Your advice for newbies [Archive]

Kalera

2006-03-18, 2:34pm

Somber over at the GLDG started a newbie advice thread and I thought it was such an excellent idea, and got so many good tips, that I wanted to start one here, too because I think the collected experience here is tremendous and could be really helpful to have posted in one thread. Here's some from me:

Do your research. You do not want to embark into glasswork flying blind; not only is it hard to progress if you don't know what you're doing, it's also potentially very dangerous. Although it's true that there are no stupid questions, you will gain much, much more by reading the information available in books, and doing online searches, than you will by posting a question online and reading only the answers of those who happen to see it and know, or think they know, the answer. There are too many excellent and reasonably priced books written by true experts to leave your safety and your glass education in the hands of well-intentioned internet pals. That said,

Ask questions. If your research does not turn up answers to something you want to know, do not be afraid to ask. You may not get the information you desire, but you will surely learn something. However, when it comes to glassworking techniques,

Seriously, just try it. Odds are not bad that you will be able to figure it out, and then if you are stumped, both your questions and the answers you get will make more sense and take you so much further than if you asked before trying. Which brings me to...

Remember, there is no wasted time at the torch. Even if you work on something for an hour and then ruin it, even if everything you make is fit only for water annealing, every minute you spend on the torch makes you a better glassworker. I often hear "I don't get much time on the torch so I have to make every minute count, that's why I asked first..." If that's your mindset, change it. Clean it out. There's no benefit to thinking that way - you have to "waste time" at the torch in order to improve. Lastly,

Don't fear the color. I agree about working with inexpensive clear to get your shapes down, but once you have a basic grasp of how to make something, don't be afraid to experiment with color, even (or especially) the most expensive colors. How can you get good with color if you don't play with color? I've talked to so many people who say "I bought half a pound of that a year ago but I haven't used it because I'm afraid of wasting it". Well, it's wasted sitting on the shelf, and you're not learning anything from it there. Stick it in the flame!

JDeMoss

2006-03-18, 2:45pm

SLOW DOWN!

This is a huge one and highly overlooked. All of those bubbles your getting, all of the little screw ups you see, everything that keeps your piece from being perfect....all of that can be avoided if you slow down and pay attention to everything you are doing. You can tell when you are going to cause a bubble if you are paying attention.....so don't do it.

And don't lick hot glass.

Wiredreams

2006-03-18, 3:40pm

Don't try and shape your bead in the flame , Shape it outside the flame.

EmbellishYourself

2006-03-18, 9:10pm

Wonderful thread! I can use all the tips and especially encouragement. I have been feeling discouraged and what Kalera said about changing your mind set about "wasted time" at the torch is helpful. I also know I need to slow down, makes for better dot placement for sure! I will have a good looking bead and one stupid dot out of place will ruin it. Looking back, I know that if I slow down it can turn out better. Thanks for the tips and please keep them coming! Jenny

kimberly

2006-03-18, 9:22pm

Don't try and shape your bead in the flame , Shape it outside the flame.

This is SO IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You cannot shape the bead in the flame. Period. Just won't work!!

Here are a couple from me:

Don't be afraid of heat! Heat is your friend! Many of the lovely handpulled colors need to be worked hot, then cooled, then reheated in order to be the best they can be.

Learn to make good beads and some good shapes (round, rondel, tabs, bicones, tubes, hearts, melons, etc) before you go and invest in a lot of tools. Most beads can be made with a minimum of tools: marver, tweezers, maybe a razor tool (knife) and something to poke holes with. If you can already make good, balanced beads before you invest in a lot of presses, etc., you will be much happier with the results you get from the presses and other tools. Most tools are really just frosting on the cake. You have to bake the cake first before you can frost it.

loco

2006-03-19, 12:38am

Gravity is your friend.
PPP making bad beads and FIX THEM!! I still do this and cannot reccomend it enough. Make a bead with bad ends and fix it. Let that sucker crack and fix it. when you think you have it down, give it a real quick dunk in water and fix it. WHY??????? So you don't freek whan it happens to that "perfect" bead you are working on. You'll take a deep breath and tell yourself, "I have fixed this before, I can do it again."

Slam me now, it's quite alright.

Kevan

2006-03-19, 12:57am

There is no such thing as colors "not going togther". All colors go together it's just a matter of how.

Encasing is not easy to learn, just keep trying. The bubbles in Effetre clear are not your fault. It's sucky glass!:wink:

LavenderCreek

2006-03-19, 5:54am

Lots of great tips here already. I would really stress these two from Kalera though:

Seriously, just try it. Odds are not bad that you will be able to figure it out, and then if you are stumped, both your questions and the answers you get will make more sense and take you so much further than if you asked before trying. Which brings me to...

Remember, there is no wasted time at the torch. Even if you work on something for an hour and then ruin it, even if everything you make is fit only for water annealing, every minute you spend on the torch makes you a better glassworker. I often hear "I don't get much time on the torch so I have to make every minute count, that's why I asked first..." If that's your mindset, change it. Clean it out. There's no benefit to thinking that way - you have to "waste time" at the torch in order to improve.

I see so many people asking for tutorials and how to do this and that when if they would just sit down and try it, they could probably figure it out themselves and they would learn alot more this way too.

I also agree strongly with Kimberly, learn to make shapes yourself. I saw in another thread, someone wanting to make bicones and the first response was "buy a bicone marver". Sorry but this won't teach you anything about working glass. Learn to make the shape.

And Loco's tip on gravity...it definitely is your friend, learn to use it.

I would add,

Try something new every day, doesn't matter if it turns out bad. There are so many aspects to working glass, including sculptural, off hand, blowing, etc. Even if you don't ever want to do sculptural beads for example, if you work with the techniques it will only improve your overall knowledge and skill with glass.

Lisi

2006-03-19, 2:18pm

For the "lopsided bead" problem - make 100 spacers....then 100 more! Keep that up until you get it. Sooner or later those beads will be evenly rounded with nice, dimpled in holes. Here you are learning the glass....which at first wants to control you. It's a great feeling when you finally are able to control it.

Practice makes perfect, and even if the above seems incredibly boring, think of it as "work". Then, think of all of the fun and experimental things as "play". Most of us have to work and get that done before we can play, right?? So, divide your time at the torch into work and play. (I need to take my own advice, I rarely play at the torch anymore, it's been just work!!)

;)

LaurieBSmith

2006-03-21, 8:38am

My first tip: Buy enough glass to have enough freedom to make mistakes. I tried to learn with a pitiful amount of glass and it was awful. So, I called and ordered 5 lbs white, 5 lbs of clear, 5 lbs of black and a pound of every color I truly liked. Then, I got a quarter pound of everything else. It was so expensive and so worth it. The freedom to play made the practice more fun and gave me the opportunity to finagle the colors, learn the viscosity of melted glass, figure out for myself how different the colors can be in all sorts of uses.

My second tip: Spend the initial money on glass and hand tools. A kiln is absolutely necessary, but it can wait until the beads reach usable quality. I bought my kiln about 6 weeks after the big glass order. (And when I look back on those beads, the first ones I saved . . . I cringe.) I probably could have waited another ....say, 6 months!....

My third tip: The old Carnegie Hall joke . . . PPP. Kalera's right, any time spent at the torch is helpful. Uninterrupted time is important. For me, personally, my head and my eyes knew what I wanted, but I didn't have the muscle memory in my hands and arms to do it. That took time. (I'm a slow learner when it comes to physical coordination.)

AND....enjoy it. It's so much fun and so rewarding and so special.

one-eared pig

2006-03-21, 10:06am

Kalera, thank you so much for starting this. and THANK YOU to everyone else, also. i value all of this advice. i can't wait to hit the torch this weekend!

Heather/Ericaceae

2006-03-21, 11:16am

While you're learning, try to be aware of exactly where your rod is in the flame. At the same time, be aware of exactly where your bead is in the flame. For example: I find that for applying glass it's usually easiest to have the tip of the rod in the hot centre of the flame and the bead just below that, halfway out of the flame on the bottom and slightly further from the torch. This way you're adding molten glass to a warm-but-not-molten bead. Try different combos for your style and for different applications but always be aware of the placement you are using.

Also, be aware of the angle of your rod in relation to the bead you're winding it on. This will change the thickness of your glass application. If you're pushing the molten glass, with the rod tip pointing in towards the torch, you'll get a thin, flat wrap. If you're dragging the molten glass behind the rod, with the rod tip pointing away from the torch, the wrap will be thicker and more raised. Keep your angle consistent for even results.

Heat control is the most important thing you need to learn. Someone who really has heat control down can do ANYTHING!

Good ventilation is SO important. You won't enjoy yourself if you feel sick at the end of your sessions. Also, be sure to keep hydrated and take breaks between beads. Dehydration and visual/mental strain will make you grumpy and stressed out, which is no fun! Take little water, stretching, breathing and blinking breaks and you'll be able to get more out of your session.

Have fun!

-Heather

Just Nancy

2006-03-21, 11:36am

My tip is the exact opposite of Laurie's.

I learned the most from a Jim S. class and the colors were limited (as I recall) to red, blue, black and white. When I got home I focused on the limited color selection for quite a while. I still practice things with white to tell what the glass is doing.

I'll agree though not to get hung up on color and buy enough to have fun.

Lindyj

2006-03-22, 1:25am

:smile:Thank you for starting a great thread. I am a newbie and have used several tips already with success.Thanks to all contributors.
Lindy

Kalera

2006-03-22, 1:52am

I love all the excellent tips!

Another one I thought of: sometimes Frantz has great sales where they're unloading certain colors for *REALLY* cheap. If you're just starting out, this is a perfect opportunity to stock up on "practice glass". Forget about whether you love the sale colors; just pick up a few pounds so you'll have a lot of "play glass" on hand that you won't feel bad about "wasting".

JanMD

2006-03-22, 7:49am

Take every class you can find -- Books are swell (and I know that learn-by-doing is the only way some folks can learn), but in my opinion nothing beats watching a skilled beadmaker at work. Simple stuff that has been annoying and stymieing you for days and weeks becomes clear in a flash when you watch a 'master' do it. "Ohhhhh! So that's how you do it!" (hand smacking forehead)

Make your beads in the middle of the mandrel -- Everything becomes so much easier when you can 'get at' all sides of the bead with equal ease. It's also easier on your arms and shoulders when you can use both hands to support the bead in the flame.

JanMD

boroburner

2006-03-22, 9:17am

Im a firm beliver in healthy glass blowing and like heather sujested...... everyone needs ventalation. Its no fun to work if work makes you sick.

Heres on yall missed...... study and learn your torch.
Not only the amount of heat its putting out and where the heat is, but the atmosphere of the flame. Learning this will give you control of reactive colors. The only soft glass color i know that "reacts" is ivory, i belive you recuce it to get that ancient, bled out look. In boro there are many colors that react to flame chemestry, and mastery of your torch is needed to get these colors to preform.

B

suzanne

2006-03-22, 12:17pm

Very nice tips here !

I am with Kimberly completely, shape outside the flame, the glass will not shape in the flame, it will just float around.

Second, cold glass moves towards hot glass, this is what helped me get nice even shaped beads without marvering.
Third : Let the glass do it's work, stop pulling and pushing your glass on the mandrell, it will not work, you'll end up with big wonky beads embellished with flecks of beadrelease.

Fourth: Keep your tools out of the flame, always use them outside the flame or else they will stick to your bead. After working on a bead with a tool heat it up ever so slightly to prevent thermal cracks
Also watch your glass, see what it does when overheated, cooled down, pressed and heated up again, feel the glass instead of stearing it.
Last but not least have fun, don't be scared if it does not turn out the way you intended too, the most beautifull beads I have ever seen happened by accident , or better said divine intervention.

PaulaD

2006-03-23, 11:00am

My best advice is to be sure you have enough heat to get the glass to move. I started witha wimpy concentrator and had the worst time getting the glass to round up. It was because I didn't have enough heat! Paula

rosiescreations

2006-03-23, 11:30am

Keep the rod tip facing away from you in case it is shocky and glass flys off the end it won't fly in your face.
Wear a leather apron so when the glass drops or flys off the rod in your lap or chest you are covered and you won't get burned. ask me how I know
Pay attention to where your hand are at all times.
Keep your fingers and hands out of the flame. It just takes a fraction of second to burn you bad. Just ask me how I know
Before you start decorating your beads learn the basic shapes, the flowers and such will come in time.

one-eared pig

2006-03-29, 9:34am

i love all of this advice, so...

*BUMP*
8)

LaurieBSmith

2006-03-31, 7:00am

Oh oh oh....my favorite tip and I forgot it.....Marver gently. Gently. Even more gently. Almost no pressure. Maybe even none, except the weight of the bead. You can always marver again and again and one more time after that. I remember distorting "good" beads beyond all recoverability. Can anyone else say "free form"?

Judi_B

2006-03-31, 7:07am

Wonderful thread! Thank you everyone for the great advice.

Steph'sBeadCorner

2006-03-31, 10:17am

Remember, there is no wasted time at the torch[/B]. Even if you work on something for an hour and then ruin it, even if everything you make is fit only for water annealing, every minute you spend on the torch makes you a better glassworker. I often hear "I don't get much time on the torch so I have to make every minute count, that's why I asked first..." If that's your mindset, change it. Clean it out. There's no benefit to thinking that way - you have to "waste time" at the torch in order to improve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Thank you Kalera for saying this with such grace... I'd like to add that I understand why people insert this kind of thought in their thread, but would really encourage them to think it through. I'm sure that it's with the best of intentions, so please don't think I"m picking on any particular person.. just asking you to reconsider.

When you ask someone for help and indicate that you don't want to waste time and money on expensive glass, it can be an insult to those that DID take the time and expense to learn a skill.

Many of the wonderfully talented artists worked under tight budgets and huge family burdens, they may make a lot of money on the beads now, but it wasn't always that way - their budgets and resources were as tight as yours. Which segways into the next words of wisdom from Kalera... that experimenting and practice is not a waste.. frustrating sometimes but never a waste.

If you've tried something and are stumped.. then ask questions.. post about what you've done and the problem you encountered. Post a pic, the wonderful glassbeadmakers on this site can help and are great about it. but please be considerate of the time, money and energy it's taken to accomplish it and don't say "I just don't want to waste this glass or my money"

Don't forget to write and say thank you when your questions are answered!! Your expression of thanks and a brief explanation of what you learned is priceless.

Flame on!

Teague

2006-04-01, 12:29pm

Adding more glass probably won't make your bead round.

boroburner

2006-04-01, 3:57pm

but i bet surface tension and heat will.
B

beadman

2006-04-08, 2:31pm

how do u make smalll glass bubbles??? how do u blow glass???

2CoolBeads

2006-04-08, 7:59pm

LOL Teague - that's a good one! It will make you a larger ownky bead though if you don't have surface tension and heat on your side ;)

This is wonderful! I was there once asking how to get my beads round and none of the sugesstions really worked ...but practice did. I love the "just try it" and "no time at the torch is wasted" - it is so true! It is so important in order to learn heat control and how glass flows, etc. I don't think there is any other way to understand it until you experience it and really pay attention - who cares if the bead turns out or not at least you gained understanding.

Tina

J. Savina

2006-04-08, 8:28pm

Here's my tip. Never throw your wonky beads away. Keep them around to learn from them. Looking though them will remind you which color combinations worked well, and which ones didn't, which shapes you need to improve on an also to measure your progress. I know I've said this before, that when I look through my wonkies, it reminds me of my humble beginnings, so my head doesn't get too big for my hat.
J.

boroburner

2006-04-18, 8:45am

Here's my tip. Never throw your wonky beads away. Keep them around to learn from them. Looking though them will remind you which color combinations worked well, and which ones didn't, which shapes you need to improve on an also to measure your progress.

I have the wall of shame. There are pieces on it spanning over 6 1/2 yrs and i remember a lesson every time i look at it.
B

Otter's Flame

2006-04-20, 3:12am

Some great tips here. My tips kind of echo what Kalera said:

#1. Do your research. Study glass, study beads. Look at the work of artists that interest you and closely examine their work. I am NOT endorsing going out and making exact copies of other artist's beads. Look at their work and try to figure out how these beads were made. How did they make such a nice shape? How did they get those round beads? What colors made those reactions? How did they get the glass to do that?

#2 Seriously, just try it. There are a lot of challenges on this website and others, take those challenges. Make those animal beads or those dot beads or those encased beads or whatever. The amount of general torching and glass bead making knowledge you will gain by attempting something you do not think you can do can be invaluable. I learned so much by trying new things...often learning something totally unexpected. PPPyour basics, make round beads, nice shaped beads, smooth dimples but also PPP(push, push, pushyour own self imposed limits.

#3 There is no wasted time at the torch......I would say or even away from the torch. I will agree and it has been said, there is no wasted time at the torch....but I would go further than that. Most of us have all heard...... Process not Product. When I first started out I thought if I heard that phrase one more time I would throw a hot molten wonky bead on the person that kept drilling it into me. It now makes SOOOOOOO much sense! I am almost always thinking about "process". If I am planning something new, a new project, a new line or one single new focal PRODUCT I have to start at PROCESS. This may sound silly but I often "make beads in my head". I will mentally go over the process of making something new. How do I do this? How do I avoid that? What do I need to do to get that shape or appearance? Do I need to come up with custom blended colors? Canes or twisties? With my knowledge of glass, can I make it do this? If not, how do I get around that? Even if it is a bead I have made before....dozens and dozens of times. I practice in my head....how can I make it better? How can I improve? THINK HOT GLASS.

The absolute best tip I could give anyone:
HAVE FUN!

Well that is my 2 cents.....actually more like 1.5 cents....my tips are not valuable.

Now get out there and do the Cha Cha with hot glass!

Wonker

2006-04-20, 5:35am

[QUOTE=Steph'sBeadCorner]Remember, there is no wasted time at the torch[/B]. Even if you work on something for an hour and then ruin it, even if everything you make is fit only for water annealing, every minute you spend on the torch makes you a better glassworker. I often hear "I don't get much time on the torch so I have to make every minute count, that's why I asked first..." If that's your mindset, change it. Clean it out. There's no benefit to thinking that way - you have to "waste time" at the torch in order to improve.

Truer words were never spoken (at least for me). Nothing is a waste of time. Willingness to fail and not quit is the surest way to success. Every time I sit down and fail to accomplish what I set out to do, I learned something else, probably succeeded at something I wasn't aware I wanted to learn. and I'm still such a newbie.

boroburner

2006-04-20, 10:49am

Willingness to fail and not quit is the surest way to success.

That is a quoteable, "quote".
B

jaci

2010-06-11, 10:27am

just going through old threads and thought this was worth bumping :) :) :)

alb6094

2010-06-11, 11:10am

Thanks for bumping this Jaci and thanks to Kalera for starting the thread back when, great advice here from everyone. :)

Mine:

Don't be afraid to experiment with bead release. Like glass, different releases have different properties. Yes, I know they can be expensive but you can generally get 4 ounces to play with and buy 16 ounces of the one you love later. For me, it was finding two releases with properties I liked and mixing them together 50/50 to get the release that suited me best.

Give yourself a break. Not every painter in the world is Picasso, not every writer is Hemingway. They did what they did because they loved what they did. Do you love glass? If you do then nothing else matters.

Lorraine Chandler

2010-06-11, 11:48am

Use the SEARCH button at the top of this page in the red bar. I can spend hours researching and that search button makes it easy to do on this forum.

There are literally volumes of info here. I put on classical music grab a cup of hot tea or coffee and away I go.

SilverRiverJewelry

2010-06-11, 1:24pm

If you've never done this before take a beginners class! I took a class for $85 because I didn't know if I was going to like it and didn't want to spend a fortune on stuff until I knew if I liked it. I knew I was hooked within 5 minutes lol but it was worth the $85 because the basics were clearly explained and I at least had an idea of how things worked. After that its pretty much just practice and research and practice some more.

TBC Beads

2010-06-11, 2:16pm

Excellent thread! I've been feeling kind of frustrated lately, and this helps a lot. My two new mottos: "Process not product" and "There is no wasted time at the torch".

Thanks for bumping, Jaci!

GlassPuppy

2010-06-12, 6:05am

Plan your worksurface so that your glass, tools, and frit are organized so that you never have to reach across the flame.

Be aware of where your hands are at all times.

Do not allow distractions - pets, children, husbands, loose papers, TV etc. etc. in your studio - pay attention!!

This all sounds rather scary, but learning good habits in the beginning will make your life in glass so much more relaxed later on!!

NMLinda

2010-06-12, 9:52am

You only get one pair of eyes and one set of lungs in life - protect them. Be sure to get lampworking-specific eyewear (such as AUR92 or Phillips 202 glasses for soft glass). Never torch without them. Hot glass emits harmful IR and UV rays that you can't see, and produces an annoying sodium flare that you can. Unlike sunglasses, these glasses are specifically designed to filter out these three types of rays and will help protect you from eye issues and damage associated with exposure.

Also never torch without adequate ventilation. The latter takes a bit of research to understand, but is so critical to your overall health. The torch produces spent combustion products very similar to your car's exhaust - not something you want to breath. It isn't difficult to install the right ventilation for your work area, just takes a little planning (lots of good info here on LE and other boards). If you're eager to get started while you do that planning and research, the best option is to work outside with a fan pulling the fumes away.

Never store a BBQ size propane tank indoors! If it ever leaks (and they can), you could be in a lot of trouble..... Up to two small 1lb canisters is legal in most areas, however.

Have a fire extinquisher close by and something for burns

The first book you should buy as a newbie is "More than you ever wanted to know about glass beadmaking" by James Kervin. In addition to basic lampworking techniques, it has the best chapters on how to set up your work area and on safety that I've seen published. It will help you understand why the right eye protection is important, will give you basics on ventilation so that the info you can find here on LE will make more sense, and will answer many questions on how to set up your torch.

And to all newbies, welcome!

Linda

ben david

2010-06-13, 7:59am

Here are some tips that I found carried over nicely from furnace glassblowing to torch work.

1) Where is the heat?
That is the essential question. How is the heat distributed in your glass? Ask this question first whenever you hit a snag.

2) Plan your moves.
This relates also to organizing your workspace. In furnace glassblowing, you have to plan what steps are done on the pipe, and what finish steps are done after transferring the piece off the pipe. Same thing for torch work - what steps are necessary to block out the form, then add detail? When, where, and how will additional material go on?

Want to preserve detail while working on another area of the piece? - see question 1 above.

3) Keep a sketch/record book.
-Sketches are where you plant and nurture germinating ideas. They are NOT drawings, you do not have to know how to draw to do them.
-Records are how you learn your equipment and fine-tune your annealing. Don't go by memory and guessing. Write down time, temperature, and results.

neagle

2010-06-14, 6:31am

What a great thread full of wonderful tips. I can't stress the SLOW DOWN tip enough. I got much better shapes and ends on my beads once I slowed down.

Also, if you really like an unusual bead you made, write down the recipe you used to come up with it. I didn't do this and I cannot for the life of me remember what I did to come up with a pair of really nice beads, and I haven't been able to duplicate it. I now write them down the next morning in my book.

flyingcorgi

2010-06-14, 10:13am

Don't be too hasty to "water anneal" a bead that's not going quite right. Unless it is irredeemably nauseating, see if you can think of something else to do with the glass other than what you got. Some of my most creative breakthroughs happened when I had to "try something else" on a failed bead, and wasn't too hung up on what wasn't working.

AND, if it goes further south instead (and much of the time they do!), think of the incredible "fugly" that you'll have to share - even fuglier than it was originally!

This is a corollary to "there is no wasted time at the torch".

Regards,
- Becky in MN

kbinkster

2010-06-14, 10:32am

bousky

2010-06-14, 10:49am

For me the biggest lesson is always don't work too hot. Most of my wonky beads are because i turned up the heat to melt something more quickly....and failed to turn it back down. Smearing happens.

Second....Gravity is your friend. I would say I used gravity as my only shaping tool for the first 3 to 5 years. It is still my most effective method of shaping small beads. They want to be round.

Which also reminds me.... do not put you bead in the kiln too hot. Make sure your glass has stopped moving. This is my second most effective way of creating wonky, warped beads. Impatience to move on to the next bead! This would fit the "Slow Down" advice.

allegrafuct

2010-06-14, 12:47pm

Slow down. Got it.

Thanks guys! Loving this thread.

Polgarra

2010-10-18, 8:28am

Thanks for the great advice, so helpful. I think this thread could help a lot of other newbies.

tankgirl73

2010-10-18, 9:53am

Thanks to all. I was feeling a little frustrated lately... this thread helped :) Slow down and get the basics/PPP. Thanks again.

carolinainmymind

2010-10-19, 12:38pm

From one newbie to (many) others:

If you buy striking glass (like Moretti Yellow or Red) strike it or label it immediately. If you have an unlabeled variety pack, try to strike anything even remotely clear, just to be sure. Otherwise, you will try to encase somehing using yellow instead of clear.

(um, it looks clear, yea, the yellow tint is probably just a light reflection, can't be yellow- its gotta be clear.........oh, crap.)

Polgarra

2010-10-19, 2:44pm

I have a newbie question, is there a guide that describes what colors react with Ivory? I haven't found any so I am trying all the combinations to try and figure it out. I know that no torch time is wasted but sometimes it is expensive =(

Kalera

2010-10-19, 4:44pm

A really, really handy little item is Bullseye's Torch Tips; it's Bullseye-specific, but what it does is help give you an understanding of glass chemistry so you can fairly accurately guess what elements certain colors contain. Ivory, for example, contains sulphur, and any glass that contains silver or copper will get a dark line where it touches ivory.

alb6094

2010-10-19, 5:42pm

I have a few tips to add:

Make sure that your rods are clean - free of dust and tape/label adhesive or dead rubber band residue.

Always heat up your bead release (on your mandrel) before laying your footprint. If you don't, you will get bubbles coming up into your glass.

The glass likes to follow the heat. Use this fact and gravity to help you get your glass where you want it to go.

Use a graphite marver to smooth the glass, but a metal tool (like a brass shaper or stainless steel spatula) to move the glass. The graphite slides and the metal grips. Quench your metal tools after they touch the glass and dry them off before touching the glass, again. Keep your graphite clean, too. You can wipe it off with a paper towel, and you can polish it with newspaper.

What I highlighted in bold, excellent point! I swear I avoided stainless steel tools like the plague until I learned to quench, quench, quench. I have a little jar of clean water specifically for quenching, nothing else goes in it. With time and practice you learn how far you can go with a stainless tool and you get a feel for when it's time to quench. I can manipulate so much better and get finer control now, I wish I had known to quench my stainless tools when I first started out (of course when you're still struggling to keep the stuff on the mandrel you don't much worry about fine control :lol: but it's still a good technique to practice as you play with the glass).

The other day I was on the torch for 6 hours and turned out 12 focals and was sort of stunned because I can remember a time not long ago when three decent beads in an entire weekend was a major cause for celebration. I know as a newbie in that first year (well, actually, well into the second one too) I really questioned myself - what have I gotten myself into, I suck, I'll never be able to do this, look what she does why can't I do that, yada yada yada.

The point is with practice you will do that, or rather, you'll do yours and they will rock.

Be kind to yourself, give yourself space to learn the language of glass.

houptdavid

2010-10-19, 6:29pm

Do not try and make a bead first Everyone wants to make a bead, grabs a mandrel and smooshes on some glass. Learn to work your glass in the flame first sans mandrel, keep a pea sized ball on the end, then bigger, then pull a stringer from it. Do this with several different glasses to see how they behave.

Learn to make a disc If you learn how to do a disc bead first you will be able to make nice doughnuts with dimpled ends, you will be able to build hollows and vessels, with no problems (well few)

Buy the cheapest on sale glass to pratice on! Stay away from any silver glass or the more expensive colors, shoot for $8.00 a pound or less. when you feel you can master some of the basics then invest in the more expensive stuff.

Tools are everywhere Open your eyes and look around before investing in specialty lampworking tools, raid the kitchen, go to goodwill, and check harbor freight.

thatbeadchickie

2010-10-19, 9:00pm

Very awesome thread!

thatbeadchickie

2010-10-20, 6:04pm

OK so I took the SLOW DOWN advice today and I cannot believe how much better my torching session went. I was able to do things at the torch today that I have always failed at. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

jonibird

2010-10-20, 6:22pm

Thank you so much for your contributions! I sure have a lot to learn!!!!

scoutycat

2010-10-20, 6:44pm

1) Don't try too much new stuff at once - buying 5 different brands of glass and trying them all in the same bead can be disasterous, and disappointing. Get used to one basic palette, then add stuff. All those pretty silver effects are nice, but you can do tons with plain old color too - and you'll have a better idea what went wrong than when you made that CIM Peace/ DH Ehko/ Effetre purple/ frit covered & Lauscha cased bead that looked perfect but didn't survive. And, when you add stuff, have a way to tell it apart! you know now that the this one is bumpy and that is not, but 6 months from now it won't be so obvious.

2) Everything is about heat control. Everything. The more you know about where the heat is and how much, the better you will be. When you watch someone demo or teach, watch for what they are heating - and ask, if you're not sure. If something is not going right think about where the heat is, and remember that any flowing glass will move towards the heat.

3) Don't worry about what everyone else is doing. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the styles and talent of everyone else, but really what you see is their best work, usually after being developed for a few years. You'll get there, just don't worry about it and do your thing. Trying to be someone or somewhere you're not will just stop you from getting to where yo should be.

myrdlebp

2010-10-21, 9:16pm

Most defiantly! I'm still having a hard time just zeroing in on "simple" and get it right. I waste a lot of glass and money with my "imagination"!

And I want this thread bumped ↑

Lisi

2010-10-22, 3:25am

For brand-newbies?? Oh wow, I wish I could grab them all as they are coming in the door and point them in the right direction! Too many of them these days are starting out blind and missing some very important steps.

My advice to the newest of the newbies - if you haven't done it already, stay away from bead presses, rollers, and other similar tools for a while. Maybe even a long while, like during your first 2-3 months of steady practice. You will thank me later.

It's essential if you want to be a good beadmaker to learn to shape the glass with heat and gravity FIRST and foremost. Your very first tools should be your fingers turning the mandrels and your eyes watching the molten glass. Once you have complete control over making an evenly shaped traditional donut-round small spacer size bead, move on to create larger beads and other shapes. Like adding glass along the mandrel to make a long bead shape. These you will be able to marver into barrels or bicones using a small graphite paddle or mash into oval tab shapes using a handheld BBQ masher style tool.

After you are comfortable with adding glass to the mandrel to make wider footprints and keeping the shapes even, you are ready to play with the press and roller tools. Control of the glass and evenly placed footprints on the mandrels are a must of you are going to have better success with learning to use presses and rollers. Unevenly shaped beads will still be uneven after being pressed or rolled unless they are even to start with.

Get to know the glass and use simple basic tools to start with and the fancy tools come later. Relax, take your time, soak it all in, and have fun. :)

ewschott

2010-10-30, 1:49pm

So when I am making a bead, which I have been shaping in the flame (not going to do that anymore), is this why I get the uneven glass on the mandrel? I pretty sure this is what people meant by words like "wonky".

When you roll the mandrel, do you continue to roll it in the same direction, or do you roll it back and forth (clockwise/counter clockwise) after the glass is on and you are shaping your bead?

houptdavid

2010-10-30, 2:12pm

PM'ed ya Beth

ewschott

2010-11-15, 8:32pm

okay David, here's another one for everyone :)

I got a grill size propane tank (note I cannot afford a better torch and one that works with the oxygen thing), and I was amazed at this difference just in the size of the tank and the heat... but!

As I asked, people here say do not form your beads in the flame. But almost every youTube video I have watched, they form them in the flame?

Here's the really big question... ARE BEADS SUPPOSED TO BE ROUND? or more the doughnut shape? duh!

Lyssa

2011-06-10, 4:12pm

Awesome thread that has been buried in the sands of time.

BUMP

Jazarra

2011-06-29, 4:42pm

wow there is alot of great advice here that a newbie like me needs , Thanks I need to bump this up so I can find it easily again : )

SilverRiverJewelry

2011-06-29, 5:07pm

Jazarra

2011-06-29, 5:13pm

are you saying the HH torch works better/hotter with a propane grill tank??

okay David, here's another one for everyone :)

I got a grill size propane tank (note I cannot afford a better torch and one that works with the oxygen thing), and I was amazed at this difference just in the size of the tank and the heat... but!

As I asked, people here say do not form your beads in the flame. But almost every youTube video I have watched, they form them in the flame?

Here's the really big question... ARE BEADS SUPPOSED TO BE ROUND? or more the doughnut shape? duh!

SilverRiverJewelry

2011-06-29, 5:31pm

Well I went from the cannister to the bbq tank when I first started. Not sure if its hotter or not, but it sure does last a lot longer! And it doesn't freeze up half way through a torching session. You just need to make sure that you pipe it into your house correctly (see the safety section, there is a ton of info on how to do it right). Its actually quite a bit cheaper to run it this way also. I pay $19 for a full bbq tank (although I have switched to a cricket, I still need the propane lol).

Mountain Snail

2011-06-29, 6:34pm

Really research your glass and tool companies before you order. I have discovered google, the company, and the word review is an excellent way not to get stuff you can't use.

Eileen

2011-11-14, 6:24pm

And there are lots of lampwork videos out there to watch. Check youtube for a bunch.

SassyGlass9

2011-11-15, 12:33pm

I've never seen this thread before, but what a great resource!!

A few tips that have worked for me (your mileage may vary)...

If there is something you absolutely suck at, such as florals or encasing, etc., set aside time in EACH and EVERY torch session to practice that skill. One of these days, it will click and you will have it!

If you tend to work hot, learning heat control is super important. I always found myself working super hot, close to the candles, and couldn't understand why I kept losing some of the detail on my beads (duh!). If you are an impatient type like me, focus on slowing down, working a bit farther back in the flame and really learning your heat control. Once you get that down, it's amazing what doors will open for you in your work.

And finally, challenge yourself to grow and learn glass each time you torch. Don't worry as much about finding a "signature bead" so you can sell tons or get famous. Don't worry about what others are doing. Just learn the glass and let it guide you.

Bretta

2011-11-22, 6:58pm

Great thread! Thanks to those who have contributed to it over the years!

Lorraine Chandler

2011-11-22, 7:38pm

1. Have Fun.

2. Be very strict with yourself on all aspects of safety. Do not compromise. Keep a fire extinguisher at hand always.

3. Be as thrifty as you safely can at first until you are sure you want to really set up a studio as it IS expensive.

4. Be prepared for burns, serious ones, little ones. Have the treatments ready. This is not a fun helpful hint but it is one that needs to be addressed.:hide:

5. Be willing to invest time, patience, blood, sweat and tears in order to learn to create with glass.

I know it comes more easily to some than others but most always those who are doing great at beadmaking have invested a lot of time, money and effort in all areas of bead making, from shapeing, learning how to get the most from certain colors to the smallest details, add in knowledge of line, design, balance and experimenting and you have a true lampworker.

Good Luck to all newbies.:waving: