Nuka Glass Highway To Glass Progression

[glassmax]

Hmmm...

Lots of pics.
Who did teach you how to to work at a torch?
Dont take a break while making a penguin...

[Nuka Glass]

Hmmm...

Lots of pics.
Who did teach you how to to work at a torch?
Dont take a break while making a penguin...

No one besides the internet and books. Not everyone has the luxury to be able to take classes and most things I am able to do, I have taught myself. From fixing motorcycles to making video games.

I took a break cause I really wanted to do something else and it was a little boring to me.

[Nuka Glass]

Anyways. Here is a spoon from yesterday I am really proud of. I also did a small compression marble and sculpted a lady figure. Only have the pic of the spoon though. I'll post the lady later.

[Nuka Glass]

Saturday and Sunday I had major issues with cracking. After working on a piece for a while I would garage it to let the whole thing reach 1050. Then take it out and start working. Wonder if the cold air has anything to do with it. Yesterday the spoon I was making started to crack when it was getting colder outside.

Well here is my work from Saturday. I made 2 spoons yesterday. One I had issues with the opening the hole on the mouthpiece. Never did get it open but I know how to prevent this in the future now.

[Nuka Glass]

Finally got around to taking a pic of the spoon I made yesterday.

Ran into new problems with this one. Haven't had issues with bowl holes and pushing bowls till now. (besides my normal issue of pushing the bowl crooked).

The problem I had was when I went to heat the area around the hole, the hole would get bigger and bigger. Usually I have to worry about the hole closing. I think I blew the bubble for the bowl too thin. This caused the glass to stretch and when heating the hole, it allowed the hole to stretch. Does that sound right?

[Nuka Glass]

Had a good day yesterday. Got the homefill up and running. Checked this morning and the pressure is a bit under 1000 psi. Last night before I went to bed it was just over 500 psi.

Figured out how to use frit on the inside. It was cool when the frit falls out of the blank. I like when it hits the flame and creates sparks all the way to my ventilation.

The mushroom was a spoon but it mist have closed off where the bowl and stem meet.

Also did an eye and love how it looks. I had saturated the Black(Raven) but it still looks cool. Not sure if I want to attach it to something or make it a pendant.

Is there a black besides Raven that doesn't saturate so easily? Or do I just need suck it up and learn how to work it correctly?

[Nuka Glass]

istandalone I have my first flower marble attempt. Unfortunately when I went to clean up the punty mark, it ended up cracking. Not the best looking flower but I just wanted to see what I can do. Really liked making this and I think marbles will definitely be my calling. Next weekend I will give it a shot again.

Flower Marble:


Restriction Bats:
One I failed to open the mouthpiece. Both are fumed and I think I did ISO on the bowl at least. (Can't remember)


Mushroom Pendants:
One came out good but just wish I made it lower in the gather. Need to work on pushing the rod into the gather straight.


Frit Spoon:
My bowl shaping is getting great, still need to work on where the stem and the bowl meet though. Aymie I saw you suggest to someone (DickFarm Glass) to work on sealing blowtubes together (same size first then different sizes). Then from there make blanks. I am going to try this as I just picked up a batch of 25mm and 12mm tubing. Thanks for the advice.



Also I bought a L-Marver for my torch last week. I love it. Makes it easier to keep the shaping even.

[FifDeez]

To give you some helpful advice. When working frit it'll appear melted in Far before it really is on the inside... For example take one of those failed ones and break it on the ground. I suspect if you inspect the shards you'll see the inside isn't perfectly smooth. Best plan is to over melt then puff it out ( not too thin) and melt a second and maybe third time then shape. It'll make sure frit is completely melted into the clear. And to be safe make the necks on spoons a little wider and it'll stop the common closed off tube problem your having. Keep torchn. Stuff is looking good for you level of practice.

[Nuka Glass]

To give you some helpful advice. When working frit it'll appear melted in Far before it really is on the inside... For example take one of those failed ones and break it on the ground. I suspect if you inspect the shards you'll see the inside isn't perfectly smooth. Best plan is to over melt then puff it out ( not too thin) and melt a second and maybe third time then shape. It'll make sure frit is completely melted into the clear. And to be safe make the necks on spoons a little wider and it'll stop the common closed off tube problem your having. Keep torchn. Stuff is looking good for you level of practice.

Thanks FifDeez. I actually did drop the red/black one on the floor Friday and noticed exactly what you had stated. And yeah my necks are being pulled to thin. When rolling the glass on the marver pad is it best to keep the glass in one spot or roll it across the pad? If you look where the neck and bowl meet, I always seem to get this twist in it (kind of my signature now). I think it is due to the way I am rolling it on the marver pad. Appreciate the advice and will practice it.

[FifDeez]

Instead of rolling have you tried to punty up to the end of your blank so you can spin the glass while melting without using the marver? Try this while doing several melts followed by a puff to get tube at least the diameter it started then repeat melts and puffs till your confident its melted in well.( coarser frit will demand more melting) Also every so often until you've mastered frit completely I still recommend breaking one to inspect the inside as I stated so u know without a doubt you have it nailed. I say that because newbies sometimes get frit melted in almost enough to where naked eye it appears done, while you experience cracking as it cools to room temp after kilning. So if you have this issue its either incompatibility of colors on inside of glass or unsuccessfully melted in frit. Hope this helps, and if you ever have a question on prodo work, ask me. I've made my fair share.

[Nuka Glass]

Instead of rolling have you tried to punty up to the end of your blank so you can spin the glass while melting without using the marver? Try this while doing several melts followed by a puff to get tube at least the diameter it started then repeat melts and puffs till your confident its melted in well.( coarser frit will demand more melting) Also every so often until you've mastered frit completely I still recommend breaking one to inspect the inside as I stated so u know without a doubt you have it nailed. I say that because newbies sometimes get frit melted in almost enough to where naked eye it appears done, while you experience cracking as it cools to room temp after kilning. So if you have this issue its either incompatibility of colors on inside of glass or unsuccessfully melted in frit. Hope this helps, and if you ever have a question on prodo work, ask me. I've made my fair share.

The twist usually happens when I am trying to shape the bowl. It is usually the neck that will end up twisting into the bowl. It could be that when the bowl starts to flop around and I marver it that this is the reason it creates the twist. Yesterday I made a wrap and rake, when it started to bend on me while spinning in the flame, I took it out of the flame and let gravity straighten it back out. And soo.... many issues yesterday though (most were my fault). I will post a pic of the one I did yesterday. Does it typically take awhile for color to melt in? It seemed to take forever to melt in the red/black/white that I did on the wrap and rake. I'm really appreciating the advice from everyone and I always use it when I go back to the torch.

[FifDeez]

Ok. To answer first thing. The bowl is twisting because you must be spinning in only one direction correct? If not and you do spin both directions try going only a half dozen turns one direction then do opposite direction spin while melting and shaping the bowl. Because the glass naturally twists if you spin the molten glass in only one direction. Second question, colors do take awhile to melt in with stiffer colors such as any cadmium color( opauqe reds oranges yellows)and on some other opaques. On other hand butter colors like most strikers or transparents melt much faster and smoother. Its just something you have to practice to learn each colors workability and best uses. If you need more don't be afraid to ask.

[Nuka Glass]

Ok. To answer first thing. The bowl is twisting because you must be spinning in only one direction correct? If not and you do spin both directions try going only a half dozen turns one direction then do opposite direction spin while melting and shaping the bowl. Because the glass naturally twists if you spin the molten glass in only one direction. Second question, colors do take awhile to melt in with stiffer colors such as any cadmium color( opauqe reds oranges yellows)and on some other opaques. On other hand butter colors like most strikers or transparents melt much faster and smoother. Its just something you have to practice to learn each colors workability and best uses. If you need more don't be afraid to ask.

You hit the nail on the head. I do only spin in one direction. Awesome this will help me a lot. Thanks for the info on the color too and I will definitely ask more questions as they come to mind.

[Nuka Glass]

Here is the wrap and rake I did yesterday. I really need to work on my necks. Going to have to do some clear spoons gor a while.

[FifDeez]

With the rakes make sure color is applied evenly and not globbed on in spots and light in others, the clear is uber butter compared to any color and especially to cadmium colors. so if color is uneven or not colored at all in spots the clear will blow out much easier in these thin colored areas causing a wonky unshapable ( can't easily be shaped due to blowing out unevenly) pipe.

[Nuka Glass]

With the rakes make sure color is applied evenly and not globbed on in spots and light in others, the clear is uber butter compared to any color and especially to cadmium colors. so if color is uneven or not colored at all in spots the clear will blow out much easier in these thin colored areas causing a wonky unshapable ( can't easily be shaped due to blowing out unevenly) pipe.

So for wrap and rakes do you want the whole blank to be covered by color?

[FifDeez]

I'll make one and post a pic for ya. Visuals help

[FifDeez]

You don't have to coat it all in color but evenly spread and even thickness of applied color . when wrapping let the color stretch real thin ( about a mm thick or less) and it keeps from globbing . then just keep building it up to desired saturation of color.

[Nuka Glass]

You don't have to coat it all in color but evenly spread and even thickness of applied color . when wrapping let the color stretch real thin ( about a mm thick or less) and it keeps from globbing . then just keep building it up to desired saturation of color.

Ok I have seen the color pulled really thin in Revere's video. I have quite a bit of glass that I can practice my seals and do clear spoons to get my shaping down. I need to get better at pulling stringers evenly too. Usually have a few lumps in them. I'm learning. Each day ,whether on the torch or not, I learn something new.

[FifDeez]

With glass your never done learning. Its like trying to understand a woman, no matter how close you get your still just not quite there. Ha!