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Thread: What ive been up to

  1. #21
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

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ID:	86741 not sure why it came up so small when i tried to upload from the ipad. Guess ill just use the computer for uploads.

  2. #22
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

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ID:	86746 Ive been making all these spoons from my massive pile of blanks with my bethlehem alfa instead of the mirage. The shaping part is fine but when i go to decorate there just isnt' enouf heat to keep it warm for the lenses.

    Im also not using my kiln yet so no garaging. The words of the week would be "heat base" for sure. Thanks Aymie and everyone elce who stressed shaping so much. Form and functions where its at, now that the bowl holes down its snorkle carb time

  3. #23
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    The little dots are causing some of your issues I bet,hard to really tell but to me they looked like they are not cooked in all the way...that will add ton of stress and no kiln =cracks.The are few ways to cool glass with out a kiln,fiber blanket,vermiculite in metal bucket.Try less dot and cook them in extra good for now.I do a dot then bigger dot and so on by the bowl.Looking good!!!

  4. #24
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Yeh i deffinitly agree with the dots causing the cracks, that in itself was a good lesson ill take away from this.

    I wont lie, the alpha doesn't do surface work as well as my lynx in my opinion.

    Im going to look into the vermiculite/bucket tech, thanks i forgot about reading that.

    While i have a kiln, i have a feeling techs like these have their place as well and i want to be well rounded.

    I took your advice and put the lense work on the back burner to focus on the shape of my bowl head, middle marias, and carbs last night.

    Ive been trying all types of stuff for the carbs like picking the hole, blowing it out a little then picking it and just the standard flame pop.

    I really want to get my bowl shape into the "disk type shape" if you know what i mean.

    Reall flat front and tall, i think those look so heady but no luck as of now.

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  5. #25
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    I'm no expert for sure but looking at your carb shapes and sizes it looks like the wall of the head is a bit thin...and kinda big imo. That will also contribute to losing heat base and possibly increase cracking.
    Next time after blowing the head out to shape condense it back down again then a few small puffs to shape it round then hold it head up (still glowing a little and continue spinning) while letting it cool a bit. The head will flatten out slightly giving you the "disc" shape you want as well as thickening the walls for a longer carb and better lens melting. Thicker walls are much easier to work with.
    In the last pic the one with the single maria looks the best (to me), take a look at that one and see what is different than the rest.

  6. #26
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    I know what you mean,kids being insane right now but in a few I will tell you how I do that.As for the carbs you really should not have to pick open the hole.The wall thickness can ha a lot to do with this,being to thin,much harder to push a bowl/carb in thin bubble than thick,should like you got the idea now but use more glass on the head to get same size but thick.There are no rules but I like my carb to be at least even with the bowl hole but really in to the shaft some.No burnt fingers.For the disc..squatty shape as I call it heat the spoon head when it is at a good thickness and even,holding the blow tube downward,letting the bubble fall in to shape,it gets a little puff to even things back out but that's how I get that shape,sometimes it take 2 heats to get the shape/thickness I want.When I push a bowl I blow the hole a bit toward the mouth piece and lift the blow tube up so the push goes at a angle,no ash in mouth and the look good.Thicker head and it will go better.How that helps...
    Last edited by LRG; 09-20-2016 at 12:36 PM.

  7. #27
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Thanks guys the reason the carbs look so thinned out and jacked is cause i was trying to pick them out and like lrg said, it wasn't a good idea haha.
    Wall thickness is good though, i mean not perfect but its not blowing out from being thin in spots anymore, trust me i know how that goes haha.
    I liked the one maria too, until i tried to make 3 that got slightly smaller on each one towards the mouth piece.
    Im going to keep working on it and try to make it part of my style.
    Here's a pic of my favorite one so far.
    I look forward to combining both of your advice on achieving the bowl shape i desire. Thanks again, it means a lot.

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  8. #28
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    A piece of advice, dont buy used concentrators especialy from a 3rd party (imo). End of discussion

  9. #29
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    ^Junk out on you?

  10. #30
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Yeh but they resolved the issue though
    Last edited by Sparko; 09-23-2016 at 07:29 PM.

  11. #31
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Whoa. Anyways, stick with it and your spoons will get better. Some days it will seemlike two steps back but it gets better.

  12. #32
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Havnt heard that saying in a while lumpy but it sure hits the nail on the head. We'll see tomorrow where my steps lead tonight. Without days like those the good ones wouldn't feel as good though so i appreciate those too. Either way i got to escape everything for a good 5 hours, it just flys by and i feel great when im done. Its the closest thing to meditation ive ever experienced.

  13. #33
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    + rep to Cerberus and LRG, Just as i was starting to get the hang of it i ran out of blanks. Time to practice seals again.Click image for larger version. 

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  14. #34
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

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    Just got my new studio built. Since its been so long i wasnt able to force myself to do prep like i should have and went straight for the random color scraps from class a few years ago and made a matching jar. Wrap and rakes are fun, learning how fast different colors melt compared to clear. Ordering some gold and silver today and making a game plan for some locks.

  15. #35
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Smoke bomb test, whatcha think Mike? Any tips?

  16. #36
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    i mean besides the wood baffles, i fire treated them and put some galvanized infront of the torch there. None of that even gets hot. I know your still gonna say no because of insurance but i honestly do plan on covering them in the future for good measure.

  17. #37
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Looking good, so you want to fume some eh?

    I had some fun with inside out fume on some 32mm and was super happy with my first try. I fumed, striped pulled it down to wig wag it and condensed it back up and blow tubed up off axis.
    Inside out fume wig wags are easier then out side fume or outside striped color, I was shocked at how easy it came out to be.

    this is my first try at iso wigwags. I am thrilled.
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  18. #38
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Thanks snoop, its funny, i feel more proud of my ventilation then anything glass ive made so far. That line work looks sweet! Its funny how that happens, i seem to do better on the first try of stuff then i over think it and screw a bunch up. Did you flare the 32 at all?

  19. #39
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Quote Originally Posted by Sparko View Post
    Thanks snoop, its funny, i feel more proud of my ventilation then anything glass ive made so far. That line work looks sweet! Its funny how that happens, i seem to do better on the first try of stuff then i over think it and screw a bunch up. Did you flare the 32 at all?
    yes i flared it out pretty good, raged it with the phantom a couple times but did not try very hard to flare it wide open. I could have gave it a bit more to make it easy.

  20. #40
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    Default Re: What ive been up to

    Cool, yeh thats deffinitly a technique im interested in doing soon. So many good skills involved with doing that.

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