Flame working/ freehand glassblowing

[bossrigger.mm]

I was interested in the group thought on the distinctions between flamework and freehand, as a FH glassblower I find it frustrating trying to find my people, this isn't a knock on FW at all but more a plea for more deviation between the two anyone else feel this way?
I realize im way out gunned by the torch here on the melting pot but perhaps there are a few old timers left , looking forward to your responses, Cheers [emoji891]
M.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Mute]

like hot shop?...never heard it called "freehand"...

freehand is hard imo, but i've only tried a couple times.

imo people who do freehand are badass.

[bossrigger.mm]

I was interested in the group thought on the distinctions between flamework and freehand, as a FH glassblower I find it frustrating trying to find my people, this isn't a knock on FW at all but more a plea for more deviation between the two anyone else feel this way?
I realize im way out gunned by the torch here on the melting pot but perhaps there are a few old timers left , looking forward to your responses, Cheers [emoji891]
M.

Sent from my SM-N950U using TapatalkYes hot shop glass blowing, see its even hard to differentiate the two in a discussion.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Mute]

Yes hot shop glass blowing, see its even hard to differentiate the two in a discussion.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

seemed pretty easy to me...just wanted to through up the lingo barrier that exists in glass working, lots of variation in slang terms used, and general agreement on what is called what.

but i, even though incompetent, could understand what u mean.

The two are different beasts.

[Roadrunner11]

That would awesome to read some discussions from a group of glassblowers. hot shop work. I guess to me, thats glassblowing and torch is flameworking, lampworking. Either way, i want to mess with some soft glass in a hotshop bc i think it would expand my mind as far as what is possible with this material.
Soda lime is malleable for alot longer so that seems like it would be a blast to learn.
As far as your question, theres a huge distinction between the 2 in my mind. Different worlds. Theres no doubt i would be at square 0 my first day in a hot shop and it would probably take me a minute to get my feet back under me if i went back to a torch.
I live close to Zen Studios in St. Pete and i watch them work sometimes. It's amazing how long they are shaping before reheating. Kinda makes me jealous bc the most exciting part of working with boro is the final shaping and that maybe accounts for only 5% of the total time in the piece if that.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

[BORO]

Switching back and forth makes you a better blower all around. That said , I have pretty basic hot shop skills. It's like skiing on fat skis , then skinny park skis. Or riding a mountain bike then a ten speed.... Same same but different.

Hot shop people do visit this sight. One rarely asks hot shop questions. When they are asked you do see legit answers.


I have had axis to a hot shop for about a year now. I mush have a month of days under my belt. It's not really my jam. I like to get closer to the glass, more precise and delicate. Conversely I always feel like soft glass is like shaping two part epoxy. Or like trying to write my name holding the wrong end of the pen. I also have not figured out a bench torch oxy/gas flame that does not reduce or change the appearance of my soft glass project. Yes I have axis to gas/air torches but it's just not the same. Yes I have axis to skilled softglass cats , I probably just need more practice.

I don't know why the finished soft glass project doesn't feel as rewarding to me, just personal opinion?

I always felt like freehand glass , was any glassblowing that you rotate by hand..... Anything that's not on a lathe was freehand. I always called a hotshop , "Hotshop "or "softglass. " Borosilicate was "lampwork" or "hardglass." So I learned a new definition today, thanks o.p.

I travel a lot. I see accomplished borosilicate workers everywhere I go. I would say 75% or more of thoes boro lamp workers have hot shop experience , some are even better at hot shop than boro. Boro setups are cheaper initial investment , and much cheaper overhead to run day to day. It makes sense to me why it's more common.

I started to mentally run through my soft glass friends.
The list is long. Almost all of them do lampwork as a hobby, hot shop for employment under a company. I will ask where they hang out virtually. I want to say Facebook groups? I know a lot of them drop by here from time to time.

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showthread.php?14950-Soft-Glass-Vs-Borosilicate

[Speedingpullet]

Part-time glassblower here. I normally do the Fall semester in glassblowing at my local college - but obviously this year all bets are off and the school is online only until 2021.

Also a lampworker since way before I started with hot glass. Started out in 104 but have been moving in to 33 gradually, until now I'm only boro. Also I wanted to learn to work tubing, as it seemed to a nice segue between working a gather in the traditional way and making smaller pieces on a mandrel and a torch.

So, no - I don't have a hot shop and I'm jonseing for one! Some friends and I were seriously looking in to buying a Mini Dragon before the pandemic, but until this is all over we'll just have to keep on dreaming.

As for other like minded people? I kind of rely on my glassmates and on our local glass store/workshop for inspiration and talking shop - but again, with no classes until next year we're all going to go crazy.
The only other sites I personally go to are Lampwork Etc. (http://www.lampworketc.com) and occasionally looking in to Wet Canvas (https://www.wetcanvas.com) and DeviantArt (http://forum.deviantart.com) but neither are glass-specific and LEtc is pretty much soft glass only.

Hey, if you find some sites, would you mind coming back and posting some links to them?

[BurntHands]

Craftweb forums is where all of the old hotshop curmudgeons that aren’t on Facebook hang out.

BORO made some good points, as usual. I like his definition of freehand. I was thinking no bench, like when badass furnace guys pull it out of the glory hole and spin a plate out without sitting down.
I usually call furnace glass offhand, but I’ve heard furnace glassblowers call work “freehand” if there’s no molds.
We like all kind of glass here, most use boro. Craftweb is 99% furnace guys run by an old crucible supplier, they’re strict, and you need to use your real name. Have fun.