hollow vessels....

[hulagirl]

Is there a book or tutorial out there that exists to show the basics of blowing hollow vessels?

I've been dying to take a class with Tink and the classes always fill up before I know about them. Or...I can't go because of a conflict. I just ordered some hollow mandrels and I'm dying to blow something. (no jokes please)

Before I go to my torch, I wanted a little guidance.

Any advice offered will be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

[Phoenix]

I haven't take a class from Tink- so the fine points you can get in class are going to be what ices the cake- but I do blow vessels based on hot shop blowing and tips picked up on forums- probably from people who learned from Tink-

Dip a tube mandrel- don't let the release coat too thick

I start with a spacer bead- this becomes the top (If I don't start with this I tend to have a sharper opening)

Wrap in a tube down the mandrel until you want to open up into a vase - at this point you are creating the open part of your vessel.

At that point- start winding like a hollow bead- I like to wrap a disk until it is as wide as I want- then wrap each wrap a bit smaller until I get to a tiny open circle which I wind off in circles or glob a blob of glass on

Don't forget to heat the top of your vessel

Now for an organic look- decorate before blowing- for structure- wait

Heat the whole vessel through- look for each wrap to melt in and keep an eye out for thin spots or holes. Fill in hole and use spinning technique on thin spots to get the glass moving to the right place

When the whole vessel is warm, I put in a gentle blow. Watch the air move- if it does not go in even, you either need to spot fix or let it warm back up and shrink a bit while you let it come back to even

Repeat the last step until you have the basic volume of vessel you are looking for

Now for shaping you can use your markers and tools or spot heat and blow sections

Add handles as desired

Decorate as desired

One thing I like to do that people like in person is add some frit in the tube in the pre-first warm stage and let it melt into the inside of the vessel- then at the end I pull out the end of the vessel in a twist whcih gives a mottled appearance that terminates in a twist down the end of the vessel. Goldstone is fun for this since I don't have to baby it inside the vessel

[hulagirl]

Thanks Jessica. My first attempt was most non-triumphant.

I'll try again tomorrow.

[PaulaD]

Tink has a Tutorial up somewhere on WC. Paula

[PixieFireBeads]

Here's a tutorial for a hollow vessel; it's not blown but it is a nice technique.

http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/jj/scentedglass.cfm

[hulagirl]

Yeah, Annie...I've made them like that before. That's a nice tutorial.

Just got hollow mandrels...I wanna learn how to use 'em.

[Passing Glass]

Here's a tutorial to show you how to blow something. Oops! Sorry, you said no jokes. :cool:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256412&page=2&highlight=vessel

Full instructions are in post #23 in that thread. Good Luck!

[hulagirl]

That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Dan!