Flameworking ..Beginners Boro in West Virginia

[D. dino i ninjah]

Got 2 spaces left in a small 4 Person class that will happen this coming weekend .. the 23 and 24th .. we will be using small bench burners to melt borosilicate glass. the basics .. shop safety and set up.. will be covered. Students will have lots of hands on torch time .. so .. If you have been wanting to get started with Boro flame working this will be a great chance to get your feet wet..
The class will be at the Museum of American Glass in Weston WV and I believe the cost is only 168 dollars for 2 days .. materials and torch provided .. I think it is a great value .. and will do my best to help each student individually .. The class size is small and the museum its self is full of butiful american made glass. and also home to the american marble museums collection of Modern hand made marbles .. worth the trip just to see by its self .. come on down and get your fingers hot.. lol
http://www.magwv.com/ contact the museum to sign up ..

[chillrelaxglass]

I just called up there (about something else). Im on my way to WV looking for old glass blowing tools. Not in Need of any classes tho.

[chillrelaxglass]

I want to see them marbles

[D. dino i ninjah]

Chilllax .. holla if your in weston bro .. I grew up around there.. What kind of tools you after ? There were several factories in this area .. for a long time ..
Picks from my class are at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.560589044059092.1073741840.428597417258256&type=1

[D. dino i ninjah]

61956
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[chillrelaxglass]

D.Dino Man came up with my torch in stuff. I was in bluestone/pipestem near Athens. Im up that way a good bit have a lot of places to crash near hunington and some other areas. I didn't need a beginner but would love to come participate sometime. Im looking for:

Old factory rollers
shears
jacks
molds
puntys
and I just love odd steampunk/lab/factory/foundy equipment

I spoke with some people at fenton glass but they were not interested in letting me look at their old tool stock.

[D. dino i ninjah]

Fenton Just closed .. their still selling off old glass.. and the tools are like family heirlooms .. one of my best friends has a whole tool kit.. round and blade Jacks.. sheers .. ect. won't come off um for anything .. they were his dads .. and are not ever going to be used again.. You find stuff some times .. mostly .. old pipes .. and puntys .. Craigslist .. maybe .. but the glass industry here is .. about 10 years ago at its most recent .. Blenko .. is still running .. and Davis Lynch .. in morgantown .. Simon Pierce is in cumberland maryland .. I believe they still melt glass there.. Molds .. are super hard to come by .. Factory's and or blowers .. typically hoard them I have been in rooms full of molds ... 1000's of them .. The factories that remain buy them all .. so that others cannot use them .. But there are people around here .. that still know how to make all of the stuff you mentioned by hand .. and those are the people you should ask to talk . to .. find the Maintenance man .. that used to work at the fenton factory .. and see if he will "teach you how to fish" .. shit .. I like the idea enough I might try it my self.. Jacks were made from .. pickfork .. tines .. welded to .. a thin sheet of spring steal .. at the last factory in the weston area to close in like 1987 ish. I was good friends with the maintenance man at the former louie glass factory .. until we had a falling out.. Those guys could make anything .. you needed from moulds to jacks to regerating furnaces that run your exaughst air back through your gas .. to run your burners hotter.. for tank style furnace.. talk to the maintenance guys at current soft glass factories .. you will learn a lot about how things are made .. then you can make your own Jacks and sell them for 100.00 a pair..

[chillrelaxglass]

Pitch forks GENIUS!

[Woody840]

I took this class and had a great time learning the basics from Dino! Matter of fact I'm the guy with the green shirt and blue hat in the pic:)


Chillrelax you were close to my neck of the woods (Beckley) do you come this way often?