Help with Implosion!

[Satori]

Ok, so I know I had this posted in the old sleEZy forum, but I wouldn't mind some more help :)

Here's my problem: I want to make an implosion pendant with some lettering in it. I tried to do so yesterday after receiving some help on the other forum. My first test imploded wonderfully, but was just dots. After that I tried letters and had one hell of a time trying to keep them in the shape of letters. Most of the time they melted together into blobs, or they just deformed a lot so it was hard to read. Plus, none of my implosions after the first seemed to be as 3D nor did they implode towards the center nearly as much.

Is there some sort of trick to it? I was doing tube implodes btw, as I don't have any solid rod big enough (only 7 mil.) I was using 1 inch HW tubing, blowing a bubble on the end and applying color to tip of bubble, then collapsing back down. I did maybe 6 or 7 attempts and never achieved the look I desired. I want nice lettering like you see in lots of signature marbles on glasspipes.org.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[RCglass]

Did you try to blow it out thin? too thick will make it tough. I watched Brian King at a workshop a couple of years ago make a beauty of a pendent on a bubble blown from 12.7 heavy. You just need the right porportions of glass,the bigger and thinner the bubble the more it will magnify.
keep trying and it will be easy real soon.

[dnug42]

keep on tryin and it will come....you jus got to crank out a bunch befor it all comes together....start with one or two letters- or numbers 420 007 360-

[Satori]

Thanks for the help guys! I'm going to go out and try some more right now! When I get back, I'll post some pictures.

RC - Thanks...I think I might have been keeping them a bit on the thick side...will thin them out today!

Dnug - Word man, hittin the torch in less than an hour! Practice practice practice!! Thanks for responding!

I was hoping for more than just two responses though...anyone else care to shed some light??

[loydb]

Make the letters really large, they shrink down to almost nothing, as you've discovered.

http://www.austinfireflies.org/images/agony_pendant1.jpg

loyd

[bc]

yeah, that blowing it out thin is the trick. That an a real steady hand. Keep tryin bro an you'll get it.

bc

[$$$$$$$]

yeah

[Lithomancy]

loydb
what color is that lettering?

[loydb]

That was ages ago. Pretty sure it was either blue or green exotic. (Or green exotic that I have labeled as blue exotic, or green exotic that was sent to me by the dealer labeled blue exotic.)

loyd

[langglass]

ive done lettering in a flower before and it came out awesome...i was using rod though.. maybe go grab a 20 mil rod and try it that way...just make sure that after each letter you press it in a bit so to avoid them running together and then add the rest of the design you want around the lettering...i usually work the letters in a bit more first before i add the rest of the design so that the name or word stand out.