Creating a Sleeve

[Ryan Perry]

I am trying to figure out the best way to get rode inside of a tube. I have tried flaring and drawing lines on the inside and for some reason I just can't seem to get that technique to work very well for me. So I think that creating a sleeve would be easiest. This way I can draw my lines on the outside tube and slide it inside the larger tube. I was wondering if anyone else also does this? And if so could they give me some good recommendations for size of tubing to use? What would be a good size of the small tubing that would still fit inside another larger tube once i have added some rod on top.

Thanks!

[Greymatter Glass]

Well... if you're talking about "vac stack" with full color lined in it like you see from Golden Gate Glass, Chris Hayes, and many, MANY others, that's generally done with a vacuum and 75x5 over 50x(anything) tubing and hooked up to a vacuum before being worked down and pulled... it's not a technique i would advise someone just getting started out with glass trying unless you have access to someone willing to teach you hands on.

If you mean "inside out" style" where you draw in random colors, canes, dots, etc that's common for a lot of production pipe work, your first idea was the correct one. You flare open a tube, plug up your handle, and direct the flame back into the flared tubing and draw your color in. You can do one big flare, and get glass all the way in, or you can flare one end, color it up, then switch it around, open the other end, and draw into that... both have their pros and cons. Personally, I start with something like 50x2 and flare it, others start with a 38x4 or 44x4 heavy wall tube, blow it out into a thinner tube (about 50x2) and flare it... either way works, but you want a somewhat thinner tube so as you melt everything in you get a nice depth effect.

You can also just draw color onto the outside of a tube, do layers, etc, then sleeve that in a larger diameter tube with an ID approximately equal to the OD of you inner tube... the problem with this is that you end up with a LOT of clear glass if you use heavy wall tubing, so when you blow it back out and thin the tubing you kind thin out a lot of color as well. Still, if you apply the right color, or thick enough colors, you can get some neat effects.

There's also a few older methods... the snip-n-flip, where you draw on color on the outside, cut the tube down the length with shears (or 4mm rod and a pin point flame, but you lose a lot more glass that way...), flatten it out, and fold it back on itself and repair the cut... you'll always have a seam, but it's a very effective way of getting some amazing detail in drawn tubing. There's also the "sock flip" where you draw on the outside, then flare open the tube, keep spinning until it's a disk of glass, switch the punty to the other side, and keep heating and using gravity to pull the lip back down and turn it inside out - no seam, but LOTS of distortion on the "rim" end of the tube. Still, it's fun to watch someone do it.

My main advice would be watch some videos on youtube, see if you can find local blowers to watch, and keep practicing. None of this stuff is easy, and the people who are posting the best videos that make it look easy have 10+ years doing it. You're going to waste a LOT of glass figuring it out, but if you keep at it and get some instruction you'll make it work.

[Ryan Perry]

Thanks for the response. I have watched a few videos of watching people flare out an end and draw the lines in. However I just can't seem to get this to work properly. If I get my torch flame thin enough it gets to hot and the lines wobble and melt to fast and I get really crooked lines and the tube gets super super hot from the flame shooting inside. If I cool it down and use a bushy flame it just heats up to much. I was just putting a string inside the tube and putting it down where I want it then heating the outside of the glass till it sticks to that spot then laying it down and cutting it off on the outside of the tube. But that still takes a really long time. I have some medium wall large tubing. I would think the easiest method would be the sleeve technique. This way I could easily draw my lines on the smaller tube and then slide it inside the larger. Long as I wasn't using heavy wall. I was wondering if anyone else that uses this technique a good way to figure out what 2 different sizes of tubing I should use. I don't want GiaNT size tube.. was thinking the large tube to be 30 - 40mm What would be a good size for the smaller tube that would fit inside the larger one after I was to put rod on it. Hope this makes sense.

[FifDeez]

Greymatter. Props for thorough and detailed explanation. I was in same boat as you kinda hunting to see which tech he really was trying to achieve. Was just saying that to him by pm

[FifDeez]

To keep your tube cool put an foam earplug in the hole of your blow tube, it'll stop any heat from affecting your hand while trying to draw inside. Trust me can't be done effectively without plugging blow tube. Should help ya a bunch

[FifDeez]

Drawing on the smaller tube then sleeving will not get a desirable effect if your going for that depth look of inside out style. The color won't look anywhere as good as the flare then draw inside method.

[Jackass Glass]

def def def plug the bottom. cork, ear plug.... big ole chunk of wet paper towel works in a pinch. Other thing you can try and do is to heat the colored rod up by itself and then move the flared piece and the rod into the flame to apply it. aka get the colored hot most of the way before trying to move it into the piece and finish heating etc. im just practicing and learning that myself so good luck brother.

Its not the super smooth way to do it but it should get you going until you get a feel for the drawing etc etc.

[Ryan Perry]

Ive tried with the cork in the end before but then the heat blows back at you. I can usually figure out most things with glass but this one is a super tough one for me for some reason. Maybe I'm just having a hard time getting the right type of flame..

[BORO]

Work further out, with a fine pin point flame.

Lets say its "too hot" and "blows back at you." It melts "too fast"..

Keep working further and further from the torch till you get the right heat/melt speed.

.....

It helps if you get the flare good and glowing right before you start to lay lines, so it all sticks. (reheat the outside/inside between string /stringer of color)

O.p., you do know what a thin "stringer" of color is ?

[FifDeez]

Also may help to try working a larger diameter tube . don't go heavywall tho it'll be much harder to work than thinner tubes. But yes corked blowtube is ONLY way to really go about it. Ask around.