How to make long, curved tapers

[MpVpRb]

I am new (4 months on the torch) and I am learning to make marbles. Most marble makers make them perfectly round. I want to put mine on stems and display them on a custom made wood display base. I want a perfectly smooth taper down to a 10 mm rod. The rod will be between 6 and 12" long depending on where it goes in the display base. I have been trying to use a 10mm rod and gather it into a taper with limited success. Here is a drawing of what I want to do, and my best attempt so far. Any ideas?

8379383794

[hashmasta-kut]

practice!

you are getting close :)

[kq9ak]

A removable bridge would help you to get the glass to flow evenly even after a terrible bend.

[MpVpRb]

The piece in the photo was made with a bridge. The one after it failed because the seal broke. Should a bridge be a full, hot seal?

[STROKER]

^^^yes anything you bridge needs to be melted all the way or your piece is sure to break around d it.
Bridge, bridge, and bridge some more. It is the only way most people can make nice flowing shapes.

[Greymatter Glass]

Make a roughly tapered shaped gather or start with a rod 3-4x the finished major diameter (bigger part of the taper). heat it all evenly, and pull it out straight in a single pull, then quickly add curves while it's still hot. You'll end up with a LOT of left over / excess glass that pulls down too thin to work with the piece, but you can flame cut or nip off the point where you like it, and then re melt the "scrap" or use it for dots on things or something else.. Typically I get 1/2 - 2/3 of the glass I start with in the finished form. You have to pull and shape quick while it's hot, and keep pulling to basically pull the taper evenly - it's almost impossible to get it in 2 or more heats, but you CAN pull a straight taper in one heat, then reheat large sections and bend them later if you need to.