small bubs

[Julian]

Just stick a ear plug in your can handle, no pun intended. works good and you dont have to blow so hard and cool the rest of the bub down.

Or some graphite tape/something else heat proof, if you're aiming to plug a bowl hole (close to the heat) and not a blow tube end.

[B-Rye-oNeR]

I push before connecting two pieces (on prodo bubs) it's not hard, you just plug the push with a pencil tool like you would when you blow out carb to work out the weld.

I usually have a blo hose connected, plug up one handle, and get the two pieces so hot that I can puff out the weld a bit right after connecting. Usually get a pretty clean connection before even spot welding.

here's another idea...why not drop/seal in down stem (before connection). But not pop the hole/push until after connection, Or maybe that's what you meant.

[Swampy]

here's another idea...why not drop/seal in down stem (before connection). But not pop the hole/push until after connection, Or maybe that's what you meant.

^ Yeah that's what I meant, so you got something to blow against :o)

[Sparkey]

I, apparently, should've started making small bubs a long time ago. I can't seem to make them fast enough (granted, I am slow :-)

[Sparkey]

Still plodding along with this...at Willamette Brick and Block I found some masonry garden wall blocks with seven holes, which is perfect for me because I love the number seven (I'm weird, I know). So I make seven mouthpieces/cans at a time, drop the downstem as a third step, and assemble them. I've added a blow hose to my repertoire which has slowed me down a bit with the learning curve, slowing gaining speed, but it gives me much, much more control over the glass when popping holes and making maria's.

I pop a hole in the top of the can
Drop the stem down
Completely seal it up with clear and melt the tip smooth
Pick the hole back open (when working colored pieces you can pick all the clear out to have a color in the bowl all the way to the hole in the bottom)
Ream it to my preferred diameter (the "slut hole" which prevents clogs)

Previously I'd melt in the top and push the bowl while the glass around the hole was molten and in motion closing up. I now ream the hole to the size I like, allow it to cool, then heat the outer diameter of the top of the can completely avoiding the hole. This seems to give me a cleaner bowl hole and bowl walls. I've also begun to really heat my bowl push before pushing to avoid chill marks/stress.

I push with a tungsten tipped bowl push while simultaneously giving pressure inside the can through the blow hose. The end result is a cleaner piece than anything I've been making previously. I'm still pretty slow but I'm not destroying pieces regularly :-)