Noob pics *open fire*

[HOSS]

Oh no i know those guys know what their saying and i know i should listen. Thats why i started my 100 leafs tonight 20 down 80 to go maybe 200 at my rate.

I'm not going to rereading the whole thread just to check but I really doubt anybody said to make 100 leaves. What are you going to learn with that but how to use a masher, which you can learn just fine with 10? 100 fume spoons was probably the recommendation, or 100 plain hitters. That would teach you some very useful stuff, and put you well on your way to understanding glass. Mashing leaves? not so much.

[James Lewis]

If i was making pipes then yes thats what i would be starting on doing. However the market for them around here is rather slim. Its mainly pills and pipes i refuse to make. Tobacco is one thing meth you can go fuck yourself. Thats why im doing ornaments, misltoe, vases, etc. Anything i can take to the home businesses around here. Not saying i do not enjoy making pipes for tobacco (i still make the occasional spoon or waterpipe every now and then to make sure i can still do it.) But until the market around here kicks up more i will just learn other shapes and forms. Plus if you look those leaves suck they have one side that is thicker then the other and that annoys the hell out of me. Thats why i did 20 instead of ten i got alittle sucked in in trying to make a perfect one. Thanks for giving me the drop kick in the right direction everyone. From now on it doesnt leave my studio unless its perfect.

[Icarus]

lol the vacume is my biggest foe...i get the top too hot. i'll have to try it again with a smaller flame. thanks for the tips!

Use a tungsten pick. Drill a small hole in a hard to notice spot. Takes care of the vacuum issue. I don't remember the name of the guy that taught me that, but thanks man. It cleaned up my ornaments quite a bit.

[istandalone24/7]

doh! thanks for the tip Icarus!!!!

[ROGUE]

Use a tungsten pick. Drill a small hole in a hard to notice spot. Takes care of the vacuum issue. I don't remember the name of the guy that taught me that, but thanks man. It cleaned up my ornaments quite a bit.

I was totally gonna suggest that lol.

[istandalone24/7]

From now on it doesnt leave my studio unless its perfect.

be sure to post pics of your progress though!

[James Lewis]

A couple failed vases trying to decide if i should go with a big base and semi short neck or a long neck and small base. The shattered one is a larger base about the size of a softball. The other thing is a candlestick holder idea that i sorta of had on the spot did a better one tonight its in the kiln though and is just clear. Tell me what yall think still crankin the ornaments out.

[James Lewis]

Prototype for a candlestick holder. Those are my first two doughnuts. They both have a vaccum in them. Thanks to the guys that wrote on the doughnut pole they turned out alot better lastnight. That foot took forvever i wasnt going to except shit for a foot. Comments are welcomed its not that great but im getting a micro torch soon so i can do the welds better without worry of over heating the vaccumed areas. Thanks for looking.

[James Lewis]

sorry for the bad pics

[James Lewis]

[James Lewis]

My display at the local library not much but it helps get me out into the world a bit more. On the 17th my work will be displayed at the emporia kansas art center. Im hoping to be a permant artist there permitting the show goes well. I finally got the micro torch so ill be posting some pics of my revised misltoe soon hopefully. If there is a relegion for that little guy id like to join lol.

[Loki Glass]

Wow man those candlesticks and ornaments have come a long way! Nicely done!

Look at the difference from 20 days ago to now, crazy...

[Aymie]

I find it hard to believe you can't tap in to the pipe market. Even OG artists are now making pipes because its a great market.

None the less, clear or fumed vases will give you similar practice to a spoon.

I will say it one more time, because you seem to be missing it. Stop using color. Every color moves differently. You are giving yourself a terrible foundation for understanding hear base and movement. You must build your foundation on countless hours of clear or fumed work.

I hate holes in my ornaments. I put a restriction where my point/blow tube meets the blank. Shape the ornament. Pull off on the handle side of the restriction and make a loop. The vaccuum sucks the glass in to the restriction where it cools and stops.

[Role]

Wow man those candlesticks and ornaments have come a long way! Nicely done!

Look at the difference from 20 days ago to now, crazy...

He took a break a little while ago, maybe it energized his mojo.

The Homer Hoyt style blown doughnuts are cool, I would fume some of them metallic to catch the "holiday"
colored lights and reflect them back..

Good stuff, James.

[James Lewis]

Thank you guys for the kind words. I am working more in clear i like it alot more then color for the most part. Every new idea i have i use clear to practice with till i feel comfortable with working the shape. With the fuming i dont have a premix torch so its pretty hard to get a good fume so i normally use high silver colors that will self fume.
I have a friend that is going try and help me get into the pipe market. Hopefull ill start having a place for them

[Matt P]

Thank you guys for the kind words. I am working more in clear i like it alot more then color for the most part. Every new idea i have i use clear to practice with till i feel comfortable with working the shape. With the fuming i dont have a premix torch so its pretty hard to get a good fume so i normally use high silver colors that will self fume.
I have a friend that is going try and help me get into the pipe market. Hopefull ill start having a place for them

What kind of torch are you running? Every torch seems to have a different sweet spot for fuming. I learned on a nortel minor, then switched to a nortel midrange+. The fuming difference was crazy! Surface-mix vs. pre-mix. Well I recently started working on a Lynx, and finding that nice silver fuming flame took me a while, but now that I've got it dialed in I love it! Point being, depending on the torch your working, you may just need to fine-tune the flame you are using

[James Lewis]

Its a midrange with a minor as a top fire.

[James Lewis]

Double post

[James Lewis]

Heres the new way im doing the misltoe. Im going to try putting them together in a different manner to make them look seemless.

[James Lewis]

Okay so lately ive been working on my flared foots. But i keep on getting this extra peice of glass that flares out like a toe. Am i spinning it to fast or is my heat base off on it? Or is it not even centered? Im guessing a comb but i was hopping for some more experinced advice. Ill keep on trying to figure it out in the mean time thank you for advice ill post pics of the next screw up.