SevenOut's Progression Thread

[SevenOut]

I've been melting for 3 weeks now and I figure that it is time that I start posting some pictures of my progress. I have categorized my photos into each weeks worth of work and will try and update with pictures of individual pieces after that thanks for looking. I have about 15 other pipes, but I have been using a new piece each day or so since I started for Quality Control measures, of course. :chilling:

Week #1:

http://stashbox.org/1087711/week%201.jpg

Week #2:

http://stashbox.org/1087713/week%202.jpg

Week #3:

http://stashbox.org/1087715/week%203.jpg

Week #4, Day 1 & 2:

http://stashbox.org/1087717/week%204%20day%201%20-%202.jpg

my favorite work so far, GA Triple Passion Frit Mini-bubbler / Spoon sets:

http://stashbox.org/1087720/bubbler%20-%20spoon%20sets.jpg

[hippi]

sweet dude! can defently see progress already! everything is lookin good keep the pix commin

[sleepingpeople]

nice to see this is finally up man. we still gotta meet up some time lookin good

[hwcglass]

I really like the idea of a week by week photo progression.

Keep up the good work and consider continuing to follow this posting format, it's different and interesting.

[l33t:weasel]

nice man, raging that cricket!

[RedToroBoro]

Nice work seven.

[JohnnyHigh]

Nice progression man. Keep it up

[SevenOut]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. I will be posting pics of yesterday's work in a couple of hours.

HWC:

I would consider this format, and it does look clean and abbreviated, but I'm at the stage that i will have to take daily group shots of my work, or i won't have a wide enough lens. I did 10 chillums, 8 12mm grommet slides and 5 spoons yesterday, and am getting more done each day.

L33tWeasel:


Thanks man, BTW, i'm running the Bobcat, not the Cricket. Now get back up here so i can steal your knowledge, or I will track you down and eat your brain. More than one way to learn vicariously.

SleepingPeople:

your welcome over anytime. I have both m15's running so bring your Lynx on by so we can give it a go / do a Newb-collab!

Pics of yesterday's work is forthcoming. Thanks for looking!

[JohnnyHigh]

Seven, what size tube are you using for chillums?

[SevenOut]

19mm hvy, seems to work well for the larger 3.5 - 4" chillums. I think I did do one smaller one on a 12mm hvy, but by mistake after an extended safety break. Youd think I would notice the size diff., Lol!

[sleepingpeople]

hahaha yeah i will have to bring the lynx up, next your comin down holla too. noob collab for sure!! i been doing glass related stuff but just not at my house as much lately but gonna get back studio side tonight or tomo

[smolder holder]

Nice work! I like the look of that triple passsion

[SevenOut]

Here is yesterday's work for your viewing pleasure. All bowls are 12mm hvy grommet slides and both these and the spoons were coil potted. Thanks to Kitty's Glass on stickcam (not sure of his talk glass nic) for the Honeycomb bowl tut yesterday, I was inspired to try it, and other coil potting techs.

http://stashbox.org/1088189/wk%204%20day%203.jpg

yummy unknown caramel looking momka odd over white and dotted with clear:

http://stashbox.org/1088197/caramel-comb%20bowl.jpg

I really like this Cobalt over white spoon. got to test my annealing cycle, albiet unintentionaly, as I bounced this one of the concrete floor from about 4 feet up in the shop:

http://stashbox.org/1088200/bouncer.jpg

more of the same, spoon is caramel over black:

http://stashbox.org/1088201/coil%20potted%20spoon%20and%20bowls.jpg
unk momka multi rod incased in clear, had some cracking on this one. Went to big and too slow, or a combination of the two:

http://stashbox.org/1088204/momka%20multi%20spoon.jpg

Finally, a prescription for constriction. i'm getting these down to about 5-7mins, still need to clean them up and make that at a consistent 5 - 6mins:

http://stashbox.org/1088206/perscription%20for%20constriction.jpg
:chilling:

[frillcappa]

dont worry about speed so much, try and make your stuff nice, you definitally have potential in my book. Keep at it man your working really hard for just starting out! speed will come with practice and time, who cares if it took 5 minutes if its janky in my opinion.

[TlkQ]

Try to make your bowl holes about 3mm across the board. it looks like your pushed bowl stuff has between 5-7mm holes and the onies are more like 1mm.

As much as it sucks try and stick to clear+fuming until you get the shaping down. It's not nearly as much fun as the color stuff but is way way way cheaper to practice with. If you fuck up a clear+fume spoon you're only out a couple of cents in materials as opposed to a few dollars. I struggle to follow this myself, but am making myself as much as possible. In the long run it's the most cost efficient way to learn.

Try using the 12mm more often for your hitties. It'll end up easier than condensing down the 19 to the size you want it. With the 12mm all you need to do is put the constriction in it, a little anti-roll dot, and open up the bowl end and you're good to go. I personally like using 12-14mm for my hitties. 19mm is nice for small spoons.

For the bowl end try using a small pair of tweezers to open the end up. For me it ends up a lot cleaner than trying to do it with a reamer. Just close the tweezers, stick them in hole, open the tweezers and rotate both the glass and the tweezers. This will open the hole up to the original tubes diameter. If you want to go bigger use the reamer. It also works great for the mouth pieces.

For the constrictions on your onies try and marver it just a little bit earlier. The hole will keep shrinking for a second when you pull it out of the flame and marver. Therefore, pull it out when it is a touch bigger than where you want it and drop it in your L marver and spin. If it ends up a bit too small just give it a little puff while it's still hot. If it's still too big just heat it again.

Are you using a blowkit? I hated my kit when I first started but now I can't work without it. It'll help tremendously to be able to see what the puffs of air are actually doing to the glass. The drag gets annoying but you for sure get used to it.

Sorry if none of that makes sense. Just saw a few of the same mistakes I was making not too long ago. Either way keep melting man! You're stuff looks good and your certainly on the right track!

[SevenOut]

TlKQ -

Thanks for the Comments. You really seem to have a good eye for my deficiencies, as these are few areas I have been struggling with. I appreciate the advice for sure and will give these techniques a try tomorrow morning. I'm not using a blowtube kit yet, although i need to try and get one soon. I'm hearing more and more how i will need one, and am starting to see why as I spend more time behind the torch.

Melt On!


Try to make your bowl holes about 3mm across the board. it looks like your pushed bowl stuff has between 5-7mm holes and the onies are more like 1mm.

As much as it sucks try and stick to clear+fuming until you get the shaping down. It's not nearly as much fun as the color stuff but is way way way cheaper to practice with. If you fuck up a clear+fume spoon you're only out a couple of cents in materials as opposed to a few dollars. I struggle to follow this myself, but am making myself as much as possible. In the long run it's the most cost efficient way to learn.

Try using the 12mm more often for your hitties. It'll end up easier than condensing down the 19 to the size you want it. With the 12mm all you need to do is put the constriction in it, a little anti-roll dot, and open up the bowl end and you're good to go. I personally like using 12-14mm for my hitties. 19mm is nice for small spoons.

For the bowl end try using a small pair of tweezers to open the end up. For me it ends up a lot cleaner than trying to do it with a reamer. Just close the tweezers, stick them in hole, open the tweezers and rotate both the glass and the tweezers. This will open the hole up to the original tubes diameter. If you want to go bigger use the reamer. It also works great for the mouth pieces.

For the constrictions on your onies try and marver it just a little bit earlier. The hole will keep shrinking for a second when you pull it out of the flame and marver. Therefore, pull it out when it is a touch bigger than where you want it and drop it in your L marver and spin. If it ends up a bit too small just give it a little puff while it's still hot. If it's still too big just heat it again.

Are you using a blowkit? I hated my kit when I first started but now I can't work without it. It'll help tremendously to be able to see what the puffs of air are actually doing to the glass. The drag gets annoying but you for sure get used to it.

Sorry if none of that makes sense. Just saw a few of the same mistakes I was making not too long ago. Either way keep melting man! You're stuff looks good and your certainly on the right track!

[hwcglass]

My advise: pick one design and make a hundred of them.

One design.

One hundred objects.

Make nothing else in between.

Go to the bench do a hundred reps on a single design project.

[TlkQ]

My advise: pick one design and make a hundred of them.

One design.

One hundred objects.

Make nothing else in between.

Go to the bench do a hundred reps on a single design project.


^^This. Do this^^

The cobalt+white spoon looks really cool and the push slides shaping are on point. What size bowl push are you using? It looks as if it's in the 7/8"-1" range? Try a 1/2"-5/8" push. I personally like the 5/8" for the smaller spoons.

Are the bowl holes smaller before you push the bowl? If that's the case before you push the bowl give it a little puff through your kit. This helps to cool the hole a bit so it doesn't stretch. It also helps to hesitate right after you touch the hole with the bowl push. The graphite works as a heatsink and cools the hole a bit too. This usually keeps my holes from stretching when I push my bowls.

Your shaping on the spoons is getting really good. You seem to have a good eye for color combos. When you get the technique dialed in I bet we'll see some really cool stuff come out of your studio. Just keep it up man. Just remember the simpler the piece, the more you'll make, the more practice you'll get.

[Chris Vargas]

nice work man.. keep it up... i like how you can actually see the progression... imagine a month from now... 2 months from now... 6 months from now... seems like you are trying a lot of different things, which keeps things interesting, but not as consistent as you might want them to be. ive pushed my limits on a few things so far, but the repetitive things I have done have definitely helped me progress. cant wait to see more

[CripSkillz]

yup yup better n better ,, n thats cricket power dammmm

[SevenOut]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and compliments. I spent most of yesterday on spoon shaping and will do the same today. I admit, though, that after a while yesterday i started adding horns and some "un-needed color" to break the monotony a bit. Biggest problems I'm having at the moment are with centering the bowl hole during the push and getting the bowl hot enough /not too hot for the push.

Week 5 day 1:

http://stashbox.org/1090578/week%205%20day%201.jpg

playing with color:

http://stashbox.org/1090580/rod%20reversals%20-%20w5%20d1.jpg

My favorites:

http://stashbox.org/1090584/w5%20d1%20trifecta.jpg

Horny bastard, (Cripskilz inspired):

http://stashbox.org/1090585/w5%20d1%20horney%20one.jpg

Wine stopper. Made 6 of these for dinner party guests. Forgot to take pictures of the others before handing them out. This was the worst of the bunch aqnd they were all stoked (inc. my wife, which is always good):

http://stashbox.org/1090586/Wine%20Stopper.jpg

Okay, back to more spoon shaping. Feel free to jeer me on stickcam as i am on every weekday. Thanks for looking! Gotta get back to the torch. This glass isn't going to melt itself!

[berning]

lookin good . rockin that bobcat.

i struggled with a good even bowl push for a while. i found putting my thumb on the end of the push kept the hole in the center of the bowl.

[frillcappa]

my bowl push has like a little nipple of graphite on the end. Im talking really little, just enough to get the push centered on the hole. you can even get bowl pushes with tungsten sticking out the end to stick through the hole to line it up, I would worry about the tungsten hitting the bottom of the pipe tho and not being able to push all the way down. What I do to make sure the area im heating is hot enough to push, is I heat in 4 areas, like heat above the hole, below the hole, then next to the hole, and across on the other side, so like heat top, bottom left right. Right, top. left bottom, and so on untill its got medium heat, and then push and puff while im pushing. hope this helps. Ur lookin good, just keep truckin at your pace and ull start figuring stuff out quick

[CripSkillz]

also once the bowl is pushed n crooked, take smaller reamer heat up around lip of bowl then move the hole where ever ya want it.. ;)

[sleepingpeople]

like how ur puttin that color in those spoons i need to check that out

sweet stopper

[hwcglass]

Looking really good.

On the monotony you mentioned.

If you focus on the macrocosmic, the big picture, you will be hating it.

If you focus on the microcosmic, the small picture, you will have endless things to enjoy.

Look and study the small things. They will entertain you well wile you make the large production volumes of pipes you need for knowledge and dollars.

[SevenOut]

So here is yesterday's spoons. Thanks for the advice HWC, i will take it to heart. As you can see, i was already trying to focus on the microcosmic(in my own way, lol), and I am having alot more fun with the spoon shaping:

http://stashbox.org/1091341/w5%20d3%20group.jpg

You can see the spoons started getting smaller and smaller later in the day, as I realized i was almost out of tube and wont be able to get more until after tuesday:

http://stashbox.org/1091344/w5%20d4%20tiny%20crew.jpg

My favorites from the day's work:

http://stashbox.org/1091345/w5%20d3%20favs.jpg

I will be doing solid work, and trying to stretch my last half tube of 32-4 until next week. so expect to see some pendents and wine stoppers the next couple days.

[JohnnyHigh]

those reversals are getting better and better!

[TlkQ]

That wine stopper looks super super good man! Nice bubble-trapage

[NorthWoods Glass]

Just curious, what are you doing with all of these practice pieces? The way you're busting out you must have a fish tank full by now!

[blueflame glass worxs]

i agree with all the above,also continue to ask questions, remember the only question you don't ask, is the stuped one, and your work is improving thats really good to see ,and thanks for posting the pics.

[Chris Vargas]

This dude is raging it. I've been on Stickam, torching with a few dudes, and this dude is always on his torch... although, i think i worked longer yesteday... booya!. jk.. but mad props to his dedication. good job Seven. Keep up the good work

[SevenOut]

Thanks for all the comments guys. Been at the torch as much as I can be since I received it, and I try to keep my focus. I am usually on Stickam working from 8am- 4:20pm pst Mon-Fri and sneak into the shop when i get a chance to later in the eve. This way I treat it like a job / school. Stickam is great and does create a nice working / learning atmosphere.

The rod reversal pendants are a fun distraction and an easy way to add color too / cap spoons with.

The Wine stoppers continue to come along. I had always wanted a vin pin, but at $80, I didn't think I would ever buy one. I was clued into a faux vin pin called a Floral Pin Frog and available at most craft stores (Thanks Sobe at Soberstone Glass!). I found one for $4 at Michael's crafts, and it has really helped get and nice air trap:

Floral Pin Frog (http://www.creative-hobbies.com/5099-medium-floral-pin-frog-2-1-8-diameter.html)

Funny, I was talking with Berning glass about what to do with all my wonky pipes yesterday. I was just thinking that I would take most of my spoon failures and turn them into a large sculpture at the end of the year. Will be kind of cathartic way of turning my failures into a giant success.

On to the pics:

Week 5, Day 4, fumed spoons pulled off 32 x 4:

http://stashbox.org/1093211/w5%20d4%20fumed%20spoons.jpg

Fumed Reversal capped spoons:

http://stashbox.org/1093231/w5%20d4%20Reversal%20Spoons.jpg

Coil potted Spoons, Clear over amber:

http://stashbox.org/1093212/w5%20d4%20amber%20coil%20pots.jpg

Coil potted Fume air traps, clear over black and clear over cobalt:

http://stashbox.org/1093215/w5%20d4%20-%20fume%20air%20trap.jpg

More of the same:

http://stashbox.org/1093219/w5%20d4%20-%20fume%20air%20trap%202.jpg

Week 5, day 5, got less done, but I love the looks of these coil potted fumed air traps and the Coil potted Momkas Multi spoons. Taking the time to coil pot these is a very good way to REALLY concentrate on the hole sizing and bowl push:

http://stashbox.org/1093222/w5%20d5%20coil%20pot%20fume%20-%20air%20trap.jpg

Backs of the w5 d5 air traps:

http://stashbox.org/1093225/w5%20d5%20coil%20pot%20fume%20-%20air%20trap%20backs.jpg

Thanks for the comments / posts and compliments everyone, keep em coming and I'll keep posting, but for now I'll be :chilling:

[sleepingpeople]

ok to be honest i have no clue what that would be for that frog pin thing?

[SevenOut]

ok to be honest i have no clue what that would be for that frog pin thing?

I could give you a lenghtly explanation, but it's better that you check it out yourself:

Video of Vin Pin In use - sea anemone marble by Bashi glass works (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjyNQgIfqW0)

[sleepingpeople]

love me some links man thanks!

let me know when you wanna come by, but my classes will be m- thurs 2-5 or so

so hes doing it on rod and then does he put a dot of clear on each indent? or is it color, or just the color comes from the fuming?

[Dazza]

Nice,
I like the advice of doing lots of one thing to get better ar it then move on. I also like making colosul fuck ups and seeing what I learn from it too! Have fun!
Dazza

[SevenOut]

Just looking at the calendar, and i'm thinking maybe Friday the 15th would be the best available date if you wanted to come up and collab.

In the video it looks like he is initially trapping the fume with clear, but it could be a striking color as well, so i'm not sure. I have trapped silver fume with clear and with color with good results, but I do not have enough experience to achieve the ranges of color that are possible with silver and gold fuming (or even get the same effect twice for that matter!).


love me some links man thanks!

let me know when you wanna come by, but my classes will be m- thurs 2-5 or so

so hes doing it on rod and then does he put a dot of clear on each indent? or is it color, or just the color comes from the fuming?

[sleepingpeople]

usually i work on fridays but i not til like 5 pm. would you wanna come here or me go there? hell we should do both sometime lol

[Kato]

those traps are lookin sweeeeeeet keep it up seven seya in the cyber cams

[SevenOut]

Cautiously, the rebel alliance approaches the strange silica formation that has mysteriously appeared on the desolate frozen landscape of Hoth, Diverting their attention from an even more ominous threat........

http://stashbox.org/1110384/ISO%20spoons-%20late%20april-early%20may%20%2711.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1110386/hoth%20%201.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1110387/hoth%202.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1110389/hoth%203.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1110390/hoth%204.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1110391/hoth%205.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1110392/hoth%206.jpg


On a serious note, thanks to everyone here and on Stickam for the comments and advice. You have all helped tremendously!

PS., be sure to check out my Stickam videos from yesterday for some first person pipe making videos, via my "Hat-Cam "(Be sure to take your Dramamine!) The link is at the bottom of this post.

[SevenOut]

It's about time I updated this thread. Yesterday was the first time i really was focusing on dishes, which were a nice creative change from the spoons i have been doing, although I did make a couple of those as well:


"Birds Nest" dish

http://stashbox.org/1115733/Bird%27s%20Nest%201.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115734/Bird%27s%20Nest%202.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115735/Bird%27s%20Nest%203.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115736/Bird%27s%20Nest%204.jpg

"oil" dish

http://stashbox.org/1115737/oil%20dish%201.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115739/oil%20dish%202.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115740/oil%20dish%203.jpg

Triple Passion Frit spoon, Didn't seem to strike out too well and I may try to re strike it in the kiln

http://stashbox.org/1115742/Frit%20Spoon%201.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115743/Frit%20Spoon%202.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115745/Frit%20Spoon%203.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115746/Frit%20Spoon%204.jpg

silver fumed spoon capped via coil potted lattie:

http://stashbox.org/1115747/capped%20fumie%201.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115749/capped%20fumie%202.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115750/capped%20fumie%203.jpg

http://stashbox.org/1115751/capped%20fumie%204.jpg

Advice and comments are always appreciated!

[Mecha]

I like your bird's nest! Maybe try and work on that idea with different size/shape/color eggs. Definitely unique.

[sleepingpeople]

Nice start on those dishes! did you bridge your attachments or just throw em on? Your walls are looking nice and thickie.

[IndiePendent]

Wheres The Fucking Wampa Yo! Thats Not Hoth Without A Wampa Party

http://www.toychronicles.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/04-03-2011-WinningParty1.png

[Chris Vargas]

Nice work man! I can definitely see mor progress in your work. Really glad things are working out well

[hippi]

nice dude! ur work is lookin awesome! i dig the old school starwars as well...shoulda left them in the box lol

[SevenOut]

Sleeping;

The mibs were not bridged when added to the dishes and it didn't seem to need to be to get them melted in properly.

I looked for the Wampa' but couldn't find it.it must be with the original packaging :D