Today, a noob

[dmas0n]

Hi everyone. Yesterday I was a dreamer, but today my kit will arrive and I become a noob.

When I decided to learn lampworking I ordered a beginner kit that included all of my hoses, regs, arrestors, phillips 202/shade 3 glasses and a few basic tools. My torch will be a bobcat for noob learning goodness and I hope to jump up to a lynx quickly. I also picked up a jen-ken chillipepper kiln which doesn't get hot enough to strike but should anneal my work. I'm no baller but I'm definitely on a budget and Mountain Glass Arts proved to be a great one stop shop.

In the 2 weeks since I began gathering equipment I have prepared my space in anticipation of this day. In my garage I used old steel filing cabinets to section off some space with storage built into my partition. I built a ghetto vent rig, but it passes the smoke test with disturbing efficiency for how rickety everything looks so I think I'm good to go on that and I'm using a 30x36(small I know) stainless steel restaurant prep table for a fireproof surface.

The members of this forum have been such a big help to me(and others I'm sure!) in preparing myself to start down this road and I want to say thanks at the same time I say hi. As I begin to learn I suspect this will be as invaluable a resource as it was in getting set up and I am grateful for so much expertise in one place.

Any tips or knowledge that can be sent my way is always welcome and thanks again for being so gracious to us nooblers.

ETA: I'm in north Alabama, which appears to be some kind of glass dead zone.

[derekg0]

Good luck, I'm sure you'll have fun with this, It's just a hobby for me, and i definitely enjoy all the time i've spent on it so far. but be careful, it gets expensive quick! Enjoy, take your time, start small, and work up to whatever it is you aspire to eventually focus on.

D

[dmas0n]

Thanks. Your progression thread looks good, hope to have something worth posting soon.

[dOprah Winfrey]

Sounds like your off to a good start. The bobcat is a great torch to start on. (I'm a little biased starting on one myself.) I think having a small flame takes one of the crazy seeming variables out of the picture when starting out, and leaves your attention to things like spinning evenly and getting an even heat base. In a couple months I suggest messing around with your pressures at the regulators and upping them, you'll be able to get a larger top end out of the torch. I've made bubblers on my bobcat. Some where around here is a thread that someone started where they made some impressive stemless bubblers on one alsol.

As far as the kiln and striking, a fair amount of the strikers out there will strike even at the 1050-1075 range if you give them time. I think the passion line of colors (glass alchemy) will strike at anything above 950. You'll also be able to flame strike.

Good luck on your journey!

[dmas0n]

Thanks for that tip Crescent. For now I'm still trying to dial in which flame is right for which application and so on, but I'm sure more juice will be welcome when the time is right.

[dmas0n]

Made my first pipe yesterday, not very good but totally functional. I'm pretty stoked, even though I will be sticking with pendants and marbles for a while to get my technique down, its good to know i can get it done when it's time.

[smolder holder]

Welcome to the pot! Have fun and when/if possible take a class, you can save yourself a lot of frustration and development of bad habits this way.

Goodluck!

[dmas0n]

Yeah, I really want to take some classes, but given my distance from a school, that will take a pretty major commitment of time and money for me. I'm searching for an individual in my area who does boro on a torch but the only boro worker I've heard of is in a hot shop. Soft glass bead classes are available but the price is so steep for something I'm not interested in .... I have to pass on those.

I would love a recommendation for a teacher who works marbles/pendants or vessels/pipes in North Alabama if anyone on here knows of one.