Favorite tool for Bubble Implosians

sangell · #1 2010-11-01, 9:57am

Thought I would check with all on the sight to check what there favorite tool was for doing Bubble Implosians, and where they got it .

indyglassman · #2 2010-11-01, 10:02am

By bubble implosion, do you mean something like this?
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/image...stbioimage.jpg

If so, you can use a pin frog to create dimples. There are several sizes / layouts of pins available. Michaels, Joanne, Hobby Lobby are stores around me where I've seen pin frogs. There is also a Vin Pin tool you can purchase that allows you adjust the pin pattern.

HWCGlass · #3 2010-11-01, 10:36am

My favorite tool doing implosions is Mr. Smiley.

(Sorry, Brent. I just had to. Man, I was walking around my house like, "My favorite tool doing implosions is John Kabuki . . . . no, no, my favorite tool doing implosions is Kevin O'Gradey, no, no . . . ." On and on.

gmkcpa · #4 2010-11-01, 10:41am

You can even make your own 'frog' using 3/8" plywood and a drill press. Drill a bunch of holes in the plywood, totally perpendicular to the wood, and stick in finishing nails. I made two sizes of frogs this way and they both work fine.

indyglassman · #5 2010-11-01, 12:03pm

Snagel, you can see the "Vin Pin" here
http://www.artcoinc.com/wi_vin_pins.php

Never used one though. And like gmkcpa, I'm more of a do-it-yourself type of guy. Here is a photo of one I made. I offered to write a tutorial about how to make these but nobody showed much interest. But you get the idea.

sangell · #6 2010-11-01, 12:08pm

Would love a tutorial . Great idea.

fourpawsglass · #7 2010-11-01, 1:13pm

Floral frog from Michaels (be sure to get the metal one!)

deb tarry · #8 2010-11-01, 5:25pm

Ha ha Mr. Smiley is a tool. Too funny.

jjglass · #9 2010-11-01, 8:56pm

Vin Pin....Couple sizes and you can remove the pins to make your own designs.

tweeky clothespin · #10 2010-11-01, 8:58pm

I would love a tut on that too.

JesterGlass · #11 2010-11-02, 3:54am

Vin Pin!

Bunyip · #12 2010-11-02, 4:56am

Mr. Smiley is a Maniac

I use a floral frog I picked up at a craft store.

Mr. Smiley · #13 2010-11-04, 6:23pm

Been called worse, by much meaner folk...

Thanks for the PM heads up to you calling me names H... love you too bro.

I've used flower frogs... bought in stores or on Ebay... but i really like my tungsten pick... sure, the design takes longer and there's more room for error, but the patterns are also endless... I like spirals...

cheng076 · #14 2010-11-05, 10:55am

I got some stainless steel frogs from a place in Canada several years ago. They had sizes from 1" to 6" or more and were very reasonably priced. Sorry I don't have their info any longer but I found them by googling.

Mark Parkinson · #15 2010-11-05, 4:16pm

Micheals crafts stores carry them in their flower arranging area they come in 3 or 4 sizes as well as round square and heart shaped.

sangell · #16 2010-11-24, 9:13pm

Working pretty well with the standard frogs. I am interested in larger bubbles, has anyone found a tool with larger pins, or made one.
Thx

JesterGlass · #17 2010-11-25, 7:41am

Quote:

Originally Posted by sangell

Working pretty well with the standard frogs. I am interested in larger bubbles, has anyone found a tool with larger pins, or made one.
Thx

Vin Pin.

gmkcpa · #18 2010-11-25, 2:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by sangell

Working pretty well with the standard frogs. I am interested in larger bubbles, has anyone found a tool with larger pins, or made one.
Thx

Yeah dude - see post #4 above. Get a piece of 3/8" plywood and lay out a grid on it, like parallel lines 1/4" apart going north/south and going east/west. Depending on the size nail you will use to make the pins, drill holes at all of the intersections of the lines and then stick nails into them. Voila-you have a frog. Thicker nails = larger bubbles. Straight holes (perpendicular to the plywood) = good frog. Crooked holes (not all perpendicular) = lousy frog. Lousy frog = weird marble. Weird marble = good gift to a weird person. Weird person = well, you get the idea.

sangell · #19 2010-11-25, 3:24pm

Love to try it, What kind of nails, so that Boro doesn't stick to them. Galvanized, stainless????

Bunyip · #20 2010-11-25, 10:28pm

I'd suggest stainless, galvanized nails can sometimes shed their zinc coating in small flakes from my experience in roofing - have not used them with glass. Brass might work good too.

indyglassman · #21 2010-11-26, 7:18am

I used brass brads. I think they were about 1.25" long. I used them with boro and it worked fine.

gmkcpa · #22 2010-11-26, 8:05am

I used sizes 4D galvanized finishing nails and 6D galvanized common nails that I had laying around for years for the 2 frogs I made. I've never had a problem with sticking. If you want, you could grind new points on the nails, but then I would be concerned with the glass sticking to the newly exposed metal, so I just used the nails right out of the box. As to pressing the maria onto the frog, do not make a big deal of it - like 'wax on, wax off' it's 'maria on (firmly), maria off'. The longer the nail that you use, the thicker the piece of wood you need to hold the nail perpendicular. And, you might want to attach your homemade wooden based frog to a heavy base (like, tie it onto a brick) which makes it easier to pull the maria off of the frog after pressing it on.