Making cane by writing on a bubble?

Bunyip · #1 2011-01-05, 6:44am

A friend requested a name pendant for his daughter. I know a while back I read something someone had posted a mini tut with pictures on how to implode a bubble and end up with a name cane, but I can't for the life of me find it. I don't even remember if it was even here or was it on the melting pot, but I know many of our fine posters frequent both locales and can maybe help me out? I've tried the search in both places to no avail, I'm pretty sure it came up tangentially to something else and not as a main topic.

UNTIL NOW that is

Bunyip · #2 2011-01-05, 6:50am

Hmm. Tried a different different search ('signature cane') on the melting pot and found this:
http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16710
but it's not the one I was thinking of. Nice that you don't have to write backwards on the bubble though, I'd forgotten that!

I'm still searching in vain for the post I was thinking of though... so any help is appreciated.

Cornbread · #3 2011-01-05, 1:01pm

ive never heard of making signature cane. let us know what you come up with!

J.Meader · #4 2011-01-05, 1:56pm

Thanks Chris I have looked at that thread on the melting pot several times but never took the time to read it, not much help for your project but post #23 with the ghost millie trick is something i can't wait to get home and try. I always have a tough time getting millies to snap even and thin. Good luck with your quest

RuskinDesigns · #5 2011-01-05, 2:13pm

I took a class with Fat Mike from the GLDG and he made some name cane on a bubble - it was pretty cool. And it was exactly that. He wrote on the bubble, imploded it and pulled it out to a cane and snipped.

evolvingBeau · #6 2011-01-05, 3:21pm

If you just want to make a pendant with a name in it you can skip pulling it into cane and call it done.
Same thing as that tutorial minus pulling it into cane. Blow the bubble, write the name, then slowly melt it in, starting at the "front" of the bubble while holding it horizontal.
Melt from this O---- to this D----- and a little further before you punty onto the flat part and pull the tube off to finish rounding out the dome.
Flatten a little as you go to coax the implosion along and make sure to start out with enough tube to make a good sized bubble so there is enough clear glass.

Cornbread · #7 2011-01-05, 3:35pm

id love to make a milli of my avitar "JB"

Bunyip · #8 2011-01-05, 7:27pm

Beau don't you have to write the name backwards to do it that way or are you just lensing the back?

e. mort · #9 2011-01-05, 9:22pm

I think maybe it was in "Flow" magazine. I remember seeing two different tut's for it. One was done by Nate who uses the "N8" as his signature. And the other was done with a honeycomb implosion which was pulled down into honecomb milli.

If I want to do a name for a pendant, I write it backwards on a bubble and implode. If it is a really short name, you can do it backwards on a regular maria. Regardless, I usually write the name on a piece of paper, flip it over, and then re-ink the lines from the back. I then tape it to the wall to the side of my torch. This keeps me from messing up a name when I reverse a letter the wrong way.

Bunyip · #10 2011-01-06, 6:37am

Interesting idea Eric, thanks! Of course, being a nerd, I'd scan it, then use photoshop to flip it, and then print it out. I'm thinking "Leslie" isn't going to fit on a regular maria.

My initial idea was to do a milli implosion with multiple name chips, I thought that would be pretty cool. Second idea was to do maybe a heart or vortex pendant with a milli chip somewhere on the front or inside.

Cosmo · #11 2011-01-06, 1:57pm

Nathan Miers did a tutorial on this. I'm pretty sure it was in Glass Line, because I have it somewhere and I don't buy the Flow.

But, for just a name, just do it on a bubble.

chayes · #12 2011-01-11, 2:34pm

maybe this will help it works the same way. http://www.glassartists.org/Gal20056...milli_demo.asp

Mr. Smiley · #13 2011-01-12, 5:19am

Yep, the one you're thinking of is N8...

share pics when you're done...

LePatron · #14 2011-10-01, 7:40pm

Thought this could use a bump........ Going to give it a shot tomorrow. The picture tutorial worked real well, and also on glasspipes read a snippet that described the process with all the techy size numbers and stuff.

"make your own. take a piece of 38 mm tube or 50, blow it to a bubble, write your name but not backwards, decorate around the signature. implode it till a thick lens appears on the face of the implosion. Take a piece of piece of one inch rod and attach a three inch section to a piece of 12 mm rod for a handle. flatten the 25 a bit then attach it to the rear of the implosion. marver it in and remove the implosion from the tube. Once everything is nice and even add a rap of color over it using color rod of your choice. Have a matching 25 to 12 and after you clean the face up a bit add the the next piece of flattened. concentrate your heat one the whole thing making sure that it is all even. If need be marver it a bit but do not affect the shaping to much or it will distort. heat the middle the most then pull!! Make sure to pull it straight towards the floor. Should give you at least 8 to 9 inches of signature milli. peace"

cheng076 · #15 2011-10-02, 8:41am

If you're making millis then it doesen't matter if you write it frontwards or backwards. Just flip the milli over. Got to watch how the letters are formed if you do it backwards though.