Shaping Handles For Vessels
 

Ok so "Melting Point", "Annealing Point" and between the two there is the "Bending Point".
People who do slump molding use it all the time whether they know about it or not.
Let's look into it as it applies to Lampwork.

Fuse the handle rod to the top of the vessel at an angle of
about 45 degrees upward.
Heat enough glass outward to form your handle.
Remove the glass from the fire and hesitate to let the heat get uniform
throughout. Stretch the glass slightly and slowly. Do not bend to soon.
Just as the glass stops glowing, (This is the "Bending Point"). Bend it and attach it to the vessel body.
Burn off the excess glass and fuse the base of the handle into the body.
Likewise you can start on the vessel body and bend the handle up to the lip of the piece.
Practice this using a piece of rod or something you don't care about
until you have it down. Once you have it you will always be able to
shape great handles. You can also form an S shaped handle by bending the
bottom of the handle back up and burning it off.
It is also possible to attach both ends and then simply let gravity do the shaping for you, very carefully and slowly.
Or you can also use a tool such as a graphite dowel to shape the opening in the handle. Do not over heat.




Repeat on the other side if desired.
I have often used hexagonal sockets from a socket wrench as a mold to make a hex shaped bottle or serrated sockets to give a ribbed effect.
The pour spout was shaped with a graphite dowel.

WAT. I couldn't even add a loop to a pendant tonight, I ended up popping the whole thing ff the punty, picking it up off the table, then making a twisty stringer out of it, and here you are showing these amazing pieces!

Thanks for the tip on where to pull it though, that should help quute a bit.

A. Maz. Ing. !!! Thank you.

Not only where but when as well.

Thank you for sharing. You did a nice job of explaining how to do it.

I will give it a go this weekend.

Wonderful vessels. So delicate and beautifully shaped.

Thank you for taking the time to explain how to do the handles. Always tricky.

Great info and amazing pieces. Thanks.

-BEP

Awsome. Just like it used to be around here!

That's a great tip. Thanks for posting it.

Thank you! This will help on so many levels!

Those a perfect!!!

Thanks for explaining.