the lil vortex pendants look like a hot item good work keep up the passion !
Hey Yall!
I figure since I'm diving head first into this and becoming a bit more frequent of a poster on TMP I'd do one of these progression threads. Last year a friend of mine needed space to setup and start lampworking and I had a unused garage. As the nights flew by and I watched and learned he gave me the chance to try my hand. I immediately loved it. My buddy ended up moving out of town and I was in a position, I loved this new found art form and wanted to continue, but I'm a husband and father and don't have just G's in the bank to drop on something like this.
And so I did what I thought was impossible, I sold off my other passion. My 2008 Buell Firebolt. I'd been a motorcyclist for 10 years, and in just a few short months the bike, the italian leather, awesome helmets, the whole shebang was gone and come October I had Phantom 4-Stud and boxes and boxes of glass and lampworking tools. I'm hoping to be back on two wheels sometime soon, but my passion is in glass right now, its all I can do. Funny thing is I got into this thinking I would be doing full blown functional, and now months later I think I'v only made a handfull of spoons and chillums. I just really enjoy making marbles and pendants. I'm trying not to work myself into a corner with solid glass, but I must admit most tube work vex's me and leaves me frustrated. I do some tube implosions, a lot of frit honeycombs, and have been recently trying my hands at tube wigwags.
So anyways, I'm super cool with constructive criticism, if you see repetitive flaws, anything I'd really enjoy everyone's input. I feel like I'm kinda of coming up to point that I need to choose a route and just go hard in a certain direction... but shit if I know what it is yet.
Aaaaaaaaaanyways I imagine you'd like to see some pictures and whatnot so here goes. I'll try to keep this oldest to newest from top to bottom, but I don't have any pics of my work prior to getting my own setup this last october.
First semi-successful HC
My old passion;
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
the lil vortex pendants look like a hot item good work keep up the passion !
Also, Im 100% self taught except those first few months with my buddy, and that was his first setup as well. I research online when I can but mainly learn from just being in front of the torch, I just don't pick up very much from YT vids. Luckily I'm in the northwest so I won't have to travel far for classes. Finding the time and money for those classes will be another story.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
My bubble
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
Been playing with fuming scalloped tube. I fucking love this shit. As soon as I get my terminations down they will get exponentially better.
Another Honeycomb pendant. The Comb is Irrid and the bail a cobal/black pearl stack. First time I ever kept black pearl so dark, guessing I just worked it too hot in an oxidizing flame and should have reduced it a few times.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
Congrats man, looking good.
I imagine it was tough selling your bike, but a wise one! It will get more and more rewarding as you go on and develop more skills, and making loot at it makes it that much sweeter
And now your more likely to be around to watch your kid grow up! I've known a few people who are no longer with us from riding street bikes.
Dbl post
Selling my bike was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and while I love lampworking, a torch doesn't give back the same kind of love my bike did. I still feel like there is a guy down in portland riding around on my wife every day. But I'm addicted to fire now and there is no turning back. The Buell was my first love, but first loves rarely ever last.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
Been riding my whole life as well man, so I know that feeling you are talking about all too well. I love the story of trading your passion to learn lamping, good progression as well!
I gotta ask, is the xb9r? I always, always wanted a firebolt... Owned many the japanese counterpart and love them, but those buells stole my heart when I saw them; The whole idea behind the engineering is awesome. One of the best sounds I've heard from between two wheels too.
How'd she ride?
~ Contact me if you are a good person interested in adopting a Rescued Pitbull ~
Nah mine as the XB12R. They redline at 7k RPM's, its like riding a monster around that eats up asphalt and spits out little children. 89 ft lbs of torque and 103 hp at the rear wheel with a wheel base of 57 Inches. Thats the moto GP chassis size, most modern street bikes run a 70-75 inch wheel base. Power wheelies through the first three gears without trying, and so flickable. That tiny chassis and low center of gravity made it the Firebolt just lay over from side to side like a psychic that read your thoughts rather than physical input. I had to start wearing ear plugs and apologizing profusely to anyone that happened to ride behind me on a group ride. Harley guys pulled over filling up with gas would turn around actually wave, then when they realized they just waved at a sport bike you can actually see a piece of their soul dies, its exhilarating.
I could honestly go on all day about ol' Buella DeVille, but she's tempting mistress so I should prolly just put her out of my mind.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
I'm really digging these little vortex pendies with a side mib. Knock out fairly fast and don't stay around long.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
That peppermint vortex looks killer! Damn shame about giving up your bike, but the power of boro will eventually overcome your sorrow How long has it been since your friend set up shop in your garage?
He set up early 2013 until july/august. I got my own torch and equipment in Sept/Oct of 2013
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
Some more glass from the last few nights. I did a few spoons as well and was pots happy with how they turned out. Tube work always leaves me frustrated.
I've sorta got a thing for Vortex's these days.
Last edited by DIMBW; 01-26-2014 at 09:59 PM.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
Oh an this guy.
Thats Aurora and Exp. Green #5. Not exactly the colors I was shooting for. I specifically remember raging this thing in a high oxy flame trying for the deep purples/dark wood from the Aurora and Dark Greens from the Exp. Green. Any idea where I went wrong?
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
when you're laying your color down make sure the receiving glass is nice and hot or the cooler glass will reduce any high silver colors as they quickly draw the heat out of the color.
My vortex gathers are pretty hot before I apply color. I also use almost nothing but Simax, running a Phantom 38/5 on my regs and still struggle with my encased strikes. Kinda bums me out as I don't do a lot of surface work, and now I feel like I got all this kickass striking color I cant use for what I would like. I have no problem striking deeply encased honeycombs, but implode almost any striker into a floral and it just muds up for me.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
Back to working a 7-3 morning shift has totally flipped schedule on its head. Haven't been very productive in the studio this last week.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
I realy like these last few a lot keep it up.
Some new stuff. Trying to flip my sleep schedule around to get in more studio time. I'v found I can do well off 4 hours of sleep at the end of the night as long as I get a 2 hour nap in during the day. Think of how much more productive we would be w/o sleep, wish I could do away with it all together.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something!" -Jake the Dog
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