I would love to be enlightened
 

I am new to all of this stuff so please bear with me...

I was just browsing in the gallery and noticed a thread on fake boro beads. I love all of the beads in the thread, they are outstanding! But...this is the part I do not understand and would love to know the answer because I am interested in finally throwing out my hot head and getting a real torch and I want to play with boro. So..why do fake boro and not real boro? Is there something I need to know before I go buy a bunch of boro when I gt a new torch?

Many of us prefer working with soft glass, and some of us don't have the torches (or patience) to work with boro. That's just part of it, and only my own personal take on it. I love the look, and I love that I can get it with soft glass.

Thank you Tink! I adore your work!

OK next question then...

I want to do mostly sculptural stuff. My thinking then, is that it is best to go to boro. Is this right or am I missing an important fact?

What kind of sculptural work are you interested in. There are lots of lampworkers that do sculptural work w/ soft glass. It's really what you prefer. Maybe you should visit a local studio and play with both on a mix torch and see what feels the best and looks like you want. There are people who love both kinds of glass and then there are some who use both types. Hope this helps.
CArol

it's not just the torches or the patience, it takes stuff to have 2 different coe glasses, like making sure you don't get them mixed, the way your bench is organized so that you don't get even a tiny bit of the wrong glass in the bead...

as for the scupltural- it depends on the size and the style of the items you want to make. there are some amazing sculptural pieces made with soft glass- check out sharon peters' work for example... you get different possibilities with different glasses.

Thank you for your kind comment :-)

Meitali is right, and that's why I said that's just part of it...

As for your second question, I guess it's just a matter of preference. I'm moving towards more sculptural work, and I'm sticking with soft glass. Here is an example of soft glass sculptural work. And I beg of you: Please visit the full size version of this image. It will blow your mind...

Full size image here:
http://www.giannitoso.com/ssp_direct...ing_1_2006.jpg

http://www.blackswampglassworks.com/tosospring.jpg

Holy Shit!!! That is beyond amazing!

I've seen some remarkable work on LE and the net..but I am utterly speechless. I would love to see this in RL.

Thank you Carol and Metali. Well, there is no chance of trying any torch other than a hot head here. I am looking at either a Lynx or a Mini CC..yes big difference I know. I might also want to play with glass blowing on a smaller scale such as pendants. As for sculpture stuff, not really sure since I can't right now, but I like making dogs and horses and such. I am more interested in boro because I have heard it is easier to do sculpture with.

I have lots of torch questions too, as you can imagine after seeing my two possible choices in torches.

\OMG!!! That is utterly amazing! WOW!!!

Gianni Toso is my flameworking artistic hero. He's an awesome guy, and fascinating to boot! My dream is to take a class with him. He NEVER teaches. With one exception: There's a class at Revere Glass next June. Two weeks. It would be heaven, but I don't know how much it costs, plus I will be coming right off a teaching trip then and the logistics would be difficult.

So where are you, geographically? You might find that there are some fellow LE-ers in the area who would let you try their torch or something.

I am up in the northwoods of Wisconsin near Lake Superior. It is beautiful here but not too many opportunities. There is a wonderful glass shop where they offer classes on lampwork bead making using a hot head torch and I have taken a few. If I was younger I would be building a furnace so I could play in a big way, but I will stick to what I can do on a torch because I am mobility challenged.

It is very hard to decide on a torch. I do know one glass blower who works on a torch and he said to get a lynx. But if I get the lynx will it be too much torch for soft glass? Hence my thinking of a mini CC. But then I don't want to be torch limited. I already am and I don't want to ever go back to that.

Hope that this made sense.

Wow! Tosco's work is amazing, thank you for that link, Tink!

Granny, a Lynx is a wonderful torch. I started on a Mini CC but felt it was too hot and even with the heat a bit too limited for what I wanted to try to do. I went from the Mini to the Lynx, and I've never looked back. I just love, love, love my torch and I really like that it's the kind of tool a girl can grow into.

Thank you Annie! Gosh now I am leaning more towards the lynx again!

toso is off the hook!

You got that right, Ali! We got to hang out with him at the bar when we were at Salem last year. He knew way before I did that John was going to propose. He expects an invite to the wedding and says he'll wear a kilt. LOL!

Ok. No more hijacking. Bad, bad Tink.

You read my mind!

Yes it is!

aww! LOL my friend aaron got to spend some time with him.. he drove him to walmart to get a phone charger or something, and to find kosher wine. :lol: his work is outrageous.

OMG!!!! HOW AMAZINGLY AMAZING! - sorry I know I'm adding to the hijack but WOW just WOW!

Torch Granny. I don't know how far from chicago you are but there are some studios there that have different torches you could try -- Blue fire Beads, Mari's Store comes to mind. Mari's a sweet heart and would be of lots of help I'm sure.

Thanks everyone. No worry about the hijack, I couldn't see that without some response either! Chicago is about 9 hours. I think I will just gt the lynx and not have to worry about torch envy,

Gianni Toso is an incredible person and artist. He has been one of my biggest influences. We are so lucky to be the place that he chooses to teach. If I could only take one class in my life...it would be his.

www.revereglass.com


Dustin

...and I am happy to say that I took the plunge today and signed up for the two week Gianni Toso class next June. I'm already searching Craig's List for a good place to stay :-)

I have done a fair bit of sculpture with both soft glass and borosilicate.

Honestly, if you are just starting, I think borosilicate is easier to learn (assuming you have a capable torch). I think you have more room for error, and more time to work on it.

That's not to say that you can't sculpt soft glass (as evidenced in this thread), but I believe it takes more practice than sculpting borosilicate.

GOOD!!!!

I'd say, if the scheduling gets to be too much, reschedule your teaching so you can truly enjoy this class! And take pictures!!!!

:jawdrop: .... that's all I've got to say!

Exactly!!!!

Granny -- I PM'ed you.
Tink, About time you took something for you! Yeah!
Jen