my progression

Love this forum. Here is my progression thread. I will post photos and other stuff here relating to my progression. Feel free to comment. I am now just over 20 hrs.

First picture is my third attempt at a spoon using 25m x 4. Second, third and fifth pic is that spoon. Picture 4 is what survived today out of 8. I also layed some color down on a tube and it took forever on my nortel minor. That's the crappy colored one in the middle.

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sweet i have a minor too. keep itup spoons lookng good



To the GEEEE!

Started making more clear spoons today and screwed like 4 up in a row so decided to try some pendants and work on my loops today. I started off trying to make some mushrooms which turned out good for my first try I think. Then made 2 jellyfish they turned out cool I gave one away and kept the last one. I had fun making these I am going to make a ton more. I tried to make an implosion dot pendant today and it came out great but cracked a bunch right after. We got snow today and it was freezing in my studio so I am looking forward to getting a kiln. Thanks for looking.

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Nice lookin jelly!

Thanks Iambes. Spent some more time on the torch last night. At about 40 hours now. I made a few spoons and a couple mushroom pendants after work. Started condensing my mouthpieces and the last one came out good I think. All the way to the right. I am having some trouble blowing and condensing an even bubble for my bowls. I might be rushing it but I am striving for a perfect bubble. My small shroom pendants are starting to get a somewhat consistent tear drop shape. My friends love them so I have been just giving them away right now. I still need a kiln but can't find an affordable used one. Anyone have a kiln they want to sell? Thanks for looking.

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Great start! Good shaping for 40 hrs. I like that you're mainly using clear. If your ventilation is good, try a bit of LIGHT fuming (go for light blues, not white). Keep it up.

Oh shit,you're already doin it man! All those bowls look pretty consistent,I think I had one nice spoon after 40 hours.

Keep at it!

Thanks guys! Got the day off so I am going to try and get some silver today. If I can't find any I am just going to stick to the clear for now and work on shaping and even glass. Pretty close to running out of propane, hopefully it lasts for the day. Thanks for looking I'll be by later to post the days progression.

Got to spend some time on the torch today. Tried at a restriction bat. What a pain in the ass. No silver yet...

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I just tried to go to the local headshop and they were closed until 5, guy must have stepped out for a bit because their hours are 11am-10pm. Instead of completely wasting my time I tried to go to the local jewelry store to see if they had any silver they wanted to sell. Guy didn't want to sell me any silver. I asked if he had any silver coins which he did right in the case in front of us and he said no to me. 2 Strikes today looks like I'll order some online. Not sure where else to try and get silver from but I would like to start learning to fume. Thought it was kind of funny nobody feels like doing any business today :stubborn:

That's messed up man, hit up the pawn shop and try other jewlery stores in the area, ask to buy a troy ounce. The coins aren't the best for fuming anyway.. best of luck!

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Originally Posted by Organik

That's messed up man, hit up the pawn shop and try other jewlery stores in the area, ask to buy a troy ounce. The coins aren't the best for fuming anyway.. best of luck!

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With a drill bit they are! My wire cutters are able to chop up a small corner into a shit ton of tiny pieces very easily, but a nice small drill bit will give you awesome silver shavings and make your coin last literally forever.

I am going to order a troy ounce online. I am having some fun with the limited color I do have though. Tried my hand at some honeycomb pendants today. First pendants that weren't shrooms or jellies. Out of the 5 only 1 survived. Real bummer but I still don't have a kiln. I am hoping to order one by next week. Here are some pics from the day. First 3 are all of the same pendant. All the rest cracked. The last one cracked too, bummer because it was looking sweet. Oh well practice is practice right? Thanks for looking!

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Heya - nice stuff!

I'm a complete noob, but I bought a small bit of silver off mountain glass for like five bucks - might be a lot cheaper than an ounce, and it seems like you only need a tiny bit for fuming. Personally, even though I got the silver, I'm holding off on trying to fume, since the Bandu book says I should really get a rod of quartz for it. (Hah, also there seems to be plenty else to learn, fuming can wait.)

Thanks! I read the Bandhu books they were very informative. I think most people just melt some regular boro rod and mush the silver on the tip. I don't have quartz so that's what I am going to do. Good luck with the fuming!

Didn't get much time in today but here are my 2nd and 3rd attempt at dot implosion, 1st attempt had like a million tiny cracks in it (is that what checked is?). Both using NS multi and backed in unobtainium. Love the limited colors I have there is such a range in these silver colors. I am really liking the implosion and honeycomb techs, can't wait to get back on the torch after work tomorrow.

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Yes , coefficient cracks most likely , ( if you can't feel the cracks with your fingernail , like they are inside).....the unobtainium most likely changed shape slightly more than the rest of the glass in the pendant. ( as it cooled off ) , and causes stress between the different glass you used. It's almost like the colors pull apart "cracking" ....... If you over work some colors , the chemicals that make up the glass , start to separate , can cause similar problems .

If I had no kiln , I would put all my finished work in a propane only flame , your tools should not care too much about the heat ( hold it with tweezers ) move it in the yellow flame , try to heat everywhere even , for like 60seconds , then way way in the back of the flame for another 30 seconds . You may have more success / less cracks. Then fiber blanket or whatever you use now ......The Black soot will wipe right off after it's cool.

Thanks for the tips Boro, I've been trying to flame anneal and most times I have good luck but sometimes I don't :/

My spoons are getting more consistent and I have been trying to get restriction chillums down.

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Heck yea, those clear bowls are looking pretty good man. What size hole is in the bottom of your bowls? Looks perfectly centered (good job on that for sure) but from this angle hole looks like it might be a little small.

Hey thanks man! That hole is a little small, about 2mm. Been making them rather large and made this one a little too small. Thanks for the kind words. Hope to pump more out soon and get my consistency on.