Lampwork Etc.
 
AKDesign

LE Live Chat

Enter Live Chat

No users in chat


Jelveh Designs - Glass Beads Torched One-by-One

Caber Light


 

Go Back   Lampwork Etc. > Library > Boro Room

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

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 2023-02-07, 1:42pm
David Rein David Rein is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 15, 2023
Posts: 10
Default Newbie question

Are there any techniques a newbie such as myself should start with? A list of skills to practice would be very helpful.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 2023-02-07, 3:59pm
KEW KEW is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 25, 2006
Location: Chicago suburb
Posts: 1,831
Default

Start with good ends on the beads. After that, it is all gravy.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 2023-02-08, 5:03am
David Rein David Rein is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 15, 2023
Posts: 10
Default

I m trying to blow ornaments, maybe make some pendants and small sculptural stuff. Although some of the beads ive seen are spectacular.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 2023-02-08, 8:26am
kevingreenbmx kevingreenbmx is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 31, 2022
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 127
Default

It all starts with pulling nice, uniform, and thick walled points. pull a few hundred points till they are perfect both ends.

Then practice blowing out perfect spheres between points (bonus skills practice for using contour tubing and twisting it up uniformly before blowing).

Then practice cleanly removing the bottom point, and getting a nice termination.

then practice opening the top point and making a bail (you need an opening for spherical ornaments, so make the bail over/next to a hole).

If you want to make some that have a spire on the bottom, reverse the point removal order. Pull the spire, but leave the point attached and with air access remaining, then melt off the top point and make the bail, then let the ornament bench cool before removing the bottom point. If you let it bench cool, use a tiny flame, and pull the whole time you are melting off the bottom point, you can allow them to be fully sealed this way.

I always tell people that I'm teaching boro that making Christmas ornaments is fantastic practice for doing any more complex blown work.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 2023-02-08, 8:33am
David Rein David Rein is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 15, 2023
Posts: 10
Default

Kevingreenbmx thank you thank you thank you!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 2023-02-08, 12:47pm
rcktscientist rcktscientist is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 19, 2021
Location: los angeles
Posts: 128
Default

Pulling points, pulling stringers, welding ~12mm blowtubes to larger stock, and drawing vertical lines then controlled twist pattern.
Not specific to ornaments but good initial skills to develop. I'm a bit odd and have made several ornaments using 9mm blowtube instead of pulling points. To each their own.
__________________
Bobcat on 15lpm and Phantom on HVLP
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 2023-02-09, 5:41am
David Rein David Rein is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 15, 2023
Posts: 10
Default

All the videos make this seem easy. Its not. So thank you all for the foundational blocks to practice.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 2023-02-09, 8:36am
kevingreenbmx kevingreenbmx is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 31, 2022
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 127
Default

Take a class if you can, learning this stuff from videos misses a TON of details and doesn't have someone there watching you to point out when you are building a bad habit.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 2023-02-09, 11:15am
KA's Avatar
KA KA is offline
DaveK
 
Join Date: Jul 03, 2013
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 301
Default

A pipe maker once told me to make 100 spoon pipes with clear tube before you even buy your first piece of colored glass. I didn’t take that advice because I didn’t’ want to be a pipe maker. But I took the point. If you practice, until you are satisfied you can tell how pliable a gather of glass is by it’s color, before you start buying the $200lb colored glass.

Classes are great. Try to find a 5-8 hour one-on-one with a good teacher. Demos where a bunch of prep was done the day before were less instructive for me.

Here are some of the videos I have found helpful: Torch Lesson Playlist
__________________
🎨
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
,
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
,
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
,
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
You can call me Dave 🎨
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 2023-02-11, 12:45pm
David Rein David Rein is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 15, 2023
Posts: 10
Default

Thaks KA!
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 4:11am.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Your IP: 54.89.70.161