Centered hole w/o a blow hose

[STROKER]

aymie are one zexxy bitch when you talk about liquor and limber.

[Aymie]

Only until you see me stretching and hiccuping on my back porch...which is what I am doing now.

I need a little spoon. Someone bring me my Na. Please...I need her.

[Ronin]

get a mirror, then you can see where you are going to blow the hole.

[Aymie]

I don't use my mirror for this trick, but everyone should have one in the studio. Best tool you never knew you needed.

[Julian]

I spin the end in the flame, blow it a little, see if it's where I want it, then return it to the flame and blow it open.

[hashmasta-kut]

one thing i dont think i see mentioned, which i just figured out in the last little while, is that when you are trying to get it even on the end where you are going to pop the hole, a few quick hard spins each way will help get the glass to flow all evenly at the end(centrifugal force), redistributing more uniformly in a short moment, and allow an even centered hole and lip. before i figure that out i had to usually keep tearing gobs off repeatedly to get a uniform end, unless it was a small tube.

[jr23]

I use diamond shears daily, And a v tool, But picking out glass and blowing holes on center are FUNDAMENTAL skills in glassblowing. And I think learning the fundamentals help you more in the long run.

I prep with all the standard prep techs and tools.

What I was really getting at was at some point you have to pop or pick hole's off axis and in wierd spots where spinning is not possible and clean popped and picked holes are a must.

[hashmasta-kut]

i'm sorry i was just being a retard, i always say diamond shears for everything, so i just ran with it. kind of a joke no one got except me.

BUT, i did get rep from the thread starter for saying D shears, so there, lol

[menty666]

Bah, I was just being polite

Thanks everyone!

[Matt P]

I spin the end in the flame, blow it a little, see if it's where I want it, then return it to the flame and blow it open.

thats exactly what i do.... but mine aren't always pretty haha

difference in years of work and months eh?

[HeartBurnGlass]

I just wanted to add another super effective trick for opening holes on or off axis. heat up the spot you want your hole to be and with a rod tack the spot and pull out a string, flame cut it leaving a little point (point must be hollow for this to work) then get a rod hot and gather a blob then push the blob over the point. hold it still until it stiffens up then just break it off. The point should break off with it and you will have a super clean hole without a termination on any sides(like if you pop a spiral slightly off center and the termination is on one side of the hole) . Also you can tell how big the hole will be by the size of the point. this trick works great when you want to pop many holes but cant blow them all open or if picking it makes too big of a hole.

[Wilbur]

i didnt read all the replies here but,

if the end of your tube is even/rounded out, look at the sodium flare just past your tube.

if that is spitting out in the center of your flame, and you know the end of the tube is round and even, then the hole will be popped even.