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Thread: Another newbie progression thread.

  1. #1
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    Lol Another newbie progression thread.

    Well I figured better start a progression thread so....
    For a couple days I played with a soft glass kit and made a few shitty beads in the basement with the door open. I then signed up here and started reading, that was either a great move or a huge mistake So after some shopping and a few nights of working here and there I have built an airtight room 7'Lx5'Wx7'T that I vent to an outside door that gets propped open and insulation board fills the door opening, through the insulation board is the intake outtake and fuel line to the outside. Pushing air is 2 inline 300cfm fans, one on the exhaust and one on intake, I had just one fan on the exhaust but feared applying too much vacuum to the basement with a gas furnace and water heater.
    For a torch I got a Cheetah, I sorta feel like I should have gotten a multi stage but I have only torched for a few minutes so far using a EX-20 oxycon.
    Please help me with the oxycon, like I said ex20 from extreme, I fell like it only just enough air to light the torch but I have extremly limited valve adjustment, only a tiny area that they do anything. I can get the flame from tight to bushy but something, and it keeps changing with the pressure surge. I have a tank too but would really like to use a machine. Do I just buy more ex20s or should I start looking at a small homefill, for now this is just a hobby setup Im not burning for hours everyday so maybe a small homefill will work but IDK.

    I pulled a couple points lastnight and made some terrible little thing that looks like it could have been a pipe at one time till someone screwed it all up with a torch. Few more times and Ill almost start to fell like a glass blower.

    Thanks for reading and an input you may have.

    Photos suck but it shows the start. I plan to add more hardibacker at the bench and then maybe drywall or something to the rest. Id like to pour a slab for a shed but that cant happen till spring or summer so Im indoors for now.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Tj; 02-23-2014 at 10:23 AM. Reason: added pics

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    I had a cheetah and a cricket and a oxycon at one point.

    The cheetah on tanked is a beast, I did big pulls no prob.

    Without a holding tank or a way to compress it the torch will not perform great.

    If you don't torch day in day out a home fill might last a very long time. All you need is a machine and a whip.

    Grab a hand torch and stand to do detail stuff and wig wags and you will be able to do great things
    Lampworking the road that never ends, Until your out of gas!

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    Them mini torches do look useful.
    Im proud to say that today I have blown my first ligit (all clear so..) tobacco pipe. I mean its the correct shape size holes right. I still havent tried any color but I got all the glass alc sample pack all puntied up just needs washed so maybe tomorrow I will try, kinda scared to try color for some weird reason all the talk of natural and oxy rich, Imma just say fuckit and melt some shit. Worst thing can happen is waste a tiny bit of glass right, I have an extinguisher leather like hands and ok ventilation. When I wash new glass are we just talking like getting the dust off or should I use a solvent and scrubbing inside and out?

    So far my biggest hurtle is not rushing it. I think maybe from welding and cutting steel I want to do stuff in one step forgetting that I can just stop look and reheat it halfway though.

    Anyone in the Pittsburgh area willing to give lesson I would be interested. I was looking at more formal like classes but figured maybe ah.... safety breakes could be a problem. I can only get so much from videos and talking to someone that knows their shit is just unparalleled. I need to get a better feel first but Id rather not get too set in bad habits, should have done the same for golf but I didnt and still hacking shit after years.

  4. #4
    Billyben Lurker

    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    WooHoo! Fuck yeah welcome to TMP! Setup is looking sweet! Sorry I know nothing about the ex20 or the Cheetah, would recommend Contemporary Lampworking but from the looks of things you've probably already heard that.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    300 cfm is probably not enough heres an awesome fan that will handle


    http://www.homeperfect.com/fantech-f...um=paidtraffic
    i have this hooked up to an ocho growlight hood with the glass removed pulling from both openings hung sideways over my bench trust me this is not overkill at all ive seen the home depot attic fan used right at the end of the bench but you need something like the fantech to pump air down vent tubes


    . burn and learn makes some good videos you can get alot from them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZkaWY4ReKQ

    clinton roman also has a good series to watch before you start blowing.

    poelgeestglass made
    this video series will give you a good idea of alot of the skills you will need to practice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUg6TxLQhLM

    if you dont have it already get yourself a nice metal bucket with a lid for under the bench and a pan of water about 2 inches deep on the desk in front of you

    if your glass is dusty or dirty id wipe it down before use but as far as im concerned fresh glass is good to go out of the box ( i could be wrong )

    gold and silver fume is cheaper then color .
    there are two things you need right now that will really advance your glass blowing alot 1: your hands need to get "good" you need to be able to rotate things smoothly and at even rates fwd and bwrd even with different sized tubing. you also need to be able to shift positions and keep the items square esp if you work alot with out a blow tube

    2: get to know your torch flames and how to manipulate for each situation the proper flame to make the work easiest/cleanest

    practice with 3-4 mm and 7-8 mm clear rods flame cut and rejoin till you can make them look like they have never been touched optically perfect looking, no ripples ,distotions ,air bubbles from boiling glass. get to where you can do it with or without your marver pad. then try to do the same with some of your colored rods. this will help you work on your hands and learn flames and welds really quickly for cheap.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    I really appreciate all the info. My fans are actually fantech inline @300cfm a piece in a room under 300 cubic feet so I figure the room is change over something like once every minute or so, 2 300cfm inline fans and around 60 feet of 6" flex line. Mounting the fans mid run has made them almost totally silent, I hear the moving air now not the fan. Its probly less then ideal now but I plan to move outside so it will be better.

    So far I have Contemporary lampwork v1/v2 and bead one but reading here seems more fulfilling.
    I've been reading through everyones progression threads and clearly I'm deficient in some much needed skills and or talent. Less posting from me till I can make a respectable (anything). Tried color lastnight and everything went wrong, everything was too thick I couldnt get the wrap to heat in, forgot to reheat the unworked area and lost some color, almost collapsed the tube. Ended up with a shitty throw away. Good times.

  7. #7
    Billyben Lurker

    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    Rock the clear and fume for a while man (in terms of pipes) you'll waste less money on color. If you insist on colour buy the cheapest stuff you can - I got one bag of boro shorts from (ABR?), didn't go through it in a year.

    I have just had my very first order of colour in (bar the shorts) after lampworking for about a year and a half. I'm loath to waste it and am super glad I didn't buy a bunch at the start because I have made a lot of crap in that year and a half that color would have been wasted on.

    Also you can do heaps with fume, it's a good skill to get under your belt early.

    Practice, practice, practice. Make 100 clear spoons, then 200 fume wrap and rakes etc etc.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    Ok o2 was my problem. Concentration, amount, pressure not real sure but added 50 feet of o2 line , probly add more later (Im calling it a linear holding tank) to smooth out the surge and I also Y'ed the flashback equipped oxycon output to my full o2 tank. If I set the regulator really low it dont flow any o2 when I'm burning low but start to open that blue knob more then alittle and I hear the regulator tick tick tick and boy she warms right up. I feel like it works perfect except for the cheap regulator has to be readjusted everytime I turn the tank off and maybe add another 50' after the tank to smooth it all out again. Maybe a better reg I can just set and turn the tank off on?
    Oh I did make a little mini spoon that come out like something I would buy for a throw away. Its only like 2" long, real cute like a necklace or something.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    This shit is hard. I made a knob for my propane valve and its all kinda wonky.
    Works just dont look at it http://imageshack.com/a/img827/7988/1pa1.jpg

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    I tried another fuel knob.
    For anyone that hasn't checked out plumbing compressed air to your fuel line it's crazy the diifference its making for me. It really softened the heat and helps me with not collapsing stuff. It also keeps my torch cool to the touch even with a super small standby flame on one oxycon. Only real down side is it makes the fuel knob kinda touchy and prone to blowouts, hence the oversized knob. For me it works really well and I can now adjust the fuel with a light pinky instead of a more solid two fingure twist. Maybe I'm nutts. Check out the article about the compressed air. Hell just cutting down on o2 use is probly worth it to everyone.

    http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showt...light=paradigm

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    pretty cool fuel knob, thats usin ur noggin!

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    I know I'm progressing slow my torch sessions are only like 30min couple times a day , if I didnt light the torch every couple days I'd feel like even more of a poser. Here is one dot implosion mibs that made it, the other is at the bottom of the water dish all cracked but the colors were better on it. I tried a few times with soft before so I wasn't accually my first attemp.
    For anyone that cares I plan to up my ventalation. Found a 800cfm squirrel cage, between that adding a hood and both 300cfm inlines maybe I can get something together. Its so fucking cold now a stiff breeze is gonna freeze me out and no infrared heaters to be found local. Suck it up I guess.

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    What I have to pay for imageshack?
    I got a few more hours on the flame and a kiln(f130) I also bumped up airflow in my studio.

    I have made a couple hammer bubblers but I keep fucking up the bowl. Im guessing its cause I keep trying to push the bowl without any backer air pressure and the rim of the bowl starts to cave in. I'll add a pic if I can figure it out.

    Anyone have tips on something to help me not scratch the shit out of everything against the fire brick in the kiln. I know just dont slide on it but man as careful as I was everything got scratched.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    yo nobody mentioned this but you should purge your lines and back off your regulator every time you finish working. if you open the tank and the reg is set to line pressure it can damage the reg and even possibly cause the guage needles to shoot out like a bullet. theres some vids on youtube of how to set up and shut down oxy fuel torch doesn't have to be glass torch oxy acet is the same idea.

    not sure if that was what u were saying about the regs but thought i'de throw that out there better safe than sorry.

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    Thanks D, I have found out that quick connects with a check will actually keep the regulator pressurized even with the tanks closed and that voids the regs tapping out everytime I open the tanks. My o2 is always cracked for the oxycon but I have been leaving my fuel line charged.

    I know its hard to help me with tips without seeing anything the critic, im trying to get a picture thing figured out. Im ok with machines but sometime computers give me the run around.

  16. #16
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    Made a couple bubblers, the one bowl is all fucked it was getting out of hands so I just bailed but the other is not that horrible. I also made one for a friends with a couple marbles attached and he really likes it. Everytime I feel better on the torch and its starting to feel not so much like a fist fight and more like working together.

  17. #17
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    great start dude. when your doing the ring seal are you doing a constriction on your tube and then flaring out the top, or just flaring the top and sealing it in. first way makes the bowl push a fair bit easier, and tends to have a better seal if your struggling with that.
    really looks pretty good for a beginner
    nice to see just clear, work on wall thickness and welds for a bit
    Don't set yourself on fire

  18. #18
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    Last edited by Trevor; 03-25-2014 at 11:34 AM.
    Don't set yourself on fire

  19. #19
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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    Thanks Trevor. No I was being stupid and just flaring the stem then adding a ring to close the bowl hole after I push, it was hard working down inside the bowl too. Thanks for the tip. Im artistically challenged so clear will probably be my color of choice for a bit.

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    Default Re: Another newbie progression thread.

    not stupid just a different way
    Don't set yourself on fire

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