Blowing
Tonight I took a class at The Vinery on how to make glass ornaments, it was a fantastic time. We started out with a brief demo and then we were ready to go. You took a thin glass tube that had a small bulb on the end and put some small flecks of colored glass in the bottom of the little bulb. The torches were all mounted to a table so you could use both hands to work the tube and bulb. You hold the bulb in the flame, spinning it slowly and evenly until it was red hot and all of the little glass flecks had adhered to the sides. Then, you take the bulb out of the flame, put your mouth to the end of the tube, and blow gently, inflating the bulb. The class did this with about 12 or 13 bulbs, working and inflating each one. Some of them are a little wonky and misshapen and some of them don't turn out at all.
The trick is to heat the glass evenly and then blow with the correct pressure and speed. If you don't heat the glass evenly, spinning it smoothly in the flame, then you will get weak spots that will blow out. If you blow too fast the bulb will expand unevenly, too slowly you get a very small bulb.
I am proud to say that I didn't break any of my bulbs. I think I had a little bit of a head start because I've worked with welding before and the idea of working in fire isn't foreign. I really enjoyed working with the glass, even with the ones that didn't turn out perfectly. I'm excited to see them finished (they are in the kiln now) and to give them as gifts to people. I need to get a very secure box so I can send one to Andrea in Florida. I made her a pink one.
Now, I need to get a second job so that I can do more glass work!
The trick is to heat the glass evenly and then blow with the correct pressure and speed. If you don't heat the glass evenly, spinning it smoothly in the flame, then you will get weak spots that will blow out. If you blow too fast the bulb will expand unevenly, too slowly you get a very small bulb.
I am proud to say that I didn't break any of my bulbs. I think I had a little bit of a head start because I've worked with welding before and the idea of working in fire isn't foreign. I really enjoyed working with the glass, even with the ones that didn't turn out perfectly. I'm excited to see them finished (they are in the kiln now) and to give them as gifts to people. I need to get a very secure box so I can send one to Andrea in Florida. I made her a pink one.
Now, I need to get a second job so that I can do more glass work!