wanna play?

Jackson River Glass · #1 2014-09-11, 3:21pm

So I was in Bed Bath & Beyond the other day and found these really cool wine bottle stoppers. The top is glass with a cool design inside. They were on clearance for five bucks, made in China. Before anyone smacks me for buying these, let me explain. I thought it might be a cool LE challenge, if anyone wants to join me in this journey of figuring out how these were made.

So here's the question: Since these were made in China, would it be okay to copy them? If it won't upset anyone, I'll post some pics.

Dasi · #2 2014-09-11, 3:26pm

I'm game!!! I can even justify copying as payback.....LOL.... China does it to us. two wrongs might make a right.....???? Anyway, I could never do an exact copy.... I always need to change things up.

Jackson River Glass · #3 2014-09-11, 3:45pm

cool! So they are the same in concept, except for a slight difference in how far the white comes down. Bought both to figure this out, kinda like both for different reasons.

Onekura · #4 2014-09-11, 4:11pm

maybe like this, only pulled down further?

Jackson River Glass · #5 2014-09-11, 4:33pm

oh maybe! What stumped me about this was that the stripes face inward, if that makes any sense. CAn't wrap my head around how you would do that, especially as thin and wispy as they are. I understand how to make a jelly, but this seems different (yet similar ACK!). Is yours fumed?

Onekura · #6 2014-09-11, 6:00pm

yes, this one is fumed, but you can have them go inwards too . .

Jackson River Glass · #7 2014-09-11, 6:35pm

Beautiful!!!

KJohn · #8 2014-09-11, 6:43pm

That is cool, Bernhard! Neat find, Susan

Mary K · #9 2014-09-11, 8:25pm

Susan those are made in a hot shop, I have friends who do that kind of work and I am on my way to see them. You can't really duplicate that exactly in the torch, but suppose that you could resemble it. I have watched them make things like that. They start with a big blob of clear on the end of a long pole like thing, then roll in frit and stripe with more clear from the hot pot, then the whole thing goes in for a coat of clear. Hot shop work. Not sure what COE that is , but it is not Boro, might be more like soda lime glass.

Jackson River Glass · #10 2014-09-11, 8:29pm

Shucks, Mary! I'm too chicken to do hot shop stuff, but you know how stubborn I am. I gotta try it at the torch! But thank you for the info! Off to prowl the internet to get some ideas! Any idea what this design might be called?

Mary K · #11 2014-09-11, 8:43pm

Ok I have an idea. start with a 12 - 14 diameter clear rod, taper end to even point. Prep 2clear rods say 8mm or less by heating and rolling them in fine white frit, I have powder so that is what I will try. Run two one inch stripes with these rods on opposing sides of the 14 then cover those stripes with a fat clear layer being sure to cover all the white, twist and terminate like a vortex, and it might work, keep your frit light as possible to get whispy effects.

Jackson River Glass · #12 2014-09-12, 7:15am

cool, will give this a try! Thank you Mary!

earlbacher · #13 2014-09-13, 5:32pm

take a tube, pull a point, open an end... take stringer of choice, draw lines length of tube inside... close down and condense until all the air is out... it will draw the color this thin... do it with fume...
figured this out trying to recreate a "cat's eye" marble

Jackson River Glass · #14 2014-09-16, 2:56pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by earlbacher

take a tube, pull a point, open an end... take stringer of choice, draw lines length of tube inside... close down and condense until all the air is out... it will draw the color this thin... do it with fume...
figured this out trying to recreate a "cat's eye" marble

oh boy tubing huh? I might be more afraid of tubing than spiders...

I've had a bunch sitting along the back of my bench for a few years now. Staring at me. Taunting me. gulp.

earlbacher · #15 2014-09-17, 7:04pm

tubing isn't as scary as you think... start small, slowing adding heat, maybe even further back in the flame... tubing will open a whole world of possibilities to what you can create

speedingpullet · #16 2014-09-21, 11:38am

I just learnt how to use tubing yesterday at the Boro class I'm taking, and have to say - once I've bought the right kind of torch - you'll pry tubing from my cold dead hands!

It's awesome! I haven't even begun to explore its possibilities. And, as others have pointed out - it might be a lot easier to make the stopper with tubing than with solid rods, if you're not making them in a hot shop.

Jackson River Glass · #17 2014-09-22, 6:13pm

ok looks like I need to befriend the tubing on my bench! Think I'll dig around on youtube for some videos before I make any pathetic attempts!