Exploring the mystery...

**evol** · 03-17-2012, 11:03 AM

Hello,

My name is James Landgraf, I live in Terrebonne, OR.

I founded Abraxas Glass Art with Tron in 2000, Trident Glass-Lore Haus with Popa in 03, and in 06 Oregon Fusion with my wife Deborah that we still run today.

The advent of the interweb is a great way to interact with other addicts of things glass and this place seems to focus on just that.

I also enjoy buying, selling, trading glass equipment and supplies. I am always expanding and downsizing...huh...

and, I am a vintage skateboard collector/addict! In turn, am often inspired by the art of skateboards. I don't skate much anymore but constantly snowboard.

Glass art is such a great thing on any level, the medium is fascinating beyond words. Get in there and have a blast. Leave your ego behind and explore the mystery of glass!

FB pages,,,

http://www.facebook.com/evolglass

http://www.facebook.com/jameslandgraf

Thank you Melting Pot admins and crew!

**AdamCotter** · 03-21-2012, 12:44 AM

Welcome! you sound like me, I like collecting and refurbishing old gear too. got any motorised turntables? that is a tool that has gone out of favor, I think peeps will dig them and I aims to bring em back. Internnet is awsome, you are right, I started in 1996, and there was nothing like this available to me.

**evol** · 03-21-2012, 04:33 PM

Thanks for the kind hello!

Just one tech12 and that will be with me till the end. I recently sold some lps to fund new glass projects...not sure how I feel about that. Selling 10 albums out of a few thousand isn't much but of course they are good ones...

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332371067

Here is an example of stained glass glass with boro.

This is what brought me to hot glass. My father taught me the art of stained glass at a young age and we always wanted to create custom pieces into the stained glass. The nice thing is, thick boro pieces can take the 800 degree shock of hot solder while soft glass can't take it. With that said, add the new color palate that boro has to offer and the possibilities are unlimited in 3-D design combined with stained glass.

I have been using this technique for over 10 years years and I encourage other people to try it. I would love to see what they come up with. I have also always wanted to teach a class on this technique and would be glad to assist anyone with a project idea that included boro stained glass.

For now, as I have been working with leaded glass in mixed safety conditions for over 23 years, am not going to be focusing my daily work with lead or the other toxins associated. This is only because of my own feeling not anything a doc has prescribed. I am looking forward to working more pieces with the mentioned method but just more selectively.

Although I have created many pieces with this method it seems only the beginning. After each piece is complete there are so many more that emerge in the mind. The effort is endless and difficult, near no client can understand the cost associated so it has to come from the heart. The results can be rewarding, but to me, the process itself is the desired action.

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332372458

**HOSS** · 03-21-2012, 04:54 PM

Wow, never heard of anyone doing stained glass with boro, impressive!

Can't help wondering how you get the boro colors into sheet form, maybe fused frit?

**evol** · 03-21-2012, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by HOSS

Wow, never heard of anyone doing stained glass with boro, impressive!

Can't help wondering how you get the boro colors into sheet form, maybe fused frit?

Thank you,

Yes, you can do that. It takes a ton of heat. Hand torch helps...

Pressing. cutting. blowing out then cut and flatten. All methods that work. Boro will score and break like stained glass...

also can use boro sheet glass and decorate...

Also the new big torches allow us to flatten bigger pieces!! My Delta Mag is bringing me places that could not be previously reached.

Oh yeah, it is untapped. The light hitting the boro is beautiful!

I am starting to push this method as life is short. My very dear friend that shared this dream recently passed away (not due to glass art). I am alone with the dream and if I go, well, we need more people to be exploring this method. I am not trying to take claims on it even. But for the record I have not seen anyone doing it to any real degree. But I have always imagined it was being done somewhere.

First, working safely is crucial. Getting to know what is bad and what is tolerable. Overall, we all know glass art can have inherent risks. But then again, so can working from a computer all day. I better get back to work....hahaha...

**FizZle** · 03-21-2012, 05:21 PM

awesome work good sir!

**T-Rex** · 03-21-2012, 05:52 PM

Cool man!

I dig stained glass, I learned from a really talented artist (Sante Pizzol) while at school in Italy. In the end hot glass is way more fun for me, the rewards are so much more immediate. However stained glass has such amazing potential for beauty.

I love your blending of the two techniques man. Just love it. Kudos for taking matters into your own hands to get colours and patterns no one else has access to.

I once did something similar, although it was a mix of traditional stained glass (random COE'S) and some COE 90 for the fused parts... I've never shown this to any hot-glass people, but I bet you'd appreciate it! Sorry if I'm thread-jacking, you just inspired me to share!

http://www.trevorwasik.com/images/tr...kusai-tag2.jpg

Also - I fully understand the cost man. Glass is super expensive. Stained glasses are super expensive... if you have to put more time in and energy/resources to make your glasses from scratch... it truly has to be from your heart. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.

**leatherneck8541** · 03-22-2012, 06:36 AM

love the skull, insane work!

**Plum Tuckered** · 03-22-2012, 06:45 AM

Are you flame cutting the tube or are you using shears? I'm actually curious about cut & flip W & R's so do you have any advice for the best way to cut the tube?

Thanks

**evol** · 03-22-2012, 08:24 AM

Trev, those waves are great! Thank you for sharing.

Fused elements, casting, sandblasting and cut stone all work well with stained glass!

I would like to see some of the piper detailed decorative elements used in stained glass. I have used some limited wig wags styles but not the more precision techniques borrowed from the Italians. I think these would look good if used appropriately. Set in a window or lamp that could use that type of design could be interesting...

I have not tried electro, often thought about the possibilities. I mainly use the Tiffany style method where copper tape is used to wrap each piece, flux is then added and solder attaches to the copper...possibly add some eletcro pieces and solder them in that way...who wants to colab?!...I am thinking some nice lighting designs, bases, attachment areas, multi section sculpture art...hmmm

Well, I appreciate the positive words!

As for a cut and flip, well, it is not a pipe method, I most always use shears but have used a sharp flame to cut thinner pieces. Not sure how I'd piece it back together to create a seamless vessel, good luck on the hunt!

For thick flat sculptural pieces I will often trace my design on graphite with a pencil and use that to guide the shape of the piece to fit=less grinding and cold working.

If there is a company (bullseye, uroboros, wissmach, etc) that already makes sheet glass that fits a project, I really see no reason not to use it, and will.

Here is some more past work with boro stained glass...

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332429532

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332429532

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332429532

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332429532

**FredLight** · 03-22-2012, 08:34 AM

Can you point out which parts are Boro?

**evol** · 03-22-2012, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by FredLight

Can you point out which parts are Boro?

Each is different. All the pieces shown have some traditional stained sheet glass used.

For example the top skull piece has boro in the helmet, the flower piece has many boro pieces. I kept that piece and will take some more detailed shots of the boro, that one really had some 3-D effects! The storm trooper needs a better pic but has boro bulging eyes, mouth breather thing is sculpted boro etc. The sword, boro sculpted skull, handle, horns, center piece, not the back ground.

Here is piece that is mainly boro with some sheet glass in the back ground.

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332430979

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332431393

**evol** · 03-22-2012, 08:55 AM

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attac...1&d=1332431674

**FredLight** · 03-22-2012, 09:48 AM

Whoa! Nice.

**Lmwfy** · 03-22-2012, 09:52 AM

I'm suddenly taking a liking to stained glass..

nice work!

**T-Rex** · 03-22-2012, 11:53 AM

yea it can be wicked cool... too bad it's been so linked with church and religion for thousands of years - it gets overlooked by the rest of the world.

The church has been bogarting stained-glass for thousands of years, it's time we put an end to that...

**HOSS** · 03-22-2012, 03:38 PM

I really like how you've gone 3 dimensional with some of these, that's something that's been in my mind for a while and I was thinking of bringing it up, but I see you've already been there and done that (and done it well). Kudos!