3 things you wish you knew while getting started with lampworking

[Beast]

You'll have to forgive me if a thread like this one exists, however, after using the search function, I still couldn't find a similar thread. Whups.

Anyways, I think this thread is pretty self-explanatory-- what are 3 [or more, if you choose to add on] things you really wish you had knowledge of prior to getting started or while getting started with the world of glass? Bonus points for any stories about overcoming challenges and lessons learned.

Anything goes from anyone, whether you've been on the torch for three hundred years or even just three weeks-- any contribution will be sincerely appreciated.

[Mr. Whale dick]

Smith torch
Smith torch
Smith torch

[PyroChixRock]

Dishsoap on minor burns helps quickly, cheaply, and safely. Not really something you might need to know beforehand, but it would have been helpful to know in those beginning years when i got burned more often.

Glass blowing is expensive and addictive. Don't ever expect to be let free of the glass fever. :lol

If you want to be successful in the glass world, you might not have much time to blow glass.

[HumanLathe]

I showed you the dish soap thing :P was something my step father told me welders always had for burns. But nothing works better on burns, than that silver sulfadine or whatever its called.

[istandalone24/7]

i wish i'd known how damn addictive and all encompassing glass is
i wish i'd known i'd get bit by the boro bug BEFORE spending a ton of money on soft glass
i wish i'd known to let the tip of the point cool off before puffing on it!
oh i'll have to try out the dish soap trick, my aloe plant is getting shabby lol.

[Icarus]

1. This shit is hard. (edit: it's not nearly as easy as it looks)
2. No one owes you anything. Everything is earned.
3. You'll learn a lot faster when you work with others then you will when you work alone.

[loydb]

1. Bridging for assembly
2. Success requires both glass skills and salesmanship skills. If you want to make a fulltime living at this, the second is probably more important than the first
3. Don't use inexpensive shelving to store 75 pounds+ of color

[Mecha]

If you are planning on making a living from glass understand that sales fluctuate. Plan accordingly. I was too young and irresponsible when I started and the financial reality of a really slow six month period nearly ruined me.

When dealing face to face with most shop owners price your work a little higher than what you want so that there is room for them to "talk you down". Catering to the shop owners ego in this fashion can go a long way.

Avoid what I like to call "the beginners ego". Almost everyone gets it, and once it passes (usually does, not always though) it is an embarrassing memory, trust me.

Do not show, or tell anyone that you do not know, or trust one hundred percent your studio. I have been lucky that this has never bitten me in the ass, but just look at the stolen gear thread and you will understand why discretion is best when it comes to this livelihood.

[JBob]

1. bridging: i still learned how to do it when i needed it but i think i tried avoiding making such pieces that required it due to lack of confidence, which stemmed from lack of knowledge. but there is great information on here about bridging

2. I wish I had known I would be doing this longer, so I could have gotten a larger GTT to start rather then spend the money upgrading, I started on a RedMax and it worked great for the time but it would have been nice to start with a phantom or mirage.

3. I should have used this forum more to avoid much trial and error. I guess it was just laziness (and still kind of is) but i tend to brain fart for a while when trying to learn something new on my own, and it generally takes an attempt or 2 for me to realize the information is here already.

So Id say in short, use this forum as a resource and always look ahead for what you want to learn next, want to buy next to help you with your glass journey. And if I could add a #4 I would add that I would have liked to get in the groove of cleaning my bench daily when i first started, instead of attempting to navigate the clutter, I clean every morning when my coffee is brewing and it is much easier to think and locate everything.

#5 is get a digital kiln...i slumped one of my first shop orders...like I had stuff i had done the previous day that didnt even need to be in the kiln...walked away longer then expected, climbed high enough to flatten everything. okay done...

[ALIEN!]

Fire on decals turn 50 dollar things into 500 dollar things

Keep dick in pants

Good Ramen noodle recipes

[Mecha]

^Great list.

[Torch-Bug]

I always fail on that second one.

[faded]

Gtt

momkas

bridging

[brettodie]

1.creating isnt the only process you need to be good at.
2. use more heat.
3.uses scraps before they turn into pounds and pounds of scraps.

[p.j.]

1. order in bulk, try to get enough glass to work a 6 to 8 month period.....shipping sux and freight wins.

2. don't put your hand in front of a gtt

3.make huge prep, then you can make huge pieces

[Chad S]

1. Chicks dig glass blowers.

2. Chicks dig glass dildos even better.

3. Glass blowing is more addictive than sex.

[kage]

Stock pile your favorite pieces every once in a while for a rainy day/ vacation/ workshop fund

Get out more

Eat

[Ronin]

1. being able to keep my own hours makes it hard to focus, and tends to lead to slacking off
2. seek out other glassblowers early. most of them are super cool and happy to share what they know.
3. wearing a glass pendant, then giving it to some chick you met at the bar, is a great way to get phone numbers.

[istandalone24/7]

^ lois's #3 is a great idea!

[menty666]

1. Bring stuff like your crack off jar and bead release inside when the weather dips into freezing temps (goes for that bucket of water you keep wooden blocks in too...dammit)

2. Infrared heaters over your head rock.

3. Don't take it too seriously, it's just glass and glass cracks. Treat it well and it'll treat you well, but try to force things and you'll have a mess on your hands.

[d3rk]

1. How cool everybody in the industry is. Woulda signed up sooner.
2. How seriously fucking important ventilation is, for even the simplest situation.
3. How many different types of hand tools I was gonna need. They get expensive.

Additionally, how to tear open a hole in a tube without breaking anything off cold. Learned that late.

[themoch]

1) if stuff is breaking step away. Never smash your piece or get pissy, let it cool down and look it over to get a better lesson on what you did wrong. Keep the worst/most frequent mistakes on top of your kiln as a constant reminder. Glass doesn't like to be rushed.

2) if the day seems to be getting off to a crappy or slow start you probably A) didn't eat enough B) don't have the right music or it's not loud enough C) There's too little alcohol/coffee in your blood

3) Learn you are not the best no matter how much you learn. focus on simple small things and make 100 of them before claiming mastery. I have seen people who can make 3 objects like a freaking champ and are 1000% more respected than people who can make a ton of stuff but do it like a jabroni.

[TlkQ]

Moch, number 2 is too true. So many times I've had a day start going down hill then realized I hadn't eaten in 10 hours. Now I bring snacks to the studio with me. Really helps.

[HeartBurnGlass]

keep a first aid kit, or at least some paper towels handy, glass makes clean cuts and even the smallest one can bleed FOREVER. nothing like having to cauterize a wound with a hot rod cuz your bleeding all over the place and have no way to clean up.

If your leaving your shop all light headed and dizzy your ventilation isnt doing its job

Gold and silver fume can be used in many different ways and is much cheaper than color rod, it also looks awesome over cobalt

[JBob]

cauterizing wounds at the bench? epic as fuck...

[PyroChixRock]

I don't have 3 this time, just one more to add for now.

Glass is like anger management, so if you know someone angry at life get them to blow glass. They will either be tamed by her, or she will win and they will become redundantly angry at glass. :splat:

[funksizzle]

I like the leaving most recent mistakes on top of the kiln idea. Beats paper, as you would have to remember that you even have paper in your pocket! I suppose they're like flashcards.

Lightheaded and dizzy? What about leaving the shop sleeping?

[LRG]

1)Foot pedals are truly bad ass.
2)Gtt's are worth every pennie.
3)How much time marble molds save.

[Chris Juedemann]

Stupid questions
New Orleans
The wires needed to clean GTT ports

[Tzonis]

1. Do something else if you want to be rich
2. Order everything in bulk
3. Stockpile work

[hedcraft]

1. Anyone can do it once. If you want to make it, learn to do it a hundred times exactly the same.
2. Keep your ego in check. It sucks so bad when someone else has to do it for you.
3. If you can't handle occasionally being called a talentless sack of crap by both strangers and idols, you have no business being in the art world.

[istandalone24/7]

loving this thread! so many viewpoints!!

[Ikensel]

If its Hippie chicks that got you into glass they will keep you in it. They love all your work !

Shorts are inexpensive peices of random unknown glass and inexpensive because theyre random unknown peices of glass. Invest in LB, 1/2's or QP of know entity and hit it with the correct flame. Much less frustrating on days when your work looks good or bad.

Making a bunch of beautiful objects is not nearly as hard as making a bunch of beautifull objects dissapear (for cash).

[OracleGlassArts]

this thread is great everyone thanks for sharing. i have to reiterate good ventilation and keeping your area clean and well lit. besides that here are my 3 quick responses:

diamond shears (but being able to peel open is important too)

flame annealing during assembly/bridges and a hand torch

for joining two things together whether it be blowtubes or sections of encalmo: get everything even walled and square as well as flared/shrunk to the same size and get the them both equally hot but not to hot the finish up after its set/bridged (if it calls for a bridge)

[Jenx]

I've been blowing glass now for about a year now and foucs most of my energy making pipes.....so any tools, kilns ect. kinda comes for this perspective and I hope this helps.

1. Not all glass schools give you what you pay for.....:wes:. But being humble and finding other lampworkers to work with you, you can always learn something of great value. (And at this time I personally like to thank...most...of you here...lol...what I'm a lampworker just keeping it real. Honestly I understand you all help me to feed my family and the gift of your knowledge is greatly appreciated.)

2. Buy a GTT. Alot of guys have them and can help you learn how to use them. BUT learn how to use it first....See first hand what kind of flame will get you in trouble and to aviod even going there by someone who ownes one!!! PART II You will still need a hand torch save your money get a smithy like the one they sell one Mt.Glass. It's cheap like 150ish and works like a champ!!!

AND THIS ONE IS GOLD....

3. YOU WILL NEVER GET BLACK BELTS RESULTS WITHOUT PUTTING IN BLACK BELT HOURS. Sorry there is no secret to blowing glass thats going to help you and your work become better other than time on the torch. NEVER give up. Your going to get burnt, cut, frustrated, and pissed off. Hang in there.

[graymanandy]

1. Make sure your protective eyeware is appropriate to what You are doing.
2. Torchwork is fun, Sales blow.
3. Bees can fly in through the "out" side of a fan. (Don't ask, just run)

[loydb]

Throwing out one more I haven't seen yet (and this thread should be stickied).

Learn how to test for (and set) a neutral flame

[CoyleCondenser]

1. Straight rollers
2. Blowhose
3. Handtorch

^ I guess those would be for after you had a little experience though..... If you're just getting started though: 1, 2, & 3 = go to Salem CC.

[steak351]

learn everything
scientific is great
use the search

[Beast]

There are so many wonderful and varied responses in this thread! Keep em coming guys! (: There is a myriad of wealth here.

[Torch-Bug]

!. clear is your friend.
@. Color is expensive
#. make 100 or them for a good start

[kage]

Three tools for bonus points:

foot pedal
L-marver
V-marver

[sasch74]

Wasted heat=
wasted time=
wasted money

[Matt P]

You've started some great threads lately Beast, sounds like you're getting ready to take the plunge into being super broke and super busy! (read: lampworking :D) Congratulations, I've been trying to come up with my "3 things" for this thread, and I haven't been able to, so I think I'll just add some info, and probably edit it once or twice, and then add another post or two later haha :crazy:

**Also, I second the notion that this be made a sticky!**

1) Humility is the best tool for lampworking, nothing will teach you faster or more effectively!

2) Save the extra money, and get a digital kiln, even a set point controller if nothing else. My analog kiln got me lampworking much earlier because of the cost, but I regret the decision a few times a week when I use my analog kiln :bangHead:

3) When considering spending money on color, tools, or any other goodies (milli, dichro, $$$$$color, gold) stop, and take that money and buy more clear tubing. ALWAYS. EVERY SINGLE ORDER!! Every order I have made online, I have taken at least one expensive "goodie" out of my shopping cart, and bought a few more tubes or 25x4. I have never regretted that decision. I have few hand tools, and very little color to work with, but every 5 feet of 25x4 I melt I learn SO much more. Buying more clear tube has been the equivalent of my classes and instruction and I couldn't recommend anything more that that; ALWAYS BUY MORE CLEAR TUBING!!

4) Hot glass looks just like cold glass! Try to remember that one before you end up with a few work-ending fingertip burns!


5) Know the thermal stress point of boro (950-ish) and be careful heating, cooling, and re-heating through that temp range!

6) What a waste of time and money NOT buying Contemporary Lampworking was. I bought the set a few months into lampworking and wish I had bought it before buying oxygen!! Doing so would have saved me a lot of time, money, and frustration!!

[Chris Juedemann]

You've started some great threads lately Beast, sounds like you're getting ready to take the plunge into being super broke and super busy! (read: lampworking :D) Congratulations, I've been trying to come up with my "3 things" for this thread, and I haven't been able to, so I think I'll just add some info, and probably edit it once or twice, and then add another post or two later haha :crazy:

**Also, I second the notion that this be made a sticky!**

1) Humility is the best tool for lampworking, nothing will teach you faster or more effectively!

2) Save the extra money, and get a digital kiln, even a set point controller if nothing else. My analog kiln got me lampworking much earlier because of the cost, but I regret the decision a few times a week when I use my analog kiln :bangHead:

3) When considering spending money on color, tools, or any other goodies (milli, dichro, $$$$$color, gold) stop, and take that money and buy more clear tubing. ALWAYS. EVERY SINGLE ORDER!! Every order I have made online, I have taken at least one expensive "goodie" out of my shopping cart, and bought a few more tubes or 25x4. I have never regretted that decision. I have few hand tools, and very little color to work with, but every 5 feet of 25x4 I melt I learn SO much more. Buying more clear tube has been the equivalent of my classes and instruction and I couldn't recommend anything more that that; ALWAYS BUY MORE CLEAR TUBING!!

4) Hot glass looks just like cold glass! Try to remember that one before you end up with a few work-ending fingertip burns!


5) Know the thermal stress point of boro (950-ish) and be careful heating, cooling, and re-heating through that temp range!

6) What a waste of time and money NOT buying Contemporary Lampworking was. I bought the set a few months into lampworking and wish I had bought it before buying oxygen!! Doing so would have saved me a lot of time, money, and frustration!!

3 things.

[Matt P]

Did you read it or just bust my ass for posting more than 3? I said I'd write more than 3 before I listed 5...

sorry for all the excessive advice guys?? I know how you can get around here with handing out info...

[OracleGlassArts]

well ya coulda at least thought of a 6th and split it into to 2 posts with three things each...

also second your suggestion of contemporary lamp working during or before starting up.

[aREa541]

1. $20 wholesale wrap n rake spoons wouldn't last forever.
2. That not only buying a lathe would make me dough, but that it would skyrocket in value.
3. That Ashcroft was a vagina.

Biggest one I wish I knew though would be... Footpump.

[Louie HaHa]

I agree with allsytyles...hahahahah

Although I think I would change "footpump" for "fistpump". Once I figured that technique out I just rip through tubes.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJFIca6J5BM

[3musesglass]

A few things I should have remembered today....

1. Make sure your punty or working rod is long enough. Grabbing around the top of that short rod is fine, but try and slip that down in your fist and the heat friggin flows out the end. And that spaceship-reentering-the-atmosphere flame blow-back while angling your on-too-short-a-rod implosion hurts like a mofo.
2. If you smell something burning, it's probably you.
3. There's always tomorrow.

[Sparkey]

Work four days a week on your bread and butter production work. The 5th day is all yours to do whatever you want, and use it to to attempt (and often fail) at things that are difficult for you so that your skill set grows.

[Beast]

From personal experience:

+ I'm surprised I haven't seen this one yet: don't purchase from Aura Lens . :P In my excitement for what seemed like a superior eye safety product, I didn't even bother to look up the threads dedicated to the dissatisfied customers of this forum...luckily, I was able to get my money back. Also, those awesome-looking goggles are not worth it-- the IR still goes through the blue/red/grey plastic and the nosepiece tends to fall off fairly quickly.

+ The glassblowing world is as large as it is small; word gets around quickly. Be kind, courteous, and respectful. We all have off-days, but you never know who'll catch wind of your douchebaggery if you're a perpetual asshole.

+ If the glass isn't doing what you want it to do, forcing it will only make things worse; it's [U]almost all about the fire and gravity.

[Samson]

~ get out and meet people, learn by ppp , sitting alone does work but takes 4x longer 8)

~ oil + oxygen = BOOM! ( no shit )

~ real pimpz don't get scratched and understand your phucking the kitty, I'm just holding it's tail brah ~ getchapull

[Super Phunk]

two words. Seconds and odds!

[Grape]

Hear are a few things I wish I knew:

This shit ain't easy..lol jk it's whatever you make it and everyone's path is different, all the twists and turns will just add to your style.

1.how to properly use a kiln. (Garaging your piece and then taking it out and working on it again then garaging it, letting it soak ect..)
2. Liquid oxygen is the shiiiiiiiiiit! It really really helped me. Anything that takes the stress off when working is a big plus. Example: when I worked on k tanks I would not only have the stress of the time and materials gone if the piece broke but I also would be stressed that I used up half my tank as well on the piece that just cracked or would crack. So anything that takes stress off your mind while working is a big plus at least for me.
3. Get a gtt and mini torch ASAP. I talked to one of the guys that works at glasscraft and he said that the first thing he bought was a mini torch when getting set up. Next after that would be a L marver & foot pedal, both really help!

[hellawacked]

New to boro and glassblowing so no advice as of yet.
But to Sparkey great advice deffinitley going to be following along with the other great advice posted here. Thanks guys I'll be back when I finally get my torch, with hopefully some good advice.

[Lucius Emanuel]

over/under

[duh]

1) Don't buy a Carlisle
2) Don't put off learning to spinwrap for 12 years just because you think it's the devil.
3) Get a Little Torch™ ASAP

[LooseSeal Baller]

1. Gravity is your friend use it.
2. follow the steps and don't move to the next step until the first is complete.
3. its normal to go through ups and downs especially in the beginning.

The most important thing i would say is to have a good teacher, but the thread asked 3 things i wish i knew when starting. luckily i only started because i knew an awesome glass blower. Thanks teach!

[SexualHarassmentPanda]

1. This shit is hard. (edit: it's not nearly as easy as it looks)
2. No one owes you anything. Everything is earned.
3. You'll learn a lot faster when you work with others then you will when you work alone.
nice one.. i'm class of 96..... I also wish i put more thought into the imports and how in my opinion they really hurt business.

[Joseph E.]

1. People will purchase everything you make! Don't throw things out! - my one friend told me not to bring a pendant that looked like crap but I threw it in the display case and sure enough a hippie dude claimed that "the one thats calling at him" was the "piece of crap that no one wold buy." I sold it as a good deal and had a very happy customer.

2. When you tell friends that you will make them something you have to set multiple reminders and if you dont plan to actually make them something don't tell them you can. It makes you look like a halfasses business that treats its customers like crap. ou will piss of customers and friends.

3. Most important. Giving out checked glass, and even legit glass to friends and family can screw you up. Once you give a friend glass for free they make it a point to explain that they got the glass from their glassblower for free. Other friends will come to you expecting you to give them something for free too. This can really screw you up especially when your glass should be selling at higher prices. Instead you have to explain to a friend that you have to charge them, while you recently gave a piece away to someone who is less of a friend because you had a little too many drinks.

[DanksGlass]

1. Bridging for assembly
2. Success requires both glass skills and salesmanship skills. If you want to make a fulltime living at this, the second is probably more important than the first
3. Don't use inexpensive shelving to store 75 pounds+ of color

The shelving was priceless hahahhaha!

[crazyaj420]

cauterize ur burns, everything can be done both on the lathe and on the torch and the glass wants to fallow the heat

[istandalone24/7]

1) every damn bubble isn't a boiled spot. this one i still fight with.
2) if you need help, reach out. some of the coolest most grounded people i've met while doing this. on the contrary, some of the biggest db's i've ever met have also been glass people, although online. in person, everyone seems way laid back. on the computer, everyone is a keyboard commando. i do not exclude myself from this statement.
3) color is fucking expensive! learn with clear and fume like the guru's tell you to.

[The Goat]

1)tools and torches are great, but don't make up for skill
2)vacum pump makes so many things easier.
3)premix torch with tips. one for hand work, one attached to bench.

[Nomad]

1) make deep bowls
2) make small holes
3) production is where it is at

Since there are too many things to count. I thought I would add this to it.

[LiquidGlassArts]

1. "Oh you can't do it well after the first few tries? Do it 1000 times then come talk to me." -Sugar Matty
2. "Only heat up what you want to remove." -Jeff aka n0dice
3. "Keep your day job till your night job pays" -Jerry

[chillrelaxglass]

1) I wish I could have had an example of what 2 pieces melted together really was....
2) How to open a closed tube
3) Production isn't where its at

goat it right its not the wand its the wizard....Forget who I stole that quote from.

[Nomad]

1) India 2) China 3) Mexico

[Loki Glass]

1.Get it hotter.

2.V blade!

3. Work your welds 2x as well as you think you need to. Until they're perfectly clear.

[bennythecat]

Pick a comfortable workspace. Warehouses and manufacturing spaces that are nice all year round. Extreme temperatures are infinitely stifling to work flow and inspiration

frit*

Thrift stores are a wealth of cheap ninja tools. Just go in one and look for shit you can use.. corn trays=frit trays, lots of brass and steel items you can use to mold and marver. Ceramic stuff. Old fancy briefcases you can use to jazz up your sales pitches. 5 bucks goes a long way

*powder color for that matter

[Ray]

I showed you the dish soap thing :P was something my step father told me welders always had for burns. But nothing works better on burns, than that silver sulfadine or whatever its called.

How about using Lavender Oil?
I tried that this weekend and it pull the sting out of the burn.

[Jozef Guzman]

Hey every one im just getting started in the glass world i have my glass thermal fiber blanket , shaper , graphite pusher and my boro tubing. My question most likely isn't a smart one but its a need to know i can't afford a Bethlehem or a bobcat. At the moment so do you guy's have any suggestions on what els to use like the torech tanks or acetylene welding torches ? The flame is the last thing i need to know if someone can help that would be awesome thanks .

[Tavosvo]

Would love to see some more tips here!

[Swim]

sorry if I have repeats.....
#1 the first blower you meet is not lifely the guy with all the answers.
#2 spending the most money is not the name of the game
#3 get more ventilation than you need