How Long have you been torching?

[Ben 'Spice' Crowley]

I searched for a similar thread and didn't find one so hopefully I'm not just repeating an older one, but just curious How long has everyone been torching, I'd love to have a time frame to match with your individual skills, It will help keep me optimistic about my slow progression...

Ive been at the torch 3 months now and I can produce shoddy spoons (mostly crap and rake), and I do nice pinwheel pendants , no flowers yet and my implosions are weak to say the least, oh but hey I managed a lot of really nice vortexes using the obtanium/unobtanium/superunobtaniums mixed with some crayons and amber/purple families (obtanium back a vortex really nice and pinwheels like cake icing) Im sure Im not that bad (nose grows intensley) When I get me new tube order I am going to attempt stick-stack, reversals, and hopefully in a month or so some wig wags.


P.S. I found an oil stain looking stick in my sampler with no label, it didn't match up to any color on any website, when burned it produced a glittered rainbowey affect on the glass ( I only ever saw my test dot though cuzI managed to finagel the rest)

[CripSkillz]

6 months for me man u can match up to that:chilling:

[Firekist]

6 years full time.. yay =) . ... yikes.

z--seth

[ech]

I got my first torch in february of '04, I've been full time ever since. Just always push yourself and you have to get better or go insane:twitch:

[Braden Hammond]

I've been working for 5 years..... I've taken classes with many of the biggest names from this site and others..... taking classes makes you much better way faster...... props to Cripskillz your glass looks real nice for 6 months torching..... Sativa you seem to be in the right places and have a knowledge of glass maybe just as a beginner ..... I'd say give yourself at least two years before you will be able to say you have some intermediate or advanced skills. Best of luck!! glass pirates for life.......

[Steve Sizelove]

Almost 13 years.... I guess it's time to be a rebellious teen. I think I'll mix dryer lint and spray foam into my work. Then carve an anarchy symbol in it while listening to Slayer's South of Heaven.

[brettodie]

12 yrs here........

[Mac Maestro]

Been torching my ENTIRE life.

I'm now eleven and a half yrs old.

[massvegas]

been at it for almost 6 years now,
no lessons or classes .

i dont know if im a better musician or lamper.

[Sea Monkey]

about 4 yrs here, mostly part time though.

[Big Jay]

Been torching my ENTIRE life.

I'm now eleven and a half yrs old.

Couple weeks for me.. currently giving Maestro lessons. But you know how 11 year olds are he won't listen for s#@t.

[glassblowingBiker]

Been at it 5 years full now

[Glacier_Arts_Studio]

after i watched and helped a lamper with over 11 years lamping experience,
for 7-8 months, i got my first torch and worked in the same shop for about
three months, then i was on my own... so, if i look at it in one respect,
a month shy of three years... or, 2yrs 5mths... i haven't shown much of
my true nature yet but, "08" is going to kick a$$...

[petto]

Since 99' full time here.

[n3rd]

little over a year, hooked!

[pacosaki]

just short of of 2 years but part time. I started with marbles and stayed away from tube for the first year and half. I have been messing with tube lately, but mostly for marbles and pendants. Although I just made my first pipe last night!
After almost 2 years I think my stuff is OK to start actively trying to sell. It still falls short of the guys who have been doing this full time for years, but I know I have improved dramaticly from my first few months of work.
Seems like even if you know how to do something, that alone is not enough. You do need to practice and do things over and over.
I know that at 3 or 4 months, you want to try so many things, you don't really know which way to go and you bounce around from technique to technique. Try one, get it to work half ass and move on the the next thing that is kicking around in your mind. At least that's what happened with me. Now I am trying to be more disciplined and stick with one thing for a while.
Keep at it and see if you can get some lessons or just watch someone work. There is good learning to be had there too.

[Dom]

Will be two years in April.

[Sol]

july of 2000 here so 7.5 years?

what is it with the year 2000, it seems that more and more i see that everyone got bit right around then with the bug...mustve been all of us lookin at headdies.com and the eugeneglassalliance sites that lit the fire? how many of you guys saw the glass on those sites and made the leap im curious.........oh yeah, im currently in eugene Oregon and i need some work so if any of you blowers have any worktrade or just feel like letting someone play,..i havent been able to torch in 4 weeks so...im desperate for some torchtime.even if its just making some pendants.

names shane....

[Smoke]

About 10 months, did it every day for the first 8 months then had to cut back a lot when I moved off to college :(

[misticglass]

8 years, since i was 18.... what a long strange trip its been. -m

[Alfred]

Pipes since '93,around 15yrs.

[Michael]

Almost six years......... didn't realize its been that long.

[Ben 'Spice' Crowley]

CripSkillz if you are still reading the thread...have you had any instruction or are you self-taught? watching your progression through your thread is inspiring and you make ill shit for under a year...I only wish my spoons had the form yours did at 3 months, hopefully I'll catch on soon though...

[Blacksheep]

im about a month in torch time now
long long way to go but i sure do love it and try to get at least 4 hrs a day in.
i recently got to watch a couple experianced guys for a few hrs
and can say lessons or being able to watch helps a lot in learning
i get to go back soon and learn a few simpler teks so am very stoked .
much props to Red Beard and stratasphere glass

[Gibsons Glassworks]

i think i started in the spring of 05 so like 3.5 years or something, its been a fun trip, i hope i can do this as my job for a long time, i dont want to have to get a shitty real job working for the man, this is way more fun, just sucks when u cant sell stuff.. but when you do, it feels really nice

[garrick]

around 7 years now give or take. i was hired by a guy to make 5 dollar spoons and after that gig was up because of his extra curricular activities i decided to do it on my own. i would say im mostly self taught other than the 5 dollar spoons but i really give all credit to this place. thank you gldg and the fartglasspipemakers or whatever the old board was called.

[Emmett's Glass]

about 16 yrs.
E

[newmexicomagma]

im about 3 1/2 years into and loving it. there is always something new to learn. just stick with it and it will pay off. if you practice and are not afraid to waste glass in the learning process u will learn fast. put your mind to it and it will come to u. i dont know if this helps or not but when i started all i was taught was basic form for pipes and with 8 hours a day 6 dyas a week. 3 months later i was able to make reversal inside outs. not really nice ones but was able to do it. IMO if you concentrate on nice form and not on how long it takes you, you will be in good shape in the long run.

[lsw]

About 7-8 yrs here. Try taking some lessons from someone whos work inspires you.Remember to bring some note pad or video most instructors will let you document whatever way you prefer. Clasases not only teach you but conect you w/other glass artists who are your peers. I guarentee you wont be disappointed. My youngr bro was wig-waging and making reverse balls the first day he appreticed me. Just keep pushing yourself you'll get it.

[Brian Newman]

Since '93.

[harpentuan]

on and off since 2001.

[AWhiskeyDrunk]

Been working for two years this month. Mostly part time and mostly self taught except for that freakin sweet slinger class at revere. I finally graduated college in Dec. so I'm really looking forward to getting intense and taking glass to the next level. It's funny looking back over all the progress I've made, not that I'm incredible by any stretch, but my I/O prodo spoons are really coming along. Recently I've been showing friends how to do simple things mush beads, pulling stringers and points...watching them is great, I almost forgot just how bad I used to be... Just yesterday I did my first decent stick stack and stuff and puff. Pretty proud of that. Stick with it. Someday you'll look back at the glass your making now and have a good laugh.



just short of of 2 years but part time. I started with marbles and stayed away from tube for the first year and half. I have been messing with tube lately, but mostly for marbles and pendants. Although I just made my first pipe last night!

That's sweet Mike you made your first pipe.. Got it posted somewhere? I'd love to see it man. I gotta get back to the west coast........

[Cosmo]

This past October it was 3 years.

[Mecha]

It will be eleven years next month. No lessons, almost entirely self taught (outside of scientific training). Lots of bad habits, I'm sure. Looking to take some lessons in the Central NY area. Time to come out of the hills...

[blackstoneglass]

been blowing glass for 20 years. been on the torch for 13 years part time

[Ben 'Spice' Crowley]

dang thts a long ass time, Cant wait til I can say tht

[themoch]

Spring of 2003

so almost 5 years.

[Conchis]

I've been working with glass nearly 2 years, but only blowing glass about a year. I have more to learn than is possible in a lifetime.

[lucidvisions]

7 years in August and still learning more than I can retain.

Josh

[earlbacher]

just under a year for me... but i just started with boro the begining of september, did my first spoons about three weeks ago... so its been just pendants and beads most that time...

[Ben 'Spice' Crowley]

my self-projekt is well under way, two old tubes welded together, and old sidecar turned into a stem and female GONG join mounted Gong bowl blown now I just need to put the two pieces together

[3 rip min]

started in 96... full time, if you want to call it that..

[Ben 'Spice' Crowley]

go look my other thread

[Icarus]

About 5 weeks, and it shows.

[PyroChixRock]

about to hit 13 years...and just saying that makes me feel old. :lol

[murf]

about 7 months and exploring the subject for about a year and a half

[xlconch]

Off and on since 1965. Mostly lace and mostly craft (crap) shows. Very self taught. Last year I met Firekist and Biggles and discovered how isolated I've been. Discovered glass forums, especially GLDG. Now having a ball pushing my craft skills.

[LoneWolfandSon]

almost 4 1/2 years.

[J Howard]

just shy of 10 years

[chayes]

since 2000

[trained]

one month :(

[ShttrdSpctrm]

almost 5 1/2 years. only the last year and a half full time. mostly self taught, no classes. and I still suck at it.

[madglasser]

Hey guys and gals.... How's everyone?
I started in April 2000, so almost 8 years on and off the torch, a lot of on and off.. But nowwa days its more on, and i'm really loving it again. I hope to post some pictures soon... we'll see.

Raven

[Greymatter Glass]

I've been blowing, off an on, for about three hundred and eighty-four years now.

Oh, the life of a vampire.

[PyroChixRock]

Hey Raven! Good to see you around. :)

[Dizznasty]

Less than 12 par secs

[David Sandidge]

about 2/3 of my life.

[frank oddou]

Long enough to have traded my glass on the lot for a ticket to see Jerry. Oh how I miss him...

[ryan-i]

i started full time in 97, and and took a 3 yr sabbatical('03-'06) to start a sushi catering biz. i realized glass is for my heart and sushi is for my belly, so now i'm back on the torch full-time, and i eat sushi on my lunch breaks!

[FiredDesires]

I've been working with glass close to 28yrs, but lit my first torch about 10yrs ago. Everyday, every year I learn something new that keeps me interested. You can never have enough knowledge where glass is concerned, and some of your lessons come from the damndest of places!