fill the room with propane fumes and keel over before the thing flares up. Ugh!

The flying glass shards are pretty freaky, too. I keep my dogs out of the room just in case something hits the floor and they try to lick it up. Yikes...

[PixieFireBeads]

Originally Posted by Sherena

carrying the oxygen tank inside the house and making sure it didn't drop.....

Oxygen tanks were one of my big fears too. I have to pick them up and I was sure if I was in an auto accident the tanks would go through me like a ballistic missile. The guys at the welding shop said everything they could to comfort me that this wouldn't happen. They swear that as long as the caps are in place there will be no missle like mishaps whether they are dropped on the ground or someone t-bones you.

Other than that, I'd have to say I was afraid of blowing myself and my garage up while lighting the torch.

[Llama Girl]

Hahaha....good thread.

I was terrified of the NOISE the torch made, actually. But more than that I was scared about the shocky glass flying off at me...I've only had a couple pieces fly off and stick INTO my hand, though. It was said earlier in this thread - badge of courage.

[Mermaid Glass]

Blowing my house up, definitely. After three years, I still get that little moment every time I light the torch where I sort of think, "OK, here goes nothing..." and cross my mental fingers.

Oh, and catching my hair on fire. Like, if it came loose and I didn't notice and it fell down into the flame. That would suck because I'd probably stab myself in the face with the rod of hot glass while I frantically tried to swat out the flames, actually causing more damage than the original fire.

[truegem]

Oxygen. After using a hot head for many years, I got my mini cc. I was afraid to light a torch and then turn on oxygen. It still freaks me out a bit. I am a nurse and they emphasize no smoking around oxygen, so how are we using an actual flame with it and not getting killed? =)

[Vicki Ellen]

I was scared of making a fool of myself when giving "demos". Couldn't light a damn match the first time, let alone the torch. When I was first showing off for my parents and telling them about bead release, I shook the jar vigorously without checking that the lid was screwed on properly and ended up with grey goop all over myself!

[wordana]

I just bought a kiln,too. In fact, I'm in my craft room doing the first fuse firing.

If your kiln needs a shelf (I have the Paragon SC2 w/bead door & view window), make sure to order the ceramic one. AFTER I got my kiln I read in the user manual that you need the ceramic shelf for any kind of glass work. I've had the kiln for probably a month, and since I'm doing all this trial & error, this is my first real firing as I keep having to order more "stuff".

Duh, I'll get it sooner or later....
Dana

[CO_Phantom]

I did okay with lighting the torch the first time, but the whole time it was running, I kept worrying about spontaneous combustion! That, coupled with the clicks and hums of the kiln absolutely freaked me out.

-Amy

[barbbbeads]

Shocky glass bugs me to no end. My work table butts up to a forward facing wall and most of the shocky glass shoots forward, so no harm done. But occasionally a piece flies backward and I have to dodge it. Hate that stuff. I have no problem with the kiln or torch, except...
I use NG and a concentrator at home. Very easy. But when I do any demos and have to set up a propane tank and O2 tank offsite, that makes me a bit nervous that I'm doing it right. No mishaps yet, but I still get nervous about setting these up.

[MardiGrasGlass]

I guess being raised around a father who welded and used a cutting torch has desensitized me. That and being a pyromaniac.... From as early as I can remember I was always amazed by fire. I'm not such a freak that I'd go out and burn a field or anything, but I've always liked hot stuff. I did woodburning as a child and used a propane torch then. I am not really scared to light the torch, I'm looking forward to it!

I'd have to say what scares me the most is all the information. I'm not scared to light the torch, I'm not scared to heat the glass, or any of the technical stuff, but all the terms, and information is more scary than anything. I guess I am more scared of feeling dumb and asking a dumb question as a beginner than the actual danger of the hobby itself.

[Cabanlet]

I actually was not scared of anything! I have always been a pyro!!

Amy

[deirdreschaneman]

Six years and counting at the torch and I'm still scared of oxygen tanks...which is why I use an oxygen concentrator instead!

[JBeads]

I put flying glass. Reason is I always put my glasses on my head between breaks and other times and never remember to put them back on my face when I turn back to work....Kinda like my sunglasses. I am forever asking people if they seen my glassses and they point to my head....sigh....

[maren]

The kitten getting near the torch ... (you probably heard that one here first).
We have this half grown cat, well almost grown now, but she's still the manifestation
of "curiosity killed the cat". She tried to get into the oven 2 nights ago when I was
checking the quiche. And she did jump onto my work table. Turned off the HH and created a bunch of frit (stuck both the mandrel and the rod into my water bucket).

I don't like flying glass, I don't like unscrewing the bottle from the HotHead, and I don't have my kiln yet, but "cat on fire" is the worst so far.

[TeresaRB]

I am cracking up laughing at all of these. I put lighting the torch. But now that i think of it...I was and still am afraid I'm gonna blow myself and my house up! I forgot to turn the oxy off last night and was trying to light the torch...finally with a huge pop it light! Um...I need to be more careful.

[Mitosis Glass]

I chose the third option, that I won't be as good as I'd hoped I'd be.

This is pretty much turning out to be the case.

I knew the learning curve for this art was steep, but holy cow. It's humbling, to say the least.

ETA: If I ever get a kiln, that will be my # 1 fear -- that the thing goes up in flames. The one at the member's studio almost did that, and would have if we hadn't unplugged it. Good thing we were there to smell the smoke. Yikes.

[shawnette]

Nothing scared me. I'd never even heard of lampworking. I went from zero knowledge to complete setup (HH) in 1 day.

Fire? Glass? What more could a girl want?

[heidz]

I am scared of buying all the equipment and tools and find out that i am not that good at it. I have a low patience level, if i don't get it right quick i wont stick with it. But i did my first course and decided i wanted to really get into it but after being on here and looking at all the threads i realise i know nothing about lampwork! lol I'm scared but excited! It's also too expensive to do it through a workshop and i cant afford to have some more practice before buying all of the equipment! so wish me luck as I dive into the deep end and just give it a go!

[deirdreschaneman]

I remember when I took my initial class, everyone was totally freaked out by lighting the torch -- except me! I like the fire...guess I'm a constructive pyromaniac...

[broccan]

lighting the torch didn't bother me too much, it was just a more powerful bunson burner (nurse here, lots of science classes), but i always have this "idea" of what i am going to be able to accomplish right off the bat....doesn't always work that way!! but the discoveries i have made along the way have well been worth the trek!! yep yep

[broccan]

Originally Posted by jhgenii

My kiln! I have a kiln controller, but I dont trust it. I feel like it will ramp up and take off.... Does anyone actually leave thier kiln unwatched?

i go to bed and leave mine to ramp down over nite...*shrugs...its gonna trip the breaker that is right next to it..and if it sets off a fire HOPEFULLY the smoke alarm will do ITS job!!

[jens]

burning my parent's house down. so far, the house is fine. they will probably be surprised to see that they will need to replace the rug when i move out.

[Wumpmonk]

I was fine with the torch, kiln, gas tanks...What skeered me the most was cutting glass rods with the nippers.....It took me months to get comfortable with that. And I still jump when rods pop in the flame.