Mouse's Progress

**mouseclone** · 12-28-2009, 10:32 PM

I know that I started trying to get all of this together about 9 months ago. I can't believe that I stood out in the freezing cold to get this done tonight. I don't think that if it would have came easy, I would be willing to stand in the cold to get it done. Wind chill is a bitch. I'm sure people have colder environments and mine, so I'm going to stop the bitching.

Most will not frequent my blog enough for me to post there, so I thought that I would just keep track of my progress here as well as get feed back from people that know more about what I'm doing than I do.

Because the N-2 tip that I thought I was going to use was really for mixed air, I had an OX-3 tip on the national. This is what I produced from that. I need to learn to air marver, cold punty, and putting the hook on better, but over all not to bad in my opinion for my first on at the house. I don't think I can do 25mm heavy wall with the OX-3 tip, but I don't know yet. Maybe I will try tomorrow.

So here are the pics from a small pendant I made tonight.

and I need to learn to take images of glass. haha. Feed back is welcome even if it is cruel and unusual.

**obscure_shadow** · 12-28-2009, 11:40 PM

looks good, the shape will come with more time and practice, also same w/ glass photos, tho you really didn't do half bad.. though it looks like your pendant is a little dirty, so windex, and practice

can we see the loop as well?

**hashmasta-kut** · 12-29-2009, 01:24 AM

yup right on, what he said. keep it up!

**mouseclone** · 12-29-2009, 08:38 AM

I didn't get an pic of the loop. What I have been doing for the loops is heating the pendant and a rod up, then attaching the rod with a hot seal and trying to do what I can with making the loop. At times I will go back and add some glass so that it is not so thin. Lance at FlameTree did one in a quick little swoop. I have got to learn that trick. I will update when I get home with an image of the loop.

**mouseclone** · 01-19-2010, 10:52 PM

I know it has been a while and I know I never got around to posting the clasp for the pendant. I don't know that I will so i suck. But I have been working on getting a pipe or 2 made. I have made only 2, and they are transparent. I have just been working on the shaping and really working on getting the bowl shape correctly, not that it is now.

I have, on several occasions, to condense the bowl back out of the piece, reseal the bowl hole, bowl out, re-condense, and repeat a few times. I have learned a great deal, and even though a pipe might take me an hour to make right now, I'm getting the hang of it. I am also still working on an OX-3 tip, hoping the tip from Mike will be in soon.

So how about some images now.

First up we have a pipe that I made but didn't open up the mouth piece on. After reading up on ways to open a mouth piece I thought that I would try it, as I have been failing at tearing open. I tried the shock method and it didn't work. Cracked it like crazy. I was able to save it and just make a shorter one. Have a look.

Next we have the short one and the one I made tonight. So you will get to see how I saved the first one from being a complete disaster.

Now an image with a different BG color and angle.

The one thing that I forgot to do was flatten the bottoms. It is ok though. The small one rolls almost dead center, but I didn't have that luck on the bigger one. Oh well.

What are your thoughts on 1 and 2? Suggestions? Comments? Questions? None of them are welcome so just keep them to yourself. j/k

**Devils Defect** · 01-19-2010, 11:12 PM

The shapes you have on those pipes look pretty good. The mouthpieces are the hardest thing for me to do right now. Trying to get an even mouth piece takes me forever. Good Job.

**Icarus** · 01-20-2010, 09:12 AM

Mouseclone, for some reason your pics aren't coming up for me.

For the loop, the graceful swoop that you're talking about comes with time. Try practicing making clear balls and putting a loop on them. That way you don't ruin an awesome pendant with a janky loop. Also, one thing that I found helpful is to make my loop bigger than needed, and then reheat it and allow it to condense. It gives me a chunkier more, well proportioned loop. After practicing in clear, I can fix jsut about any bale with only heat and a reamer. That's an important skill to learn, as even when you're googd at pulling loops, you'll still fuck up every once in a while, so it helps to know how to fix them.

Also, you can't use them as well with clear, but if you do your bales in color, a peters tweezers and a tungsten pick sure come in handy.

If you want to spend $30, get Cosmo's second pendant book. It talks you through three types of loops and fuming, plus it'll teach you some pretty cool pendants.

**mouseclone** · 01-20-2010, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Icarus

Mouseclone, for some reason your pics aren't coming up for me.

1and1 VPS is down right now. I couldn't get an ETA when they would have my server back up and running. So will have to wait until that time to see the images.

**mouseclone** · 01-20-2010, 02:32 PM

Images are back up.

**mouseclone** · 02-19-2010, 11:28 AM

I have been trying to get some fuming done. Currently I'm not great at it but this is the first piece that turned out decent enough that I thought it was worth displaying. I"m still a n00b when it comes to glass but only torch time will change that. So here they are.

**Swampy** · 02-19-2010, 08:09 PM

If you hold the mouthpiece at 30 degrees from the horizontal whilst doing your bowl push, then push the bowl down vertical,

your bowl is easier for the user to see whilst setting fire to it, I find.

**slave** · 02-19-2010, 10:34 PM

mouse keep it up with the clear.. your shaping is coming along nicely.

Originally Posted by Swampy

If you hold the mouthpiece at 30 degrees from the horizontal whilst doing your bowl push, then push the bowl down vertical,

your bowl is easier for the user to see whilst setting fire to it, I find.

I agree with you here, I also find it more ascetically pleasing also however I've heard straight is the to go..

**mouseclone** · 02-21-2010, 04:42 PM

Well I banged another one out last night before I went out with the wife and friends. Thought that I would share. I need to find some sort of consistant style but right now I'm guess I still need to get the shaping down a little better.

I did try the 30 degree angle on this one, not sure if you can tell or not. Thanks for the tip.

I also played around with fuming and some color because I picked up a bag a shorts on Thursday from Flame Tree Glass. Friends seem to like it.

**mouseclone** · 02-26-2010, 09:47 AM

I thought that I would show off my latest. I'm really happy with the fume on this. I'm a little upset at the front for burning off to much fume, but it give it a nice fade effect. I know that I just need to put more fume into the piece so that I can heat it more. Please let me know what you think.

**mouseclone** · 03-05-2010, 09:11 AM

I have been playing around with color a little bit. I know that I shouldn't, but what the heck was a $20 bag of shorts for if not to play with. I'm getting a little better at getting the right amount of fume on a piece as well as not raging with to much pressure to blow the fume off. I still have a little bit of a hard time with the front of the piece and burning the fume off, but it is getting better.

I also tried a w/r for the first time. I really was just playing around with this piece and it seemed to turn out ok. Let me know what you think and any criticism is welcome constructive or not.

Also I flattened the front of the piece so that it will stand up. just thought that it would be cool.

**mouseclone** · 03-13-2010, 09:20 AM

Started paying dues today. I guess that is what you call it. Figured it was time to get a little serious about things. So I have been spending the morning doing nothing but tube pulls. I think that I have around 40 or so currently and I ran out of propane. Bah!

I might play some more soon, but I figured if I get about 100 or 150 pulls done I will have enough prep work to last me a while. Off to bribe the wife for $20.

**Bo Diddles** · 03-13-2010, 10:41 AM

Fuming is looking great man, and so is the shaping. You've got to make that pipe dirty - then you'll really enjoy the fume (in more ways than one).
As for burning off the fume, I have found that it helps to adjust the amount of fume to how much / hot you'll be working that part. If you find that you continually burn off the fume on the bowl, then you can try fuming that end a little more than the rest. If you're fuming the inside of a tube and condensing it for a pendant, you want much less fuming, because it will all condense.
Also, I've found that my fume is much more robust if I make sure to thoroughly bake it in for a couple minutes.
Please note i'm definitely still a newb, and this is just what I've found through my limited experience, so please take it with a grain of salt.
Anyhoo, great work man. Keep it up!

**mouseclone** · 03-17-2010, 06:35 PM

diddles: thanks for the kind words. I think that I really have been over fuming. I have done a few more with lighter fume and they seem to be coming out better. Though I do notice i get some bear spots from time to time. I will keep working at it.

I still get really excited when I make a piece. That is why you see on one image at a time. I"m trying to get where I make a few at a time, but it is hard to do during the week right now. So how about a pic?

I decided that I would try a swirl at the top. Worked out well, and I was able to make a pendant out of the pulled off part. What do you think?

**mouseclone** · 03-31-2010, 09:36 PM

I have been working on fuming and messing around with cobalt. Let me know what you think if you will.

**mouseclone** · 04-05-2010, 11:05 AM

guys and gals I really would like some more feed back. I now have a kiln that is a loaner so I'm able to start firing my pieces. I think that I will stick with the style above currently as it lets me fume, melt in and shape a piece. I am sure that i'm doing something backwards, as not working with just clear for 100+ pieces, but I think doing them all together might help me in some small way.

Your thoughts and feelings are welcome.

Also, if I can I will work on getting more up here today. I have a few in the kiln that I fired last night. I'm at work now, so it will be this evening or (if I can get the wife to take pics) hopefully shortly.

Thanks again for the feed back.