All glass ring
Can anybody post up dumbed down version of how to make an all glass ring(I am quite new to lampworking and would have some difficulty with advanced techniques) Are there finger sized mandrels for this type of project or would I use the steel wool around the small mandrel technique. Any help would be appreciated.
The ring should end up like this it is a normal ring with an accentuated bubble like top Thanks |
Hi there.
You can purchase larger ring mandrels. Maybe someone will pop in here with a few links. |
You can get "Emiko's Big Hole" mandrels from ArrowSprings. They are nice because they are pretty lightweight. I think it is easiest to make the band with a few wraps of stringer and then build up the top afterwards, like Kathryn Wardills demo at the 2005 Gathering in Louisville. You have to flatten the band a bit, and make sure to not make it too thick or else you won't be able to close your fingers--- well, at least not if you have short lil' stubby fingers like mine!! :biggrin:
Sara |
Thanks guys Ill look into those mandrels
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I bought a ring mandrel that is for jewelers but it is solid, if I try to make a boro ring on it will I have to use bead release? Thanks folks!
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Hi Patrice,
Brent showed us a trick while he was in town last weekend. He just decorated a large paddle on the end of the rod, heated and stretched, and formed it over the barrel of the torch. It was closer to a bracelet size, but I would think the same technique would work on your ring mandrel. NO RELEASE. Yippee! :) Maybe you could punty up to the back (or front) of the ring and weld the bottom together. I'm sure someone with more experience with boro can jump in and give you better instructions. Some of the students came out with some cool boro rings, though!!! If you ever have the chance, take a class with him. I think I'm hooked on boro now, too!! |
The easiest way is to use a graphite reamer to shape it. Look up Harold Cooney's work - that's how he does it.
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Thanks Lisa and Cosmo. I've been wanting to take a class with Brent for a year, but he's never out here! I'll get to meet him at AGI, though :) Graphite reamer sounds good, I just want to be able to get it the right size without overshooting or it sticking to the ring mandrel. Thanks!
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Thanks Lavendar! I was hoping that was how I could do it. I bought the ring mandrel and just had a different plan on how to punty and form it, but basically how I was hoping someone would say it can be done without sticking to the mandrel when sizing. Thanks! Yaaay!
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Cosmo: can I flatten the ring sides a bit while it's on the ring mandrel? That sucker seems to get really hot trying to shape a ring on it, so I'm thinking I'm gonna wear my gloves for this... Thanks!
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I know a very inexpensive way mount a socket rachet to the table use whatever size rachet fits your finger heat glass wrap around is that not cool my friend chad came up with that one
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jdrag13,
Ok I'm going to try the socket rachet technique -- Do you just melt a gather, decorate, stretch and wrap? Pull it off, punty and then join the two open ends together? Seems pretty easy but maybe difficult to keep perfectly round? Thanks, Lana |
Where do you find the octagonal graphite reamers like is being used in the tutorial?
-Amy |
Can you do this with 104 coe? I have made rings before, but I am concerned about the durability while being worn.
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ShepherdCreations: making rings on mandrels is just a real pain the butt if you ask me, the mandrel gets hot as heck and glows like all get out - and you have to clean the bead release out of the ring. and you have to dip the mandrels and let them dry. my oh my. just make them using a puntil and save the grief :) or buy jewelry from http://www.magmajewels.com/
cuz she does it soooooo well! (years of practice) CO-Phantom: you can check out any of your favorite tool distributors, Frantz, ArrowSprings, Wale, etc... look for the graphite reamer and get the 10mm-25mm brimmy - yes you can do this technique in my tutorial with 104coe - but they are more brittle, not nearly as durable - theres another tutorial on here for soft glass rings murano style: http://lampworketc.com/forums/showth...=Ring+Tutorial |
Oh I'm not forming it on the mandrel, just using a ring mandrel to size and round it out ;) Thanks for the good info!
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Bump
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Tool to find ring size
I'm new here but I've been absorbing all of this info like crazy. I know (at least I think) in this thread there was discussion of figuring out what size sockets were to use as shapers or mandrels for making rings. Well I found this link:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=re...rj4GdjJHey23Sg That talks all about ring sizing that might help. Even if you're using a ring mandrel or some other "found" tool to shape your rings. Enjoy! Tami Storyteller Art www.storyteller-art.com |
I have been making rings (104 COE) for some time. First I made them free hand (off-mandrel), but found that I could never get the same size every time. then I moved to mandrels, had mine made, and now I have 4 sizes to play with. The cleaning of the inside is a bugger, but I used my combined knowledge of porcelain restoration and silversmithing to be able to clean/polish the inside.
With the free hand rings, I found that I was not able to really keep the shape and size nicely when I tried surface decorations - yet another reason to move to mandrels. My ring mandrel is only 20 mm wide, and this allows me to make nice wide decorated rings, but not to much strain on the shoulder/arm, as with my first version of a 30 mm ringmandrel. It is also easy to make rings with a bulbous top. (the glass I used was old moretti which I scummed the heck out of, but it was just to see what the ring would look like, adding the murrinni to it.) Anyway, I have offered a glass for madrel swop in the Patio, should anyone be interested. Diana |
there's a lovely tutorial in the latest Glass Line on making boro rings by Aymie Mckesson.
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safety regarding glass rings?
I really don't mean to be a fear monger or anything, but a few years ago on another forum a woman was telling a story about how she was being sued over one of her glass rings. She sold one to a woman who was wearing it when she had a severe car accident and the ring supposedly broke and cut her finger off. Does anyone remember this story and know the outcome? I think the lawsuit is ridiculous personally, a silver or gold ring could've probably done the same thing if the situation was "right", but people are winning these sorts of lawsuits. I enjoy making rings and would love to sell them, but I'm a little gunshy (which is probably silly, because the chances of something like this happening are pretty slim, but still...). Anyone have any thoughts on this?
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I wonder, though, if someone dropped a bead on the floor and somehow slipped on it and injured themselves, if they would try to sue you for making your beads so round and dangerous! |
I haven't read this whole thread but when I saw glass ring tutorial I thought of this wonderful tutorial by Fig.
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=75360 Angela |
The guy who taught me lampworking makes tons of rings and sells 'em in bulk to stores. He showed me how to make them by heating the rod, forming the ring over a steel ring mandrel (no release, just bend it around and then quickly slide it off) and then melting off one side, grabbing it with tweezers, and melting off the other side.
He always made rings with a gap in the bottom, this way if the ring breaks it won't cut the wearer! It was cool, he made some and broke them on his finger to show me! Not to mention breaking them was his favorite part... lol. I've made a few since then ... and subsequently broke them on my finger for fun! Not once have I been cut! |
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