Stupid Newbie Mistakes for Laughs - Page 13

cinder · #**361** 2011-03-10, 5:59pm

From my second day of lampworking...

IF you're working in the garage, and IF you have a tendency to get really focused, and IF you have a tendency to startle easily when focused, and IF you have an air compressor in the garage...

DO NOT leave it plugged in and turned on. When it turns on and fills automatically, it WILL scare the bejeezusssss out of you, and you WILL stick that hot rod of glass in your hair as you throw it up in the air... and then you WILL get burned by said rod and the mandrel when it's raining hot danger zone in the garage around you.

Your husband WILL come running to ask what in Hades is going on. Then it's a game of Doctor (not the fun sexytimes version) and his constant asking if the compressor is unplugged when you go to torch every time after that.

Note: compressor is never plugged in unless it's going to be used immediately, now.

xtweeksx · #**362** 2011-03-10, 7:15pm

When I first started I caught a new booklet of silver leaf on fire when I put a hot rod down it.

Another time I had an itch and scratched my head with the hot end of a rod I was using. I kept this rod with frazzled hair stuck to it for years as a reminder...

Eileen · #**363** 2011-03-10, 7:45pm

I love reading these.
I'm glad the compressor is not near my work bench (different area of our yard in fact) and now I may know why people have mentioned putting a damp paper towel down with the silver leaf on it (or at least I think that's what I remember).

beadmomma · #**364** 2011-03-13, 5:34am

Don't touch the torch head with hot glass! It tends to Spark. Really pretty, like little fireworks..Note to self:Keep Fire extinguisher handy at all times!!!

Jo Ann · #**365** 2011-03-13, 8:11am

Hi everyone! I am brand new to this site and self teaching myself how to make beads. My first of probably many boo boo's was when I was showing my daughter how to make her first bead and put my arm in front of the lit torch.... our standing joke in the house is "I hope it leaves a mark" and I gritted out a smile to my daughter and said " Now that's going to leave a mark" P.S. I am healing fine and went right back to the torch after I smeared aloe on. NO FEAR

By the way, is there anyone near me that would be willing to let me watch you work sometime?

jaci · #**366** 2011-03-14, 6:04am

Jo Ann Welcome

Say HI, and introduce yourself in the "front door" and then see who is in "Your Own Backyard" You can search to bring up old threads with people from your area (Use stars as filler if it says your search is too short ***) And start a new thread looking for peeps in your area as well!

glasskat2010 · #**367** 2011-03-14, 11:02am

"Is that a sparkley" (while moving finger closer to the hot glass punty...ouch $@/# f**k d!&%it ow ow ow *jumping up and down*

ellyloo · #**368** 2011-03-14, 11:35am

while showing people how to make a twisty, I told them "and they can remain quite hot for a while, so I won't use this one..." (and I reached down and grabbed it)
I managed to be quite civilized though--people were watching.

bluemantid · #**369** 2011-03-18, 11:01am

small, and i do mean small shards of thermal shock glass landing on back of hand feels like large hot metal poker being forced through hand at high velocity..... saved the bead tho!

bamccray@sonic.net · #**370** 2011-03-18, 11:16am

I had all my torch instructions loose on sheets of paper which I left on top of the kiln when I left after to go shopping in my first week of beadmaking. It was a long time ago and no kiln controller yet, but I had turned the kiln off before I left. Fortunately for me I did not burn the apartment building down. The papers were smoking but not burning but the room smelled like smoke for a long time. Good reminder though.

2tumblingdragonz · #**371** 2011-04-02, 6:17pm

Ow,when trying apply shard to bead: Shards that fall off the bead are hot, even if they didn't stick.
typing with a sore thumb reeking of lavender now that the ice is wearing off.
I'm done for the night.

KFraley51 · #**372** 2011-04-02, 6:39pm

Bought several packs of frit, laid them on top of my kiln instead of putting them away. A few days later went to torch, turned on my kiln to warm up, by the time I noticed, the plastic baggies had melted and all the frit colors were mixed up.
Karen

Eileen · #**373** 2011-04-08, 1:17pm

This one makes me shake my head at myself, as in "what was I thinking?!" or "was I even thinking at all?" !!

I saw the thread about making pushpins, and said "hey, I want some!"
So I took the hammer to some of the plastic headed ones, then realized I didn't really have anything to hold them with, looked around & spied.... get this....

a dowel rod. That's right, wooden dowel rod all of 1/2" from a 2000° or so flame. Cut it into 3 pieces, and stuck the pin in the end & started heating glass & tried to stick the glass on the end of the pin. I've always loved the scent of burning wood

I think I'll try again on the end of a mandrel & get out the glue next time!

Conrad Hoffman · #**374** 2011-04-08, 2:25pm

My air compressor problem is slightly different. If there's much of anything else turned on, and the compressor cycles, it blows the circuit breaker. That solves the noise problem, since the thing stops, but it also puts out all the lights in the garage, leaving only the torch flame and hot glass to illuminate things at night. Since I can't seem to remember this, I keep a flashlight nearby.

Conrad

CheriB · #**375** 2011-07-06, 8:14pm

Not a newbie when I did this, but it was an expensive mistake. I bought a book of palladium for the $54 or whatever, and did not put it in my studio (aka a corner of the bathroom) right away. I got up the next morning, and noticed glittery stuff all over the dining room and living room. I had left a fan on overnight aimed towards the table. It evidently started ruffling the edges of the palladium leaves and blew them everywhere. Arghhh! I managed to rescue a few small pieces and use them, but have never bought anymore after that nasty experience. To add insult to injury, it is very difficult to clean up palladium scraps from the floor, furniture, walls, etc.
Cheryl

DarkFlowerBead · #**376** 2011-07-07, 1:25pm

Here's a helpful tip. If a shocked chunk of molten glass lands directly on your lip while you are deeply concentrating on a giant lentil bead, no matter how tempting DO NOT attempt to remove it with your tounge while you attempt to save the bead. It will sear your tounge also. Ask me how I know this

Cara

Pia Kaven · #**377** 2011-07-07, 2:54pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkFlowerBead

Here's a helpful tip. If a shocked chunk of molten glass lands directly on your lip while you are deeply concentrating on a giant lentil bead, no matter how tempting DO NOT attempt to remove it with your tounge while you attempt to save the bead. It will sear your tounge also. Ask me how I know this

Cara

Cara, you freak! You made me howl of laughter!!! Thanks for your great sense of humour, I needed it today!

CheriB · #**378** 2011-07-07, 7:14pm

another shocked glass chunk issue - last time I torched, one shot up my nose! I do not know how it happened, but God willing, it never happens again.

Eileen · #**379** 2011-07-07, 7:22pm

Oh my g.....
I'm just trying to imagine both the lip & the nose.
I was startled when one singed my arm & the smell of burned hair hit my nose, but glass on my lip... up my nose???? Yikes!

VitreousTyro · #**380** 2011-07-11, 7:36am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eileen

Oh my g.....
I'm just trying to imagine both the lip & the nose.
I was startled when one singed my arm & the smell of burned hair hit my nose, but glass on my lip... up my nose???? Yikes!

Wow... Maybe it's time you guys torched in a full face mask!

Eileen · #**381** 2011-08-26, 3:40pm

I haven't read through these in a while, but I did find out today that if you preheat a murrini and drop it, just because it's so tiny doesn't mean it isn't hot enough to make you stick your fingers in the water jar after you turn it over so you can pick it up again.

eregel · #**382** 2012-02-19, 2:33pm

OMG, this thread is too funny - time to bump it up!

My personal worst? (So far, the year is young...) I was so preoccupied with the thought of getting burned that it never even crossed my mind that there were going to be little bits of splintery broken glass all over the workroom. Which is fine when I'm torching - I'm new enough that I'm still doing the whole boots-long pants-kevlar sleeves drill - but somehow it doesn't seem fair that the glass doesn't automatically vanish when I need to print shipping lables, fetch an envelope, any of the other things I run in and out of there for... barefoot...

Eileen · #**383** 2012-05-05, 11:06am

I don't know if this fits as a newbie mistake, but just thought I'd mention it anyway.

I couldn't figure out why people were so adamant about making sure their water was clean each torching, and then I took my water out to dump & glean the glass bits through a coffee filter (yes I use them, I'm not to the stage where I can toss glass... any glass, so I don't water bath beads I melt them off & let them drip into my water if they're that bad) and in the sunlight I could see the mosquito larvae that were swimming in my water! Ewww!

I use clean water now if it's been in there more than 2 days in a row.

PerfectDeb · #**384** 2012-05-06, 12:55am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eileen

I don't know if this fits as a newbie mistake, but just thought I'd mention it anyway.

I couldn't figure out why people were so adamant about making sure their water was clean each torching, and then I took my water out to dump & glean the glass bits through a coffee filter (yes I use them, I'm not to the stage where I can toss glass... any glass, so I don't water bath beads I melt them off & let them drip into my water if they're that bad) and in the sunlight I could see the mosquito larvae that were swimming in my water! Ewww!

I use clean water now if it's been in there more than 2 days in a row.

The cats drink mine

flamingobeth · #**385** 2012-05-22, 8:43pm

So you know how you get busy and the torch is running and you can't quit thinking about the high cost of O2 and you take your expensive eyewear off but leave on the cheater reading glasses, and then you grab a mandrel and start making a bead and wonder why there are all sorts of new colors coming from the glass that you've never seen before? And then you go back into the house and realize you can't read anything, like on your phone, or the computer...yeah, dumb, dumb, dumb. It's called a corneal flash burn, and it's kind of like a sunburn on your eyeballs. Eye doc says it should heal in a few days. Doesn't think it will leave any scars. I was really bummed he didn't give me a picture I could post on here though!

Eileen · #**386** 2012-05-23, 6:01am

Oh no, that is NOT good! Thank you for posting it & possibly saving someone else the experience!

angelique_redhead · #**387** 2012-05-23, 6:40am

Please don't do this again. It puts you at higher risk for cataracts in later years. *HUGS*

Angelique

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingobeth

So you know how you get busy and the torch is running and you can't quit thinking about the high cost of O2 and you take your expensive eyewear off but leave on the cheater reading glasses, and then you grab a mandrel and start making a bead and wonder why there are all sorts of new colors coming from the glass that you've never seen before? And then you go back into the house and realize you can't read anything, like on your phone, or the computer...yeah, dumb, dumb, dumb. It's called a corneal flash burn, and it's kind of like a sunburn on your eyeballs. Eye doc says it should heal in a few days. Doesn't think it will leave any scars. I was really bummed he didn't give me a picture I could post on here though!

Eileen · #**388** 2013-03-06, 6:36pm

OK, one more. I bought one of the beauty supply little heaters for hair tools at the thrift store. Brought it home & plugged it in, heated some goldstone chunks to make stringer and it worked great!

That was in November I think, and the the scar from laying my arm on the thing to get something on the other side is beginning to look better.

I have to say though, I didn't have any pain until the dry crispy skin cracked a few days later. And when I showed the doctor when there in January for a checkup, she wrote me a prescription for burn cream "just in case" of another burn that opened the skin!
So just remember, those things are not only hot on the inside!

PatsyEmporium · #**389** 2013-04-21, 2:54pm

Third lampworking section (HH and 1lb map pro) did not know that freezing cold tank= flame not hot enough, kept trying to encase this bead with clear for like 15 minutes lol, wasn't melting at all, kept thinking boy this is taking a long time lol the who bead was supposed to be flat/flush I kept it anyways I think it looks kinda cool
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yxr8vulbdt...%2020%20PM.jpg

missp_32 · #**390** 2013-04-22, 10:29am

Don't put stringer in your mouth because you've run out of hands.