If you were starting from scratch... ideal setup?

[MrsGrace]

Okay guys.... Have fun with this, k? :lol:

Lets say you were starting from scratch knowing what you know now. What would your ideal setup be? What kind of glass would you start out on? What kind of torch/kiln/workshop etc.

Dream big or dream practically. What's necessary? What's extra?

What kind of glass would you get to practice lampwork on? Frits? Tools? What's a "must have" and what's just fun?

Can't wait to see the answers!!! Don't forget, a picture is worth 1,000 words!

[Rudy]

Here's what I started with and I wouldn't change a thing:

Nortel Minor torch
Chilipepper Kiln (Jen Ken)
Oxy Generator
torch mounted marver
3x3 marver w/handle
Mashers
tweezers for pulling stringer
poker

Books:
Passing the Flame by Corina Tettinger
Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jenkins

Glass:

Lots of basics and some decent clear (I use COE 104). Quality clear like Precision Diamond Clear after you get better at encasing.
Definitely play with some frit...make your own mixes of colors you like.

That's it I think....my humble opinion! Good luck.

[MrsGrace]

Sweet! Thank you!

I spend some $$ on a torch and I have to wait to have $$ for the rest. But I don't know what to buy glass wise, tool wise etc. And since I have to wait, I may as well build my "dream wishlist" and also see what other people like/don't like!!!

Dreaming is fun!!!! What is the difference between the COE's? I know you can't intermix them, but what makes 96 different from 104? Is it any different to work with or is it just related to its chemical properties?

[Alison D]

96 coe all the way. I need to let my 104 and 90 go. Wish I had known from the start.

[MrsGrace]

May I ask why? And would you potentially sell your glass to someone...? :lol:

[Alison D]

Lots of reasons.
I like the stiffer glass for the work I do.
I can use all the wonrerfull 96 coe frit blends and not worry about my work crumbling 5 years from now.
If you count all the colors in the uroboros,Reichenback,kuglar,gaffer and weissenthal(sp) lines there is an enourmous amount to work with.
The colors are so super saturated that alot of the transparents look black in the rod, you just thin them over or with clear to get the look you want( was finding the 104 and bullseye colors too wimpy for blowing).

Everyone finds thier fav, I just wish I had found mine a little sooner.

Yes, I am going to sell off my 104 and 90, I just need to find a fair price per pound for the whole lots because it would be too much work to to sell by the color.

good luck,

[NMLinda]

Don't forget protective eyeware and ventillation. If you want to start out in soft glass, you'll need didymiums or better to protect your eyes from sodium flare produced by the glass as it melts - these are a must. Boro also requires specialized saftey glasses, but of a slightly different kind.

You also need to protect your lungs from the combustion products produced by your torch, such as N0x products. A good ventilation system is therefore also a must. Good vent hood/ventillation system tends to be something each artist designs to suit their own studio configuration and personal ergonomics. Excellent sources to help design these can be found in both the Safety and Studio sections of LE as well as the following links:

http://mikeaurelius.wordpress.com/ventilation-primer/

and

http://www.artglassanswers.com (Studio and Ventilation Forums, as well as White Papers)

Rudy gave you a great list. Your three most expensive items will be ventillation, annealing kiln and oxycon, followed by the torch and then glasses. If you find you need to prioritize your purchases, I would recommend

1. Nortel Minor Torch (I've had mine for 14 yrs and love it) - or GTT's Cricket (getting raves for how well it works on small oxycons)

1. Didymium or either AUR92 or AUR99 glasses (I'd go with one of the latter). AlUR 92's are also available as table shields - nice if you wear glasses, although more expensive

2. Propane tank, regulator, flashback arrestors and hoses for torch

2. Either tanked oxygen, regulator, flasback arrestors and hoses for torch or oxycon. If you chose the Cricket, you can use a 5 lpm/5-7psi oxycon. If you chose the Minor, you'll be happier with the next size up (eg a 10psi unit). The tanked approach is a cheaper initial outlay, but if you think you will be doing this for many years, and will be spending a fair amount of time at it, the oxycons can pay for themselves in as little as 1-2 years.

3. Good ventilation fan (squirrel cage or in-line fan: booster fans don't work...) and materials to make a ventilation hood. I personally recommend making a 'barley box' style ventilation hood. Most folks find they need a fan in the range of 550 cfm to 750 cfm - but this will depend on how big you want to make your vent hood.

4. Bead Blanket until you can afford the annealing kiln (Unless you can afford one right away)

4. Glass, of course! You might want to start out with a sample pack to see what colors you like

5. Tweezers and marver

6. Mashers and poker

7. Torch-mounted marver, although sometimes you can get a good deal on a marver bundled with the Minor torch.

8. Annealing kiln

9. P100 or N100 face masks if you ever want to work with enamels, fine frit or do fuming

The items with the same numbers are things I believe are of equal significance.

Rudy listed two of my favorite books. I'd also highly recommend James Kervin's book "More than you ever wanted to know about glass bead making"

Good Luck!
Linda

[DanG]

I would use the Lynx or the Bobcat over the minor they have allot cleaner flame. You can do so much more with these when it comes to setting also. You can also use them with concentrators. If you can use bottles you get better heat. DanG

[gemsinbloom]

May I ask why Didymium glasses are recommended? I have been lampworking for six years and I do own a pair but I never use them.

[beadbroad]

Fasten seatbelts.

[MrsGrace]

Lets just say the torch is the only thing in the equation I've taken care of. :grin: It's a Nortel Red Max. And I got a heck of a deal on it!

[FishBulb]

The glasses are vital because the torch gives off an invisible spectrum of light (infrared, I think) that can eventually lead to cataracts.

I'm setting up my own studio right now and the first thing I'm spending money on is decent ventilation. I'm having HVAC and tinbangers set it up properly. It won't be cheap but it'll be effective.

After reading the safety threads, I decided that I wouldn't spend money elsewhere until the ventilation was hooked up and working.

I also have didy glasses and an assortment of tools:

smooth tweezers
tweezers with "teeth"
crock pot with vermiculite for bead cooling so I can batch anneal at the member's studio
graphite marvers
stump marver
graphite tool for making different sized round beads (not a press)
mashers
Didy glasses of course

That's all I can think of right now.

As far as torches go, we're tossing up between the simplicity of the hot head vs. the convenience of a minor burner with an oxycon. Not sure what to do yet.

I'm holding off on a kiln. I'll do this for a year and if I'm still at it next year then I'll get a kiln by GlassFreek here on LE.

[NMLinda]

Gemsinbloom - Fishbulb is right, didymium (or better) glasses are absolutely vital to the safety of your eyes, and you only get one set of eyes in life! I used #5 welding glasses briefly until didymiums became available, even though I could hardly see through them. I personally would never risk my eyesight. When hot, the sodium in soft glass emits a very bright light called the sodium emission line, or sodium flare. Borosilicate also has specific flare spectra. In addition, both soda-lime and borosilicate glasses emits IR radiation. The damage both the flare and IR spectra causes is cumulative, and as Fishbulb says, can lead to glaucoma and other eye damage. Glaucoma, as you probably know, is not reversible and can lead to diminished vision, perhaps even blindness.

I highly recommend you get your eyes tested if you've been working for as long as six years without protective eyewear. If you'd like to research this further, which I would also encourage, I think James Kervin's book has a section on lampworker eye health and why didymium glasses are so important. Mike Aurelius and others are also good sources for this info.

I'm of the same philosophy as Fishbulb - no lampworking for me without ventilation and eye safety!

Linda

[Rudy]

May I ask why Didymium glasses are recommended? I have been lampworking for six years and I do own a pair but I never use them.

Oh my gosh...no didy's....how do you even see what you're doing??? But most importantly, please love yourself some more. Your poor little eyes! Say it ain't so! : - )

BTW Mrs Grace...YES, ventilation, ventilation, ventilation...gotta love those lungs too! That should be first on your "things to do" list!

[NMLinda]

Gemsinbloom - I went back and re-read James Kervin's safety sections. Both UV and IR emitted by hot glass can be problematic. You can also get cataracts if you don't wear protective eyewear with the right filtering, as well as have some other nasty things happen to your eyes. He also mentions that, since there are few or no pain receptors in your eyes, you won't feel the damage as it's being caused.

I upgraded from welder #5 shades to didy's to AUR92's, which I've been using for many years. I've also added a table top shield, and use that and my AUR92 glasses at the same time. Might be a little dark, but since so many glass colors strike in the flame, anyway, I tend to pre-plan my colors and work from memory so that I'm not tempted to 'peek' around my protection.

MrsGrace - some other safety items you'll want to have on hand are a fire extinguisher and burn cream (some folks love aloe vera gel). And bandaids! Just about everyone picks up a hot rod accidentally or gets poked with stray bits of glass.

You've gotten some great suggestions so far on torches and basic/essential items. You had also asked about 'extras'. Cool extras are metal foils such as gold, silver and palladium, a tungsten rake, frit and enamels (wear a respirator...), brass presses (Zooziis and CattWalk are my personal favorites, but there are other great vendors) and etchall if you want a satin finish for your beads. If you want to etch your beads, always wear gloves and work in good ventilation. If you get even the tiniest amount on your skin, immediately flush with copious amounts of water (for anything more than a small amount, you need to go to the emergency room immediately!). Glass etchant solutions typically use hydroflouric acid, which tends to pass through your skin and attack the bone. It's sneaky stuff in that you almost can't feel it. Etching beads is fun, just something to be careful when doing! Other cool extras are silver and copper mesh to use as inclusions, tools to line your beads with silver or other metals, and electroforming...and then, there's storage for your glass, tools and materials....

Too much fun!
Linda

[ewdb]

Latest research i've read says didys don't protect yr eyes from UV/IV they just remove the sodium flare which is annoying but not harmful. right now they're considered an older technology and the respective higher grade lenses are recommended for soft and hard glass.

when making beads you should be wearing SOME form of eye protection - i'd be more worried of the immediate concern of getting a chip of hot glass in your eye. I could never wear didys as they gave me eye strain and i couldn't see the glass properly so i wore plain safety glasses for a long time. Aur-92s though, work fine for me.

back to the original question - i refused to go into debt for this new and expensive hobby so my start from scratch list was:
-Hothead
-crockpot with vermiculite
-1/2lb each ivory (dark and light), black, white
-1lb clear (moretti & Lauscha)
-one rod of every colour in the moretti spectrum, plus some vetro & lauscha (i'd include CIM now too)
-frit
-mandrels & bead release
-battery operated dremel
-enamel sample pack
-pixie dust
-N95 respirator (for powdered glass)
-silver and gold leaf and foil
-P100 respirator (for glass/metal fumes)
-Beads of Glass and Passing the Flame books
-double fan


i was able to play for a long time with just those and it helped me figure out whther or not i wanted to stick with lampworking as well as which colours/techniques i liked/didn't like. I then slowly upgraded over the years as my discretionary income permitted. Now my studio is pretty well stocked with every colour/toy i want so i'm MUCH happier - but it did take me two years...lol.

If beadmaking was meant as a serious source of income, i would have bought a full oxy-propane setup right from the start though. I can't believe how much faster i can work on the mega.

[MrsGrace]

So.... lets just say for funs sake....

I have the torch, I have some frit, stringers and rods on order... all 96 COE.

What I need to get is the ventilation situation (OR can I work outside??) and figure out whether I want an Oxy concentrator or an O2 tank, PLUS some form of protective eyewear... preferably with a high rating against torch rays?

So, if I work in the garage with both doors open and the 1 window open OR work right by the garage door, I'd just need a fan going?? It's Seattle, so we get wet weather, but it's often mild, so if you are under cover, the 50deg. temps aren't too bad.

I'm jonesing to play......

The vermiculite in the crock pot.... that acts like a kiln to anneal beads. My question becomes, how do you determine how long beads have "annealed" for and temps/times that it works best at? (I have both a LARGE crock & vermiculite)

Thoughts?

[glasshouse]

Hmmm, this is an interesting question. I'm sure you'll get lots of variety in response!

I shall title this, "What I Would Have Done Differently If I Had Known Better."

If I had known what I know now, the year before I started glass, when I was the exec. asst for a high-end jewelry mfg co, I
would have resisted spending $$$$$ on designer jewelry and I would have bought more of the jewelry equipment when they
closed their doors. I wish I had bought the grinders and flat laps. I did get a Genie and a Foredom though. But still.

And then I would have spent all the $$$$$ on the Onsite Pro-4 generator and a Herbert Arnold Zenit. Mainly because I really
like my friend's setup and that's what she uses, but also because I hate having to lug tanks, regular concentrators don't do it
for me, and I would like to have oxygen be no object when looking at torches. I would have started with a bigger torch,
because I outgrew the Bobcat in 2 months, and the Minor in 6 months. I like making big beads.

I would have passed up all the gorgeous miserable alabastros that I bought because I loved the colors... They were too
good to be true. At least for a beginner, maybe I should try them now and see if they're any better.

I would have not gone so frit crazy at the beginning (have lbs. and never use it.) I also would have exercised a little more
restraint in making Garage Sale purchases. I bought some "Original Chardonnay" that is pee yellow. I bought more frit.
I bought bits of graphite to make my own tools but then was too chicken to make a big graphite mess so the bits are still in
the box 1 1/2 years later.

I would have saved and waited for the best quality tools. If I had got the Osibin formers and shapers from Arrow Springs a little sooner,
I wouldn't have spent $$ on all the flat marvers I never use.

I'm glad I didn't buy any presses because I never would have used the things.

I would have saved myself some frustration and $ if I had found the Coon Valley brass masher/stamp sooner instead of all the
non-parallel "parallel" mashers I bought.

I would have saved $40 on the cheap Phillips safety diddys and gone straight for the frames I got at Arrow Springs last October.
They were like $80 but they actually fit my face, they don't slide off my nose and they stopped my bad habit of looking over the tops
of my glasses. And they're cute. Bonus.

I also would have saved myself at least $60 in different crock pots and vermiculite (one set for me, one for my parents', one set
when I forgot mine and we were camping :rolleyes:) and put the $ towards my Chili Pepper kiln. Until I got my CP, my beads were
tiny tiny tiny, I couldn't do much more than tiny frit beads and even then some of them were thermal shocked or broke weeks
later. I was very very proud of those tiny frit beads though. I carried them with me everywhere for at least a month.

There are other things I would recommend if I spent more time thinking about it, but this post is long enough as it is and
you've already gotten some very sage advice from smart people. One thing I would say is, remember how exciting all
this is, setting up your studio. I was a ball of pure joy and excitement when I first started researching. It was so much
fun and one of the happiest periods in my life, mistakes and all!

:) Kelly

[glasshouse]

Crock pots are not annealing anything. They are merely a receptacle to slow the cooling from a hot bead to (maybe if you're lucky) prevent
thermal shock. There is no molecule relaxing or realigning. The stress from winding the bead is still in the bead after it's cooled. I had many
beads break in the 4 months before I got my kiln when I was using a crock pot. Save your pennies, buy a kiln. If you don't like the hobby after
a year, sell your kiln and you'll get back almost as much as you paid for it brand new. IMHO, of course. :)

[MrsGrace]

Crock pots are not annealing anything. They are merely a receptacle to slow the cooling from a hot bead to (maybe if you're lucky) prevent
thermal shock. There is no molecule relaxing or realigning. The stress from winding the bead is still in the bead after it's cooled. I had many
beads break in the 4 months before I got my kiln when I was using a crock pot. Save your pennies, buy a kiln. If you don't like the hobby after
a year, sell your kiln and you'll get back almost as much as you paid for it brand new. IMHO, of course. :)

And I'll be sure to leave your name out of it when I tell my hubby that. *wink*

Thanks guys! I appreciate the advice!!!

What kind of kilns should I be looking at? I am in to fusing of course, but I use the kiln at the shop I go to. So I need something a bit bigger....

Annealing is basically "resting" the glass at a hot temp?

Just got a book in the mail today. It's called "Glass - Handblown - sculpture colored Philosophy & Method" It's by John Burton. Already perusing. Thinking of the Boros DVD too by our own Smiley....

*sigh* So much to learn!!! Never enough time! I was supposed to be at the glass shop today, but kiddo came home sick from school. Isn't it funny how that happens on a mom's ONE day off from hubby & kid? ](*,)

[ewdb]

So.... lets just say for funs sake....

I have the torch, I have some frit, stringers and rods on order... all 96 COE.

What I need to get is the ventilation situation (OR can I work outside??) and figure out whether I want an Oxy concentrator or an O2 tank, PLUS some form of protective eyewear... preferably with a high rating against torch rays?

So, if I work in the garage with both doors open and the 1 window open OR work right by the garage door, I'd just need a fan going?? It's Seattle, so we get wet weather, but it's often mild, so if you are under cover, the 50deg. temps aren't too bad.

I'm jonesing to play......

The vermiculite in the crock pot.... that acts like a kiln to anneal beads. My question becomes, how do you determine how long beads have "annealed" for and temps/times that it works best at? (I have both a LARGE crock & vermiculite)

Thoughts?

what kind of torch do you have? If you've not bought one yet, i'd suggest starting on Hothead not only because it's WAY cheaper than an oxy-propane setup but also (imo) a kiln and a good ventilation system should be higher priorities (unless of course you have the budget to purchase everything at once).

If you'd like to see a basic Hothead setup check my studio page (http://shebamakeda.com/my-studio/)- i worked like this for 2.5yrs with a P100 fume respirator to make up for the half-assed ventilation setup. the Hothead is an excellent, inexpensive, little torch with very few limits and it's simplicity is great for beginner. i regularly made big beads (over 3") on it - just takes practice to figure out how to work with it.

beads cooled in vermiculite are NOT annealed. for an explanation of annealing check this post (http://shebamakeda.com/2008/01/13/glass-class-101-annealing-beads/)on my site.

You may also want to consider taking a class so you can get some guidance re how to setup yr studio and work with whichever torch you finally choose.

ETA: just noticed you said you'll be working with 96COE? not sure i'd recommend that for a beginner since some of those colours have a heavy lead content (depending on the colour/brand), are prone to reduction and more expensive that 104. I love working with 96 now but i'm glad i didn't begin with it exclusively and still use mostly 104.

[MrsGrace]

I have a Nortel Red Max that I got for $299. Couldn't pass it up. I want an Oxy conc. eventually.

Right now, I am going to take bead classes at a local studio. And when I want to play, I'll take my torch in and work there (hopefully) for now, just renting space. (and supervision) I'm saving for a kiln, ventilation & all the odds and ends. I will be buying all sorts of assorted glass scraps to practice on and see what I like/don't like.

Everything I've researched, I know safety is tantamount and I am not willing to risk my retinas or lungs because I didn't get the right equip. I'm building my workshop SLOWLY with the goal being "what's right" as opposed to "right now".

[gemsinbloom]

Oh oh.........

I have had this weird burning sensation in my eyes for a few years. It comes and goes and the only way I can describe it is like how your eyes feel when you are overtired. Now I did get my eyes tested last summer and got a clean bill of health. I will start wearing them tomorrow. I am so so glad I asked this. Do you think the burning ofmy eyes could be related? It has puzzled me and it really does not feel good..

The problem is, I already wear reading glasses and then I wear a magnifier.This shall be interesting..



Gemsinbloom - Fishbulb is right, didymium (or better) glasses are absolutely vital to the safety of your eyes, and you only get one set of eyes in life! I used #5 welding glasses briefly until didymiums became available, even though I could hardly see through them. I personally would never risk my eyesight. When hot, the sodium in soft glass emits a very bright light called the sodium emission line, or sodium flare. Borosilicate also has specific flare spectra. In addition, both soda-lime and borosilicate glasses emits IR radiation. The damage both the flare and IR spectra causes is cumulative, and as Fishbulb says, can lead to glaucoma and other eye damage. Glaucoma, as you probably know, is not reversible and can lead to diminished vision, perhaps even blindness.

I highly recommend you get your eyes tested if you've been working for as long as six years without protective eyewear. If you'd like to research this further, which I would also encourage, I think James Kervin's book has a section on lampworker eye health and why didymium glasses are so important. Mike Aurelius and others are also good sources for this info.

I'm of the same philosophy as Fishbulb - no lampworking for me without ventilation and eye safety!

Linda

[gemsinbloom]

Okay now I have gotten through the whole thread and I am confused. Do I need to wear didymiums or not?

I already do wear protection with my reading glasses and magnifier.

[glasshouse]

You should check out a bench shield. That way you're not burdened with wearing 3 pairs of glasses. And yes, I do think the burning
sensation could be caused by looking at the flame. You are basically getting sunburn in your eyes, which can have long-term consequences.
The bench shield filters out the sodium flare and IR that normal glasses won't. This is important.

Here's a link to an earlier thread (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1944817) that discusses bench shields and blast shields.

[murf]

I think if i had to start from scratch knowing what i know now, I wouldnt change a thing. how I came to the torch and the advise i got was right on. what the future holds and the unknown is the fun and maybe whats keeps me going back.
would love to have a smaller, cleaner studio(dust free) that is just dedicate to Lampwork. it will happen, probably sooner than later and if not oh well.

[NMLinda]

I appologize, Gemsinbloom - I should have been clearer. James Kervin talks about the burning sensation you're experiencing as eye damage caused by UV/IR emitted by the glass. It's damage in a part of the eye where you do have some pain receptors. Some folks also experience a feeling of having 'sand in their eyes'.

So - you definitely need to have eyewear that filters UV/IR as well as sodium flare! Your current eyewear/magnifyer only protects you against flying debris, but gives you absolutely no protection against harmful radiation, which is why you're experiencing pain. Not eye strain! I'd start wearing your didy's now until you can upgrade to AUR92's. I wear mine over my glasses, but as Kelly/Glasshouse says, you can opt for an AUR92 bench shield if you don't want to stack your glasses.

As ewdb says, AUR92s are superior in protection to didy's. There was some talk by some manufacturers about upgrading didy's, but I didn't follow it much, since I'd gotten my '92's by then. They're expensive, but way worth it.

Love your 'path to glass' experiences, Kelly! It's a great story on doing research, first, on what one might like - or not - before making investments.

MrsGrace - If you're thinking about working just inside an open car-sized garage door and have another door or window that you can open behind you, you might get away with working for a short while wearing a P100 mask and having a large fan behind you and slightly to one side (so that your body doesn't block the fan from blowing the fumes away from you). Better if you can work entirely outside with a fan and mask. If you're much inside the garage at all, my fear is that the fumes would tend to collect in a harmful way. I'm hesitant to advise or encourage you too much on this because I don't know much about how to calculate for or safely set up a temporary work situation like this. Since you have a Redmax, which, if you use the lower portion, is a beefy torch and therefore produces more fumes, I would encourage you to get a good ventilation system in before you get too far. You have the right perspective of going slowly and wanting to do things right. I'm personally not torching at all until I get my ventilation system finished, no matter how much my pretty new glass whispers to me!

Linda

[ewdb]

Okay now I have gotten through the whole thread and I am confused. Do I need to wear didymiums or not?

I already do wear protection with my reading glasses and magnifier.

if you've been checked and yr eyes are ok then the burning sensation may be just from simply forgetting to blink - we sometimes do when we're concentrating. get some over the counter eyedrops for dry eyes and try to remember to blink more often. i know i sometimes forget to take a breath when i'm laying a particularly complex (for me) stringer pattern. :-D

the didy shield is at minimum a good idea. you may also want to try either custom prescription or bifocal protective lenses depending on the strength you need. I know Auralens makes custom aur-92 lenses (http://www.auralens.net/e_gw_aur92.cfm)not sure about other manufacturers.

[gemsinbloom]

Wow thank you for all the information and I have saved it for future reference. I have been completely dumbfounded about some health problems lately and it appears it is related to my hobby/business. It just never occurred to me and I have spoken to doctors about this quite a few times. Very interesting. I hope it is not to late to take care of my issues.

[EXTREME OXYGEN]

When you guys are ready for oxygen give us a call and we will help match a machine to your torch. This way you wont spend money on something that you cant use. 765-315-0333 or 765-346-1214

[NMLinda]

Only too happy to help you, Mrs Grace, and anyone else be safe! There have been a couple of threads in the Studio and Safety forums here on LE where folks have shared some of their health impacts from insufficient ventilation, primarily, but also from insufficient eye protection and other concerns. There was also a good thread on getting tested for heavy metals.

I'd highly recommend reading the safety sections of James Kervin's book "More than you ever wanted to know about glass bead making" and Bandhu Scott Dunham's book "Contemporary Lampworking" as well as the Chaotic Glass and Art Glass Answers forums.

Any other ideas for MrsGrace on planning her dream studio?

Linda

[TeresaRB]

Wow...everyone is so full of outstanding information! I'm enjoying this thread a lot.

The one thing I would say is, begin with an oxygen concentrator. The oxy tank is excellent, but becomes expensive and possibly a pain in the backside. I used the oxy tank for about a year and $40+ a pop to fill it...if I brought the tank to them, which is the pain in the backside part. Otherwise it would be about $70+ for them to come to me. And I don't sit at my torch nearly as much as probably 2/3 of you. I'd have it filled about every 2 months. I've however had my prop. tank for about a year now without having to fill it.

http://www.hobbiesforus.com/ Check them out for a very reasonable price on concentrators.

The Didymium's are a must for me. I had to buy clip-ons because I wear glasses. I purchased my clips from this company: http://www.visionarysupplies.com/detail%20pages/01-102.asp

Vintilation is very important, but I don't have a ventilation setup like most of you do I'm sure. I have a VERY open basement. But you'll want to stay out of the path of "wind" as it will blow your flame all around and maybe out!

A variety of mandrels & good bead realease is a must! (for me anyway)
marver
mashers
tungston rake
other tools...i use mandrels as tools also.
presses...Zooziis has great presses ~ http://www.zooziis.com/

I use a fiber blanket to cool my beads. Then I batch anneal.

I have a Jen-Ken...auhh...does slumping and my husband says he wants to bake a pizza in it! Over my dead body! LOL

I think Home Depot and Lowes has these tubes that will hold all your glass. I've yet to get them, but I'd say you'll need something to store your glass in.

Comfortable chair and good music! Oh and gum...it gets intense sometimes!

Have fun...can't wait to see all your beautiful glass once you get started!

[Kym]

Fasten seatbelts.

hahaha. Good one! I need a laugh today too. Thanks!

Kym

[FishBulb]

Regarding kilns, LE user GLASSFREEK makes kilns and they apparently are a real hit. I am foregoing a kiln for the first year and will batch-anneal at the member's studio, but next year I want to get one of his kilns. People here can't say enough about them.

[FishBulb]

Here is the thread where he is advertising his kilns:

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110170

[MrsGrace]

Wow! This thread has really grown!!!

Thank you all for your input!!! Keep it going!!!

Money is no object in this thread.... what are your dream items, set up, storage, kilns, torches, Oxycons, frits, COE's, books, classes....

Sky is the limit peeps! \\:D/ Bring it on!

[PerfectDeb]

sky's the limit?

i want a separate purpose built studio
one side is for jewellery making with every piece of equipment i could possibly think of so that when i decide what i'm making i have exactly the right tool and dont have to make the trip down to sydney to find that one obscure tool that i always seem to need!

i want to ship corrina tettinger out from the US to give me private lessons till i dont suck as much

i want a whole wall full of glass - every type, colour and style

i want all the cool books you guys have access to shipped out to me cos we have a pretty slim range here

i want an industrial oxy generator

i want to not have to work so i have time.......

[maren]

Very close to "me too" - especially the last point.

I'd love to have enough time to practice and THEN take another class.


sky's the limit?

i want a separate purpose built studio
one side is for jewellery making with every piece of equipment i could possibly think of so that when i decide what i'm making i have exactly the right tool and dont have to make the trip down to sydney to find that one obscure tool that i always seem to need!

i want to ship corrina tettinger out from the US to give me private lessons till i dont suck as much

i want a whole wall full of glass - every type, colour and style

i want all the cool books you guys have access to shipped out to me cos we have a pretty slim range here

i want an industrial oxy generator

i want to not have to work so i have time.......