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Thread: spun glass world

  1. #1
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    Default spun glass world

    I have heard that there is about 11,000 people on this forum , i was just wondering
    about how many people still do it and make money from that type of glass work?
    but i want to make it clear that i am not putting it down . But there are two well
    know people out there that have. I hope they respond , one said it , and one sorta
    said it in a book , well he gave { 1 } page of info on it .
    would anyone like to say or guess who they are....lets see what happens.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    paul?

  3. #3
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    I was down in Florida shortly after I got into the glass game and there was a guy on the boardwalk with a minor doing statuary on requests. He looked like he did pretty well for himself, but he also really looked like he had spent most of his torch-time on just the spun technique. I've wanted to give it more of a go myself, some of the old lampworking books I have contain some pics of spun glass creations that are just breathtaking. Definitely in the high art category.

    I'd just like to see some contemporary uses of the technique, now that it's been brought up. I remember seeing images of a functional creation, a big ol' pirate ship I think was made in a collab by one of the guys at Cornerstone. If memory serves, the spun tech was used for the sails coming off the ship. But I may be wrong. At least the image in my head potentially warped by time is still pretty.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    It is A technique. In a sense, like hollow work - not the only thing to do with glass, but a usefull technique. I still do ships and they move fairly well. (A big ship is a good eye catcher at a show!) I use it almost exclusively for bases for things like flowers. That is partly because I suck a blown feet!
    I distrust 'cheerleaders', despise 'critics', but delight in true teachers.
    www.LeRoyCCA.com

  5. #5
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    I have met a few guys who do almost exclusively spun glass work. I know a few more who are adept at it, but it's not their main thing...

    Spend some time in a tourist town, at large malls, and truck stops - you'll see lots of spun glass.
    Doug Harroun
    Greymatter Glass
    Albuquerque, NM
    (505) 884-0318

    A̿̐͒ͥ̏̅͋ͤͮ́́̒͢͏̨͙̩̦͔̫̠̲̤ͅ ̑ͨ̎͆͐̉̍̐ͤͮͨ͐̇ͩͦ̏ͣ̚͏̷̶̭̝̠͓̞̱̭̫͙̜̮̫͔̤̱͕͢b̓̓ͭ̿̓ͥ̐̒͂͂ͧ ̡̓͋̐ͥ҉̧̹͎̺̳̩̬̘̯̮̜̼̻͝ͅē̵̹̯̦̟͔͊̓̔͗͊̀͆͗̀ͭͭ̀̇͋͋ͩ̓̓͞͞͞ ̘̰̘͈a̧̹͙͇̫̲̻̳̦̦͛͑͂̌̊́̌̂̅ͤ̿͠ͅų̷̶̡̺̤̳͐̂ͣ̋̀ͅͅt̍̀͋̽͗̚ ̶͎͎̳̤͈̘̞͕̣̲̣̼͙͎̬̪̜͎̯ͤ̃̈́ͬͧ͒͟͞͝͡iͪ̋̌̄̎ͪ́̚҉̶̰͎̣̥͉̙̘̬͝ ͍͈̻̻f̡̟̤̥̝̞̈̋ͧͮ̂ͣͬͨ͆͊̌̇ͨ̚͠͞u̵ͥͦ̑ͧ̆͂͐̊̏̍̋̓͗ͭͫ͆́̃͊͘̕ ̛̱̳͓̠͖̕ḹ̢̧̦̬̲̟̳̉ͯͫ̊̏ͪͫ͝ͅ ̵̺̫͙̗̦̠̯̞̫̪̩͐ͭͮ̏̓͒̏͊͋̚̚͘ͅḧ̨̛̭̼̘ͤͥ̿ͫ̊ͦͧͮͮ̀̓̔͌̉̓̀̀͡ ̺͚e̷̦̤̘̯͎̜͇͚͔̱̙͖ͪ͛ͤͮͬ͆͆̾̾͂̑͆̓͜ȧ̴̋ͨ͂ͣͬ̓̆͐̾̿̐̃̒͊͌́͝ ̷͇̮̙̗͉͍r̵̜̰̣̫͙̦̻̖͕͎̘̲̗̘ͦ̋̑̀̌̎̓ͭ̚͞tͨ̅̇͛ͫͫ̆ͪ̌͋ͩ̉ͯ͊͌̌ ̴̨̢̭͚̳̦͖̻̮̬̣̮̟͓͉̪͈̍ ̷̷̫̬͈͓̞͈̞̬̹̟̯͚̹͇̩̏͋ͬ̍͛̎̑̄̽ͦ̆̔̈́̀͆ͩ̓


    .

  6. #6
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    I spent time at six flags in Texas doing the spun glass work , and even more time doing the spun glass tec
    I did that for better then 25 years . what i would like to know is why{ RAM} and Mr book writing Bando
    needed to crape all over that particular tec.Because they both did that in text and video.
    I guess i just needed to vent, but not at you .Maybe i should put this out there for everybody to see, what do you think????,WELL i guess i just did

  7. #7
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    It is considered a bit of an outdated technique - really it's out of style, I suppose, having been basically the only thing that people did in the 60s and 70s on a torch other than clear sculpture. The technique is versatile, though and you can build neat things with it (I'm not so big on the baskets, but boats and stuff are neat). It would be cool to see more modern flame workers build on that style.

    I don't recall what Bandhu and RAM said about spun glass. What did they say that you disagree with?

  8. #8
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    Bandhu said he never did that type of work and said he would devote 1 page to it and he did. But its the way they said it , and its just me but 25 years is a good long time.
    To me it seemed like .... a... like they put the work down . after reading and hearing them i stopped doing
    the spun work ,and who declares it out dated.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    I've never done spun glass work, but it is a tech that should not be lost and as I see it the only people doing spun glass are much older than I (35) and far and few between now. When I was a kid I would see people spinning glass at the malls every holiday season.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    Well hello, I do Spun glass and solid work. I have done it since 1981, I do the ships and animals and the like figures ect. Yes you can make a great living at it if you wanted to. I started with K&M, they made bells and shiped them all over the world. I dont see alot of people doing spun, I guess nobody wants to put the work into learning how (it cost a bunch to make things you trash till you get them right) Yes I have made beads and marbles and the like but the people love watching and buying the spun glass, maybe because it is art to them. I dont know, all i know from years gone by is that they like little animals and ships and flowers with humming birds better. And to tell you the truth.....there is alot more money in spun work

  11. #11
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    I like spun glass. Gave it a try last Christmas, making some trees and what not. I was able to make some nice gifts for my family - but so many of the pieces I made were riddled with thousands of cracks I couldn't see, only hear. I'd love to learn from a pro.

    edit - pretty old thread, didn't notice at first!

  12. #12
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    loop stitching ? they usin it to make percs now. everything in cycles. i gotta try this.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAGnUH3k0o8

  13. #13
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    Oddly enough I think watching the guy at Disney World this past year is what set the torch seed in me. I couldnt actually see past the flare but I watched him for like an hour while my wife was shopping. Disney could probably use some diddy sheet for any of you entrepreneurial type.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    I do spun work still (along with everything else), but it's only a hobby for me. I used to do fairs and festivals and would demo for the crowds. People really do love to watch spun work, it goes pretty fast and you can make something good sized in a few minutes. It always sold well too but it's something you have spend the time practicing like anything else.

    One of things I really like about spun, woven, lacework or however you refer to it is that it really does sparkle. No matter what it always catches the light. Not just one point or edge but all over. That and I have fond memories of the guy that taught me when I was a kid, and that was all he did.

    I really hope some of you give it a try. And BTW those practice pieces can be fumed and melted down into some cool looking marbles.

  15. #15
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    Yep and those of you that only do pipes, think how cool spun would look on them. I had to take a test when I started and they picked 6 of us out of 300 to learn and get paid by the company to do so. 6 of us learned soild work and only 3 of us ever got the spun stuff. It does take practice. You dont learn overnite and its going to cost you, but hey making marbles and beads cost me too.

  16. #16
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    Default Re: spun glass world

    cc bob does or did crochet work i believe.

    nvm just notice he commented.

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