Kovacs Glass - From the ground up!

[Kovacs Glass]

What's up good people. I just wanted to start by saying thank you. TalkGlass has been an incredible resource in turning a dream in to a reality.

I've wanted to get into glassblowing/lampworking for a good ~8 or so years when I started collecting work from my favourite artists. It was only last year when a turning point in my career gave me the kick up the back side to make this happen. I came to the realisation that following money only leads you so far in life...

So in August 2014 I moved back home to my folk's place as they offered to give me studio space in the workshop they were planning on building in the back garden. We started work on 6th Sept and finished 18th Jan 2015. In all this time I was spending pretty much every penny (-rent) that I had getting all my equipment and materials together.

So far I have around 6? hours on the torch in total. Mostly marbles, 3 of which cracked apart because I hadn't annealed them. I'm totally in love with this medium!!

http://i.imgur.com/P1y83Ya.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qpQGgPO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cz9NR80.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X2zBeBe.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vxTrl0M.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SzZFGj6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HJyBKdm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VKEmCvR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mPO76BJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ONj6xpZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/c9PGFpo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xYolqka.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WdUcRBk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WpN9jFw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DrdS7Z8.jpg

Work progess pictures to follow!!

Thanks for looking :)

[Kovacs Glass]

My work so far. The ones that survived any way! The construction bat was my first attempt at using tubing. I'm really happy with the dot stacked mushroom marble. Made a few mistakes part way through but managed to correct them without cracking anything!

http://i.imgur.com/ipq091X.jpg

[monte]

Welcome! Great start and beautiful looking studio!

[dukerussell]

Awesome! Love the studio you built looks top notch!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[glassdocnc]

Welcome! What a nice space. Enjoy and keep posting the pics! Repped.

[James M]

Did you guys design that building? That an interesting way to put up a structure. Log cabin style. Nice box for your fan!!

[somewhere]

Yes beautiful shop. I would also like to know more about the build. I don't understand a couple things that maybe you can expand on. The wall construction seems very unique and has nice style but how do you insulate the walls? How thick are the wall boards? How did you deal with window casings? Does the roof have tin on it? Why is the roof on the fan housing not covered with tin. Did you put wood floors over the concrete? Is this intended to be just for glass or will it have other uses down the road.

Are all the benches covered with wood? It really is beautiful but looks a bit flammable.

[Kovacs Glass]

Thank you for all the love guys! Had an awful day yesterday, everything I touched turned to shit so I called it a night fairly early. I'll try get back out there after work and practice a little more :)

The workshop is a kit log cabin from a company called Dunster House here in the UK. This cabin is 40mm thick with double/triple tongue grooves in the wood to lock together for a water/weather tight fit. The window and door frames again were pre cut, just had the be screwed together. All the glass is double glazed and came with the kit already sealed. This is a bit of a deluxe model as my dad also intends to use this for his workshop as well. They have an old asbestos shed that is now falling apart, hence this upgrade.
The bottom rung of the house is watertight so we put down plastic on the interior of the shed then build and put polystyrene under the 3/4" thick ply wood to add extra insulation. Not all the process shots are complete as you can probably tell. We coated the exhaust chimney's roof in roofing tar. It still needs a 2nd layer but there's no real rush.
The roof itself is treated as well as covered with heavy duty plastic and then tar shingles, all provided in the kit.

My workbench will have a stainless top, we just haven't had time to go pick it up yet. My dad's bench will be wood only as he will use it as a general workbench rather than for glassblowing. When I move out in the future It'll be my dad's workshop solely. The hole in the roof can be fixed fairly easily as it only goes across 3 roof slats and spares are easy to come by.

Feel free to ask any more questions :)

[Theborobakery]

Fantastic studio. Wish i had a spot like that.

[Aaron Ellis]

Nice studio and good attempt at the pinch hitter.
I personally lime a wood topped bench I like the smell.

[Kovacs Glass]

I've started to like the smell too. The pine rod rests smell particularly pleasant :)

I cranked out 11(?) one hitters today. Got way better at breaking tubing with the hot rod method as well as the shaping of the onies as well.

Some of yesterday's creations.

NS Cobalt over China Jade White flower implosion:
http://i.imgur.com/7S6xRk0.jpg

Purple Rain over China Jade White flower implosion inside an 'adult toy' for the Mrs:
http://i.imgur.com/rNMpwWP.jpg

Playing with some twisty cane:
http://i.imgur.com/omazvJN.jpg

[oG Glocc Coma]

That Plug looks pretty thick, Just make sure you anneal that thing properly before you go popping it in places!

[Kovacs Glass]

I made triple sure that it's completely smooth all over and that the welds are perfect. It turned out better than any of my expectations. Little cooling waves on the bottom of the base from the graphite but that won't go anywhere sensitive lol.

I've found a really nice annealing setting that's been working well for my non striking colours, just need to set up a 2nd programme for my silver strike based colors.

Slowly getting the hang of not boiling off the more sensitive colors in the flame. Really like how cobalt can take a beating and still look flawless :)

[Kovacs Glass]

Been on a little pipe grind as of late, mainly one hitters to stock the shops with. Tried my hand at spoons but I only have 24x4mm tubing which seems a little thick. One of them has a really interesting tiger strips pattern inside. It happened when I dropped the blank off the blow tube and picked it up with really waxy tweezers as that's all I had in a panic. The blank filled with smoke but I said fuck it and carried on, lol.

First to last, left to right:
http://i.imgur.com/axzBkrg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UuZCjrm.jpg

Also busted out a few mushroom pendants. Really loving this technique :)
http://i.imgur.com/LstipQS.jpg

Another big moment in the Kovacs studio... Homefill is hooked up and working! Took a little tinkering a modifications but I'm all about DIY!

http://i.imgur.com/F5O3lNm.jpg

[DanksGlass]

Nice setup man. I like how you turned the steel can into a vent hood!!!! how long did that take and how many cuts did you get haha. You threw me off with the window framing haha. Nice setup! keep up the good work man1

[DurbanPoison]

Awesome studio man and good work for just starting out! How's that home fill and is it from salt city? Been interested in purchasing one but haven't decided if this was my best option yet

[zach]

Awesome work on the studio looks well built!

[Kovacs Glass]

Holy crap, I've not posted photos for far too long!

It has now been exactly 11 weeks since I've been blowing glass. Here are a few of my recent creations. I've made a tonne more that I haven't taken photos of yet and a few that I've already sold.

NStar Yellow, Pommegranite and Ninja Black mini tube WIP. Still have the can to make and then assemble. It'll have a worked 14mm female joint in the tube and a dome as well.
http://i.imgur.com/JoTf5ih.jpg


NS Cobalt Latticino cool potted mini tube. Hand reamed 10mm male/female joints:
http://i.imgur.com/nggWKt1.jpg

Some pendants I made. The first picture is a gift I made my Mother for Mother's Day:
http://i.imgur.com/mWQqNtL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MdfubVI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6fpcwV1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jaOwABV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4UvG2DD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HrW8Prl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XK6Zw0T.jpg

I have also purchased myself a Carlisle CC. The Midrange+ started to show its limits on the 25mm heavy wall. It was workable but took forever.

CC face when I purchased it:
http://i.imgur.com/QGI3aYZ.png

After a DIY resurfacing at home:
http://i.imgur.com/KsyNTgF.jpg

A home made foot pedal I made based off Gn0me's tutorial. Here is a video link (http://youtu.be/XesErHyV-AI)
http://i.imgur.com/AjYln93.jpg

I'll try and take more photos of what I'm making from now on!

[doosight]

So...you have been blowing glass in a tardis for a year and half and stepped out 11 weeks after your first day on the torch to take some pictures?

[Philadelphia Collins]

Pendants look great! And I'm diggin the shop!

[Kovacs Glass]

The studio was finished and functional on January 17th of this year. I've been taking the odd photo here and there but I'm a bit lazy when it comes to uploading them!

My latest piece finished up. I've made a matching bowl to go with it as well.

http://i.imgur.com/hL9jBbq.jpg

[gihkal]

very nice. what kind of joint forming tool you using?

[Kovacs Glass]

I've been using a lightly heated make joint and plenty of bees wax. I've cracked a couple of joints doing this, but I've just purchased a full set of graphite male/female holding tools, so that should help when they arrive!

[BORO]

Looking good. I'm glad that cc worked out for you. Makes me happy knowing I'm not the only one who had success with older worn out Carlisles. I think you will be disappointed with the graphite holding tools. I have a pair of blast shield tools in every size, I still use a glass joint for my holder. I will be interested in your opinion after you try them. I also was wondering if that's a rubber seal on your last picture. It looks like a removable stem in a small piece of surgical tubing? I can't really tell, so I had to ask. (Nice line work either way.)

[Kovacs Glass]

I'm really happy to have bought the CC dude, beast of a torch!

The diffy is done Arik Krunk style - Rubber tubing over a female 10mm inside an evenly popped hole. I like the look of female joints on tubes but you can't beat the low profile of a well done grommy!

There is a UK glass even happening on the 5th so I'm going to try bust out a few more of these to showcase there.