How do you work 104 COE tubing? [Archive]

e. mort

2006-01-15, 4:16pm

Three Muses Glass

2006-01-16, 9:54am

I have no idea, but if you ever want to sell some, let's talk.:grin:

Kaibeads

2006-01-16, 12:04pm

depends on what you would like to make, but my guess is, work it very carefully. :I

Cindy2

2006-01-16, 1:08pm

I've been looking to buy some of the soft glass tubing but wanted some smaller diameters than 35mm - I wanted more like 15mm. But my approach would be like you work boro tubing - except introduce it into the flame slower - maybe start with propane only to warm it and then add in the oxy to heat it up more. I'd pull some points and then fool around with making some blown beads.

Here's a link to Mickelson's site and his explanation on working boro tubing.

http://mickelsenstudios.com/articles/TUBEWORK.HTM

Good luck, post your results and yes, keep your credit card out of reach when you're "window shopping" for glass on the web! :-)

Cindy

I recently make an impulse purchase of 10 lbs of 104 COE tubing from Arrow Springs. This stuff has a 2mm wall thickness and an outside diameter of 35mm. Has anybody done anything with this stuff, or have any tips on working it?

I really need to stop looking at glass websites when my credit card is handy. #-o

Eric

Cosmo

2006-01-16, 1:21pm

35mm tubing with a 2mm wall thickness is pretty thin. I'd maybe cut some tubes down, preheat them in the kiln, and attach a cork and blowtube to them. When you pull points, the walls get thinner, and I'd be afraid that pulling it down that much would make the walls very fragile. I'd love to see what you make with it, though. I didn't even know there was any soft glass tubing...

alissa

2006-01-20, 11:51pm

I've been wondering what to do with mine... I bought 4 lbs on impulse. : )

Good timing on posting this!

Tink

2006-01-21, 11:11pm

There's quite a bit of soft glass tubing available: Effetre, Czech, and some beautiful stripey stuff from Lauscha. I'm working on some techniques with it, and will share when I have the bugs worked out of the process.

alissa

2006-01-22, 8:50am

That'd be awesome! I'm definitely looking forward to hearing what you come up with, Tink.

I started playing with mine yesterday, and it's just so BIG. It really needs a blowhose thingy 'cuz the diameter is so large it's a bit uncomfortable to put up to your mouth.

Tink

2006-01-22, 9:06am

Juln

2006-01-22, 11:27am

It's pretty much just like working boro tubes.
The same techniques apply.
Pull points, decorate, melt, blow, shape.
We used tubing that size in Shane and Fred's class for ornaments. That was the neon stuff, though, not 104.
I've been trying to get some 104 in about 15 mm for classes... not trying hard enough, apparently. It sure does beat coiling or blowing out, though.

Tink

2006-01-22, 11:31am

My notebook from my Fred and Shane class has disappeared off the face of the Earth. What size tubing was it that Shane recommended? 25mm? 35mm? I can't remember and it's driving me crazy.

alissa

2006-01-22, 12:42pm

Neon sign tubing! Never would have thought of that. I want to make small bottles & such, plus larger ornaments, so that'd be perfect!

I've been using the Dunham book for technique but 35mm is very big compared to what he teaches on. Pulling points may help to get things under control - I'll try that today.

Tink

2006-01-22, 1:03pm

Ohmy! Alissa, given what you just said in your post, you MUST MUST MUST come to AGI! Shane Fero will be there. Have you seen what he does with neon sign tubing???????????????????????

I took a class with Fred Birkhill and Shane Fero at Penland a couple of years ago. It was life-changing. Shane, particularly, altered the course of my destiny.

Juln

2006-01-22, 2:07pm

We used 25 mm, mainly, in the class. Probably about 2mm wall.
Thats the easiest type of tubing to work with, I think: smaller, is a little harder to handle at first for points and stuff (though is good for attaching to a blowtube and making beads), larger is unwieldy to start with, but good for goblets and vases (and ornaments too) as you get a larger blob without having to condense a long section of tubing lengthwise. Most boro blowers start with 25 mm heavy (4mm wall). Or they used to, I don't know what they do now. It's a good size in your hands: 1 inch.
Yeah, their class is great - really great! I just adore the two of them, and you never met more down to earth guys. Fred is such a trip. Awesome glass talent and knowledge, also, between the two of them, you can learn anything you want about blowing soft glass, or hard glass for that matter.

adovbs

2006-01-22, 2:07pm

I recently make an impulse purchase of 10 lbs of 104 COE tubing from Arrow Springs. This stuff has a 2mm wall thickness and an outside diameter of 35mm. Has anybody done anything with this stuff, or have any tips on working it?

I really need to stop looking at glass websites when my credit card is handy. #-o

Eric

:lol: Eric, I bought some, too! But I've been too scared of it "shattering" to melt any of it yet or try to pull any points....

Scrolling down to read the replies....

adovbs

2006-01-22, 2:10pm

adovbs

2006-01-22, 2:11pm

Try pulling some points with it and see how that works.

If you really have an interest in learning to work with tubing, consider getting a case of neon sign tubing to play with. It's inexpensive, and it's compatible with furnace colors.

Thanks for the tips, Tink!!!! You're always so ready to share information, you're me heeero. :-) :love:

Well, except when you're being a sTinker and keeping cool secrets!! :lol:

Tink

2006-01-22, 2:16pm

My pleasure, as always!

As for worrying about shattering, don't! Introduce it into a pure fuel flame (which is about 850 degrees F) to heat it without shattering. Then add your O2 to the mix. The carbon will burn right off.

kathleen milligan

2006-01-22, 2:53pm

I would love it if someone had a source for threaded tubing in soft glass! I haven't bought any tubing yet, but I can feel it coming.

I saw some salt and pepper shakers in a boutique (actually in Louisville last gathering) that I swear were lampworked softglass, but they had metal screw on tops, and I still can't forget about it, nor have I been able to find threaded tubing. Do you have to mold blow the threads or something? Arrrgh! I don't get it. Tink, surely you can enlighten me?

kathleen

Tink

2006-01-22, 3:50pm

The term "threaded" has several meanings. If you go looking for threaded soft glass tubing, what you'll find is the beautiful Lauscha glass tubing with colored "threads": Röhren mit Fäden -- Literally "Tubes with threads".

I won't go into the whole "how bottles are made" thing, but there are several types of finishes for bottles, one of which is external threading. And there are several types of external threading, too! The threading can be done with a mold, or even by hand if you use lug threads.

Can you tell I've wanted to make little salt and pepper shakers for a long, long time? LOL! I need to see if I can dig up my sources for shaker caps.

alissa

2006-01-22, 6:30pm

I will be there!!!!! I paid yesterday, and my golden ticket should arrive in a few days. \\:D/ \\:D/ WOOOT! I'm so psyched about it, and I figure that in 7 months, which is around 630 hours of torch time, I will be SOOOOO ready for learning more advanced tubing techniques, goblets, and other complicated things. Oh those demos... I'm drooling in anticipation. lol.

::runs off to google shane fero::

Ohmy! Alissa, given what you just said in your post, you MUST MUST MUST come to AGI! Shane Fero will be there. Have you seen what he does with neon sign tubing???????????????????????

I took a class with Fred Birkhill and Shane Fero at Penland a couple of years ago. It was life-changing. Shane, particularly, altered the course of my destiny.

Tink

2006-01-22, 6:51pm

http://shanefero.net

Did I mention he changed my life?

Oh, and Fred is a total trip, and I love him for a million reasons. He's a sushi-eatin' mad scientist. Wears floppy house slippers in the hot shop. Tends to blow things up.

Anyone reading this: If you EVER get a chance to take a class with Fred and/or Shane, DO IT.

I mean it.

I'm not kidding.

Move along now. Nothing to see here.

alissa

2006-01-22, 7:04pm

Yeah!!! I've seen (photos of) his work before... Really awesome stuff!

Man, AGI is getting more scrumptious sounding by the day! Especially since so many of the greatest artists tend to be so eccentric. hehe. This should be *very* interesting...

alissa

2006-01-22, 9:38pm

This is how my first attempt at pulling points ended...

it cracked in the rod heater, and despite EXTREMELY slow introduction to the flame, I got lovely shards, charcoal blackened at no extra charge. oye.

14628

Juln

2006-01-22, 9:55pm

Try preheating it in the kiln.

Tink

2006-01-22, 9:56pm

Jeepers! Looks like the first points *I* pulled. LOL!

alissa

2006-01-22, 10:08pm

Can't preheat in the kiln - that's why I have a rod warmer. It cracked IN the warmer (it sits at 900 degrees), and I had the tubing just barely sticking in. Sensitive stuff!

adovbs

2006-01-22, 10:54pm

Cindy2

2006-01-23, 5:04am

I always miss the threads I'm interested in! Arrghhh! I'm going to post anyways!

Neon sign tubing - I've looked high and low for a source for neon sign tubing and to no avail! I get lots of links to someone who makes neon signs but I can't seem to find tubing - correction - I found 1 site and the tubing was colored - so not sure if that's what I wanted to purchase or not. Does anyone have links?

Shane Fero - For the past 3 years I've wanted to take his class at Corning - arrgghhhh it's two weeks! Sure it's completely worth it but I just can't get away for 2 weeks! (Mommy duty and all :-) Not sure AGI is my style - I'm definitely not a camper! :-)

Boro/soft glass tubing - in the Sally Prasch class I took - we used "standard" wall tubing which is thinner than heavy wall - but not sure what mm "standard" wall is! :-) The 1mm or 1.5mm of the soft glass tubing seems awfully thin to me.

Cindy

Firelilly

2006-01-23, 6:17am

hehe My husband was in the other room awhile ago, pulling on his boots, getting ready to take off, but he had to come back and see what I was on about.

I guess I was sitting here, softly repeating, "Oh, my God...Oh, my God..." over and over again while I was looking through Shane Fero's gallery. I didn't even know I was talking out loud.

Lil

Tink

2006-02-09, 7:37am

If anyone knows of a good source for 25mm standard OR heavy wall tubing, I'd love to know about it...

beadworkstudio

2006-02-11, 10:13pm

Shane Fero will be at Glasscraft in Golden, CO in Oct., and it's only $425. Hrmmm.

How much experience would you all recommend to really be able to take a class from him? As in, what skills should a person master before they try a class like this?

Tink

2006-02-11, 10:50pm

Good question, and one that I think each person needs to answer for themselves. IMO, it all depends on what your goal is in taking a class.

Some people take classes to learn specific techniques or how to make a particular thing. If that's the case, then I think it's really important that you are at a point, technically, where you can handle the material being taught. If you need to be able to pull decent points to take the class, then that's where you should be.

If, on the other hand, you're there to absorb anything you can: processes, philosophy, technique, etc. --- without the burden of being able to create a specific "thing" when you leave the class, then I don't think it matters much what your skill level is.

I recommend learning from Shane whenever the opportunity is there. Sensei changed my life, my art, my connection with the world.

e. mort

2007-03-07, 7:58pm

Ok, it has been a years since I posted this. :) Has anybody figured this stuff out yet?

2007-03-08, 9:10am

i worked the neon tubing at tecnolux open house last year, preheat out at tip of flame till slight glow, let section condense before pulling point so its not so thin, worked fine. likely best to go right into kiln, rex trimm works a bit with it, cant futz with it much, have to do stuff pretty quick, he works with small points added together to get bigger finished piece.
i get tubing from tecnoboro.com or wale apparatus for pyrex, i prefer simax for cleaner rods, less cording, more even wall thickness, and rounder.
ro