Tobster Glass 10 months after thread

So I started about 10 months ago and I think I've made it pretty far in that period of time. I'm on the south side of Chicago. Self-taught AND taught from all of you guys which I can't thank you guys enough for your tutorials and in depth detailing. I sell my jewelry (pendants,earrings, "gauges") at local Chicago stores and tattoo/piercing shops. I just feel like its time to introduce myself to the glass community and meet some people since I'm yet to meet another glass blower in person. I can never seem to upload pictures using the websites up-loader so I'll just post my facebook and try to get up pictures manually one by one with tinypic at some point in time. Facebook.com/Tobsterglass

hey good to see some pics up. Glad your getting some use out of the forum. Its a glass info mecca here!

Just FYI (and this is because im such a stickler for this particular term) you dont sell "gauges" you sell "plugs." Saying the correct term around potential buyers is usually a good thing :)

I know the terminology I myself have fairly large plugs. But in Chicago alot of people refer to them as "gauges" so I have to market them as "gauges" to relate to the teens. I hate the word as well. I hate it even more when people say they're "gauging" their ears and not stretching haha But thats why I use the quotations cuz its just a made up word lol Thanks for the heads up though.

Post some pictures of your work

Welcome TobsterGlass.

Recent commissioned "Alien"piece
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...ep1134/011.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...1134/001-2.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...ep1134/007.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...ep1134/020.jpg

The green was the first bubbler I ever made thanks to some advice from boozeclues! Then the clear hammer was made the next day. And the "Egyptian" themed one was made 2 days later. I'm having a hard time making the welds look clean. They're solid just not nice and flowing. Any constructive advice would be appreciated.
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...p1134/0043.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...4/GEDC1560.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...4/GEDC1561.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...ep1134/030.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...ep1134/028.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...ep1134/027.jpg

Try some bridging (do a search) that will get your welds cleaned up a ton. Other than that your progress looks great keep it up man!

Looking good!

Some photo advice, use a quiet background. :D

Dude! looking good! Glad you went for it. Like Kato said, check out bridging the welds which is just using some rod to create a temporary support so your can can't move while your working your welds.

Great job

yup bridge that shit!!! nice work.

Ya I should've been posting more work since there's a giant gap of me not posting anything lol I can pull a spoon with a blindfold on at this point. But bubblers and locks are kinda hard for me a the moment.

I'm kinda familiar with the bridge tec but I'm already having a hard enough time with these two sectioned pieces using a top loading small jenken. When I garage my work I have to crack the lid which leads to the blow tube being incredibly hot if it isn't long enough. I kinda feel like this big bubbler stuff will have to be left on the back burner until I get a front loading kiln or maybe I'm just being pessimistic.
The Lightsaber was pretty interesting to do and the weld between the handle and beam was a feat of annealing inventions lol
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...1134/010-1.jpg

hey man i like the look you have, though it needs some refining and fine tuning but that will come with more experience. im just over the border in indiana by the way

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TobsterGlass

using a top loading small jenken. When I garage my work I have to crack the lid which leads to the blow tube being incredibly hot if it isn't long enough. I kinda feel like this big bubbler stuff will have to be left on the back burner until I get a front loading kiln or maybe I'm just being pessimistic.

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I feel your pain, working a top-loading paragon, myself!

Work is looking great, glad you're posting again!

I love the lightsaber is fucking baller...love it :nerd:

Looking good man, I'm pretty new to the torch aswell, like 10 months but it's been a lazy 10 months so I havent made very many pipes, maybe like between a dozen and two. Mostly I've been makin hollow prep, pendants, and the occasional marble.
We'll have to hook up one of these days though, I live like 30 mins south of ya but my cousin's uncle lives right up by midway and we were planning on going up there to do some drinking pretty soon.
So I could hit ya up when we go up there if you wanta come out drinkin with us.
We could do some torchin too, preferably before we strart getting too shitty or the following day would work.

haha dude I live like 4 blocks from the midway station we definitely gotta do some work together. I'm gonna post some more of my recent-ish work later tonight I think.

Forsure man, I'll be up that way in a few weeks.
I'll let ya know the exact day once I get it figured out.
Lookin good man

Man two years later I still suck haha That first picture is a "cholo" storm trooper.

Attachment 65727Attachment 65728Attachment 65729Attachment 65730

I don't see any suck here! Nice work.

I'm gonna try and keep this updated whether anyone likes it or not lol I just want my work on this website in case I can help someone with something or give someone an idea with my work. I'm really grateful for the helpful people on this forum that have taught me so much and didn't even know it. I did my first reball pipes this week. I'm happy with the smoothness of the welds but I don't have many colors to make the pipes "pop". I also don't have a vac pump for vac stacks so I'm just drawing the lines on tubes but by the time its all worked most of the color is dissipated. I was happy with the black pipe but the clear ones mouth piece came out pretty janky. I was going for that flattened style but it ended up just coming out kinda weird looking lol Attachment 65808Attachment 65809Attachment 65810

looking good!