Simple Wigwag Tut. *FREE*

[ckauhane]

I recieved an email from another noob lampworking asking how I did Wigwag pendants. I'm sure 99% of you know how to do these, and probably have a better explanation, but this is for the other 1% .
and im sure there is a bunch of these tutorials on here but i figured i'd post this anyway.

ps. if you have something to add please do add it, but try not to cut me down for my noobness :waving:




Wigwags: (you can either use tube or rod, but i'd start with rod till you get the feel for it)

1)create a gather (size depends on how big you want your pendant to be, prettymuch like any other pendants)

2)make the gather into a cone shape starting at the tip ---|> sort of like this.

3)draw your lines ABOUT half way down the cone (if you draw them too far the lines may show up on the sides of your finished pendant, you want the whole desing to be in the "window" of the pendant)

4)now you can do the twisting two ways (atleast two that ive found work)

A)heat one little section of the lines, twist, let it cool (not too much ofcourse). heat the next little section of untwisted lines, twist the opposite way. you can do this as many times as you want. but with a smaller gather/tube its better to do 2 or 3 twists, till you get the hang of it.

B)Heat the whole thing up, twist the whole thing into a vortex, then go back down to the middle of the twist, heat that up and twist the opposite way of the initial big twist.

I like step B better. I find it to be quicker and easier. BUT, step A can help you practise heating little sections and help with detail work. *so try both*

* by this time your cone shape would probably be alot more stretched than when you started, no worries!!*

5) condense your cone, starting at the tip, back into a ball.

6) once you have your ball, with the design on the face, flatten into a Maria, like you would with an implosion.

7) now add your backing colour(if you choose to use one)

8) remove working rod

9) add loop

10) throw it into the kiln and have a nice day

[theglasszone]

Hi There!!!!

I realize that photos of this process (both A and B) might be kinda difficult to provide, especially if you're working single-handed (i.e., no one there to take snaps of what you're doing and describing in each step). Maybe if you show us a "finished" version of what you're describing - as in a finished bead or "twistie", it would be hugely helpful!

No "NOOB" cut-downs here...I'm ALWAYS glad when someone is willing to share their work and efforts!

Thanks,
De in CA

[theglasszone]

Oh, Duh!!! For those (like me!) who didn't "get it" with the description - I'm such a dork sometimes - I've posting a link to ckauhane's website page for the finished pendants as an example - lovely!!! Here it is (hope you don't mind, ckauhane!):

http://kauhanekreations.piczo.com/wigwagpendants?cr=5&linkvar=000044

These are cool!

De in CA

[ruca]

the only thing i'd add is after i've drawn my lines, i like to pull the gather out a little, to about 8mm, & then do my wigging & wagging. i find its easier to get more bends that way. :) then just heat/gather that back down.

[ckauhane]

Hey theglasszone im in the middle of making some right now so ill do the best I can to take photo's.
a video would be much better, maybe someday soon ill get my dad to film.
and thanks for posting the link!

Ruca, thanks for adding that, thats what i usually do too. never really done a tutorial before so i was typing a lot of info and looks like i missed a couple things :P

[ruca]

;) well, hey, i think you did a good job. can't wait to see some pics.

i can't imagine trying to write a tutorial, i just like um, do stuff. i can't explain it or anything. 8-[

[Deb]

Very nice! I'll be giving those a try! Thanks for the tutorial ckauhane!

[ckauhane]

im not too happy with the way this pendant turned out, i burned the Borostix a bit much. but hope the pics help!!
here are my drawn lines
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/001-11.jpg
here is my "vortex" twist
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/002-12.jpg
here's the wigwag twist
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/003-8.jpg
starting to condense
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/004-12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/005-10.jpg
prettymuch fully condensed
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/006-10.jpg
flattened into a maria. knotice how some of the lines are on the side of the maria? dont really want that *kicks himself*
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/007-8.jpg

i've got a couple other wigwagers in the kiln that turned out a lot better than the one in these pics. ill post pics tomorrow.

thanks for lookin everyone!

[theglasszone]

Yay!!! Now we're talking...!!! Thank again for posting the photos...it all makes perfect sense now!

De in CA (the occasionally "verbally challenged" one!)

[Mustang Dawn]

Very Nice!

[ammaws]

Oh goodie--another new thing to try--thanks for sharing

[ckauhane]

hope everyone enjoyed!!
here are two wiggy'es i made today, not including the one in the pics above (it turned out to be too brutal)
this ones made with 12mm rod
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/012-2.jpg
this one was made with tube (i think it is around 22x2.5mm)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v679/-chus-/011-2.jpg

I like the tube one better, it gives it depth and i also imploded it for fun.

[murf]

nice photo tut. might consider just running some clear over the color to prevent boiling right after you lay your lines and it may increase the depth as well in forming the lens.

[ckauhane]

good call.
thanks for the tip!

[Juliac]

Very cool, thanks!

[Art of Hand]

Thank you!!! I will try that with some soft stuff and see what happens ...

thanks for sharing with us!

[tt4st]

Thanks for the pics! I will join the "verbally challenged" club with De and the pics sure helped me understand.

[ckauhane]

yeah picture and video tutorials are awesome.

dont hesitate to post pics of your wigwags!

[Gila]

Thanks for the pics, it'd be great to see how to do a tube wigwag too!

[murf]

Thanks for the pics, it'd be great to see how to do a tube wigwag too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLFrKIK1fnA&feature=channel_page
check out all his youtube vids, great stuff

[murf]

yeah picture and video tutorials are awesome.

dont hesitate to post pics of your wigwags!

ya know not sure if the wig wag design in your pendants are from the point facing up as a finished product or if your adding a lens using the clear rod? but you can draw all your lines on then cover them with a dark color like you might for a vortex. stretch out some and wig wag(you should be able to see the wags in the solid color) then reduce back down into a gather and make a maria. then implode as you would any implosion, just lightly. then punt up to the back, and cut off the clear rod making a nice thick lens to magnify the slightly imploded design.
so many ways of doing this, just have to make sure the termination at the end of the cone is clean and crisp. will post one made with some rod seconds I'm dying to try. I got to save the good stuff for other projects

[ckauhane]

that could work murf!
never tried it but never know.

and where i draw my lines is on the "face" of the Maria, just like a implosion

[bead_your_habit]

Hmm. I LOVE how these look, yet I wonder, how or if this technique could be adapted if using a hothead.

[ckauhane]

you can only burn soft glass with hot heads so you could give it a try.
I dont have much experience with soft glass. But if you do, go for it

[bclogan]

Ohhhhhhhhhh!

I get it now....! The pics really helped....!

Thank you so much for sharing!

[ruca]

i forgot to add.. instead of making a cone i stripe 12mm or 14mm rod, then pull it out, wig, & then gather that back down & push into a disc.

either method works, its all a preference thing. :) :love: