Gahhruuba's Progression Thread

[Gahhruuba]

Well, today I finally got some real time in.
Had some fun playing around with some glass, mainly Blue Dream, and Dragons Blood.
Still waiting on my kiln so just playing around for now.

I was planning on trying some implosion pendents, but I can't seem to get the implosion to work. However In my opinion as someone with zero torch time, it was extremely fun and I am super excited to continue. I will be going through some of the glass alchemy how to's tomorrow.

Out of everything I tried, I managed to make a marble at the end of the day.

This is the color I used, Dragons Blood.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/17/265fba609ed813d9f9bab353d3df008e.jpg


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/17/9927bab6e0507c6efe0544c4b223f7a8.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/17/92cf9e33d68c6facea6bff579c81af55.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/17/9bcf5bdde8e7fb098fe8d181bc30da90.jpg

And here is some throw away stuff. Blue Dream is used, looks pretty nice.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/17/f01220c7028aec1d5201658e6b5ae27a.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/17/bbe8e1854bcad09d6b305d77492b4ba9.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/17/a0904e4dfb33a25613b9b55015ab12ea.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/17/c9a97565355a98299e78c034fbbb16f7.jpg

All in all it was a fun day for sure!

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[Roland8974]

So exciting I am starting off as well very soon so I can't wait! Nice marble.

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[JayBoogie]

Glad you're all setup! What kind of torch are you using?

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[Gahhruuba]

Glad you're all setup! What kind of torch are you using?

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Bethlehem Bravo. It's a nice torch!

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[JayBoogie]

Nice!

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[Gahhruuba]

Day 2.

Well today was a decently progressive day.

Started off playing around with my clear making blanks, blowing holes, and just playing with different sizes.

Tried doing more implosions, however they always flatten out and turn into these warbled ash tray looking things.
If you can lay down some info on what the duece I'm doing wrong, throw a comment at me.

Burned myself a little bit, molten punties should be kept away from arms reach haha.

However, at the end of the day I did manage to make two onies. one snapped off my cold seal and fell to the floor, second one made it out alive up until I ran out of oxygen and couldn't cut it off my blowtube.

But, without further ado, the end day work.

*edit* snip pics at users request

[FifDeez]

You'll get that on them big jobs! Keep up the hard work.

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[Gahhruuba]

Getting the oxygen refilled tomorrow.. maan. I knew I heard you use o2 up quick.. but holy moly!
Kind of thinking about looking into home fill stuff over tax return time.

I've been parked in front of YouTube watching all the glass videos I can find.

Learned that i need to take off excess glass on my marbles, and how to properly form a marble. (I was just jamming the conglomerant mess of melted rod and color into the marble mold and spinning to make my shape lol)

Learned how to make compression designs thanks to various videos, as well as actually finding out what the duece the different flames were called and how to create them.. I feel a little silly about that ha.

As for today.. it's all about watching these videos.. and catching up on my Web design class.

Might also have to search around for some classes too. Would really like to fly to Colorado for some of those, or find the Revere Glass studio and meet those guys.

I can't even describe how fun it is melting glass, even as a beginner. Time just flys.

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[James M]

Awesome man,

I am sure you will look back at the first few things you make and laugh. Keep them around.

I was lucky and had two awesome shop mates who helped me get started, It would be well worth your time to go hang out with some other glass addicts in your area.

Pendants are a great place to start learning. I know it seems lame and I have a hard time doing all clear work myself, but it is a bit easier to learn the first few techniques about shaping and making the functional aspects when you don't have to worry about the thing cracking because of the color. Once you get the basic idea then add the color but add that to the blank before you do any shaping. This will help you get the lines melted in fully. Dots are cool too, stack em up for some neat effects.

Keep at it!

[Gahhruuba]

I did get some time in yesterday again. Played with some frit and made some colored tubes.. I'll upload my work tonight from yesterday and today.

One question too, I was making blanks the other day and had both ends close up on me. I have been trying to figure out a good way to open up a hole.. I did manage to press one end in, then some how I popped it into the tube.

If anyone can shed some light that'd be superb.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/25/205235dc840557f379ea8f5e15fe086e.jpg

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[Nash]

Great start. To open ends choose which side you want to open and then heat opposite side of the tube and then take a small flame to other end and the heated vacuum air will pop the hole for you

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[Gahhruuba]

Beautiful. Thanks Nash!

Today and yesterday have definitely been my most frustrating days, nothing but snapped seals and smashed blanks ha.. heres some pictures!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/25/ee9f613418fc1d97b5af021e1b720bcd.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/25/b81263f30046907b1ad5489bb51d6e1b.jpg

Here are some of yesterdays... it takes a long time to fully melt those big pieces of frit into the inside of the clear. However the fine stuff is working swellingly.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/25/ca7dfa7fb70804b55e8b661185bf2a28.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/25/c459a98ca0896d9235e0831f1ab68c8d.jpg

And here's one of my dog just for shits and giggles.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/25/a50967b99b7bb9963e8a983c0d17a10e.jpg

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[Gahhruuba]

Blanks are always cracking around my outer lip that I melt after putting my blow tubes on. Is there any way to minimize that without a kiln by chance?

I really need to take the 3 hour drive to get my aunts kiln >.<

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[itssteve]

outer lip? are you talking about the straight seal where your blow tube connects to your blank?

[Gahhruuba]

outer lip? are you talking about the straight seal where your blow tube connects to your blank?
Yes indeed sir. Sorry for the wrong terminology. The glass ends up gunking up then cracks when I put it in the flame... here's a picture...

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/25/fe928ae833594d9b5ab38cb6cf4dff2a.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/25/4687b9bde74079b990e803179f6ad71f.jpg

Tried getting a video but I guess that one doesn't want to Crack on me. Haha.

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[OceanMelt]

You can try using an annealing flame (crank the propane way up until you have a bright/loud flame) to warm up the piece before going in to melt.

Also, is it the seal that's cracking or the opposite end? A bit confused on your wording, sorry.

[Gahhruuba]

You can try using an annealing flame (crank the propane way up until you have a bright/loud flame) to warm up the piece before going in to melt.

Also, is it the seal that's cracking or the opposite end? A bit confused on your wording, sorry.
Alright I'll try and type this a little less rushed.

I heat up one end of my tubing in order to do a cold seal with a blow tube, that's fine and dandy, except I push that part I just melted on the tube all out of whack, as seen in above pictures. After that, say I break off my cold seal and decide I want to seal back up later; I end up cracking that previously smushed part where my seal was before..

Should I just melt it a little more right off the bat and then try to very lightly cold seal? In order to reduce the cracking?

The struggle of no one around to teach is real I say... real!

I will try out an annealing flame.. that may work.

Thanks to everyone whose had the ambition to chime in here.. it makes a world of difference having someone throw ideas and criticism in my situation lol.

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[Swim]

my suggestion would be to stop using cold seals for blowtube connections, you need a really clean solid seal, or your gonna give yourself fits, and have your blank falling off your blow tube while you are working all the time. There is a really good snodgrass video on hooking up blowtube connections.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgralu-zXro

watch this video and listen to what the old school guru says about connecting a blank to a blowtube, its very informative, and this is absolutely the way it should be done.

[Gahhruuba]

my suggestion would be to stop using cold seals for blowtube connections, you need a really clean solid seal, or your gonna give yourself fits, and have your blank falling off your blow tube while you are working all the time. There is a really good snodgrass video on hooking up blowtube connections.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGxfIopoDaE

watch this video and listen to what the old school guru says about connecting a blank to a blowtube, its very informative, and this is absolutely the way it should be done.
Righteous.. I've been working with cold seals pretty much from the start.. hot seals are a pain in the dick for me for some reason lol..

But yes.. plenty of dropped blanks due to cold seals.
Thanks for the video suggestion Skuzz!

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[OceanMelt]

I guess the next question is why are you cold sealing your blow tube? The blow tube connection should be a hot, fully melted in seal. You always want that seal solid and straight before moving on to any next step. But my experience is limited so maybe you're trying to do something I'm missing....?

[OceanMelt]

Yep, agreed with Skuzz, and that video is a good one

[Gahhruuba]

I guess the next question is why are you cold sealing your blow tube? The blow tube connection should be a hot, fully melted in seal. You always want that seal solid and straight before moving on to any next step. But my experience is limited so maybe you're trying to do something I'm missing....?
Eh. Just a nooby that doesn't have all the steps quite figured out yet I suppose heh.

I'm working on some hot seals right now for practice :]

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[OceanMelt]

Eh. Just a nooby that doesn't have all the steps quite figured out yet I suppose heh.

I'm working on some hot seals right now for practice :]

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No worries dude! This place is a wealth of knowledge, keep researching threads and asking questions. Lots of progression threads here too which let you see others mistakes and helpful advice. Also, start watching Revere Glass videos on youtube if you're not already!

Cheers

[Swim]

yeah man, basically when it comes to glass, if something is a pain in the dick as you put it, then you need to go ahead and proverbially smak yourself in the dick with a hammer a thousand times til the pain subsides lol. Just do it a bunch man, get your hot seals before you cold seal, if your not good at hot clear seals, then your cold seals are probably pretty rough off too because it is a more advanced and delicate technique that doing a full seal. Start off with a piece of six mmm rod, and learn to make it come together like water, you need it hot enough to flow together. A good seal on clear glass no longer exists, you want that shit to be one defined piece of glass.

[Swim]

also be sure not to rush heating it, because you will boil the clear, and if you have bubbles in your seal, its not as strong, and that does not matter as much when your attaching a blowtube, but when you start making seals on larger multi piece hollow work, you will not want to have that bad habit of boiling your clear glass. Heat it several inches out to avoid this. I am not sure if you do this, but alot of new guys work way to close to their torch face. The working area of your flame is vast and the further out you work, the easier it is on your glas (flame atmosphere matters as well once you start fuckin with fume and color)

[Gahhruuba]

Alright. I was able to get a silver fume onto one of the pieces with little troubles. I am definitely working very close to the face.. not in the candles, but still pretty close. I'll work on being a little more patient and work farther into the flame.

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[Gahhruuba]

No worries dude! This place is a wealth of knowledge, keep researching threads and asking questions. Lots of progression threads here too which let you see others mistakes and helpful advice. Also, start watching Revere Glass videos on youtube if you're not already!

Cheers
I have been watching revere glass fairly religiously since I got my torch.

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[Gahhruuba]

Well... here is another day of dumpy glass.
Dot stacking is fun as all hell.
O2 is once again coming to an end... really need a concentrator setup lol..

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/ac563619ce7c69cae3312f87c73e65b1.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/f8982be168b6230946223a661d0f96ee.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/237eb5abd25ef75187d5eb142949d2b7.jpg

Here is a little smiley. Tried out the Boro bars today lol.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/fee09c873fa6260dfe12a29b74af9c86.jpg

This i feel would have been Hella cool... however, my grabbers melted around it... not gonna do that again!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/01ce9969f1acaef814d6b0770886c859.jpg

Here's a couple shots of another marble I made a while back.
I believe this is called a Vortex marble?
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/769af33105841801d7b692f9b64f7bfe.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/0f0d60475335c25af58d318acdcf2707.jpg

Here's my compression marble.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/0b34b44e9ed032a5a73856daf49b2ba3.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/d73bbfda5fbde247a29562ca8fea1056.jpg

And if anyone can tell me what the he'll these are for that'd be super.. I tried using them as punties and the Ends broke off.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/02/c203f837c399c7298a5b8c743ec72e79.jpg

Thanks for the look. It's been a blast!

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[JayBoogie]

Fun stuff! Those are just pieces of graphite I believe. Not punty substitutes hehe :) for reaming and what not

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[Gahhruuba]

I made a little potion.. and a couple pendants today. Still need some work on those dots.. but I'm fairly impressed by the potion and last pendent.

Had a couple crack.. mainly the potion and the dot pendant... I was able to save them!

The potion bottles I think are a Hella fun project


https://vimeo.com/148187248

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[Gahhruuba]

Here's some newer stuff. Did some color twists and gave another shot at a dot pendant.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151214/9555d1a8a9fa63fc41e66a565d4b588b.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151214/00c7700fd8f4c734906b955e82df8c59.jpg

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[Gahhruuba]

Messed around with some frit today. And also showed my cousin how to make a little pendant.
I really enjoy working with frit, I feel as if some neat things can be done with it.

I like this and so did a lot of the family.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151216/e71c55420e38ac729aa8bf5ffbe2e1bf.jpg
Someone said this kinda looks like a spider egg type deal lol, I did touch up the bottom after the picture.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151216/2aecb3958ec5aeb6ab8bbd5574ca1432.jpg

Here's a vid of the Marble, I'd like to think it's one of those "galaxy" marbles, due to the sweet shine of what looks like stars in the light but I don't know.. you should be able to point it out..
Used Disco sparkle, and orange crayon fine frit on this one.
https://vimeo.com/149120313

And here is the first pendent my cousin made. All frit I forget the color but I think she did good for her first time :) I just need to be better with picking colors out haha.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151216/2ea03e941cd956cf10780bdd00bc4121.jpg


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[Gahhruuba]

Ordered a QP of Northstar Amber Purple, and Momka Silverbeach today. Excited to see exactly how much this is so I can zone in on the right amounts that I need for general colors.

Also picked up a QP of clear Simax and a smith little torch.
I have 1 question on that though, can I use the same type of regulators I'd use for like my Bravo?

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[Christian]

Yes you can use the same regs, but youll need splitters to connect your little torch and bravo so you can run both at the same time. The stock little torch tips suck and are prone to going out when you're doin something so in line regs wouldnt hurt to lower the pressures for the little torch only. But my shopmate's little torch runs at the regular pressure he has set for his mirage and it works fine. and A qp of color is usually around 4 full rods if im not mistaken

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[Gahhruuba]

Yes you can use the same regs, but youll need splitters to connect your little torch and bravo so you can run both at the same time. The stock little torch tips suck and are prone to going out when you're doin something so in line regs wouldnt hurt to lower the pressures for the little torch only. But my shopmate's little torch runs at the regular pressure he has set for his mirage and it works fine. and A qp of color is usually around 4 full rods if im not mistaken

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Yeah I've heard the stock tips are pretty bad and should be upgraded to some other tip, the name slips my mind right now.

I'll keep in mind of the splitter, that would save from me getting more tanks and more expensive regulators.

As far as the rods though, are you saying 4 foot rods?

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[Christian]

No the colors come in 18-20 inch rods if you bought firsts, i meant 4 rods of that size would be about a qp. And a good tip to check out is the hornet tip, pretty sure blastshield makes it.

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[Gahhruuba]

No the colors come in 18-20 inch rods if you bought firsts, i meant 4 rods of that size would be about a qp. And a good tip to check out is the hornet tip, pretty sure blastshield makes it.

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Alright cool, as long as they were longer then the sample pack from glass alchemy.

And yes, that was the one I had in mind.

Thanks for the tips man.

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[Christian]

No problem dude glad to help. and yeah should definitely be longer than that

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[Gahhruuba]

Finally got my kiln from the family! Here's some pictures, I know nothing about this thing so far. Gotta wire up some 220v too before I can test fire it... for being my 80 some year old grandma's kiln... it's in decent condition.. may have to redo some brick.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151231/0d04338685fed5f3414fa0ec34706d5e.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151231/c16743c69655ec87f0fda7f31637ee2b.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151231/46bc3ec26cd6d3766d9074b12ad8e8ba.jpg

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[Gahhruuba]

Well, it's been a while since I updated this thread.. So here is some newish stuff I've been playing with.. Currently still got a broken pinky so I'm trying to work around that, buuut without further adoo here is some news and some pictures.

I went up to Minneapolis to visit, meet, and take some lessons from GearHeadGlass, who is a super cool dude and really talented in my book. He showed me a few pipe techniques, implosions and a few other just tips and tricks.
Lately, I've been focused on hollow work for Jars, doing color twists, and implosions.. I finally got my Bravo hooked up to Oxy Concentrators too now! Woo!

Incoming possibly big images, and lots of em!


Here are my new loves.. A glass rod seperator/stand and my Oxy Cons!

8437884376

Here are a few little pendant type things, The first one is a inside out implosion that I did. The second one is just a solid rod gather of Silver beach I believe, that I turned into a bead. The circle is a mix of color I did myself with an attempt to fume the implosion.

843778437984380


Here are a couple MISC stuff for yah, a Glass Kiss, my color twists, compression dot stack attempt, a horrible shot glass, that I cannot for the life of me figure out how to ream out evenly for that nice shot glass look, and my very first super thin jar.

8437184372843738437484375

And my latest "success" in my book, would be this jar, which I did put a bit of silver fume on, but still didnt get all the frit in the bottom to melt... So... Take "success" with a grain of salt.

84381