Boro Tutorials for Boro Newbies!

[Venbead]

here is the original and several variations using the same colors

[fyrsmith]

Hi everyone,

It seems there is a lot of discussion and difficulty in doing loops. Here is one way I do it, using a pin on a steel plate or on my torch:

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Attach a loop rod and pull out slightly. Be sure it is fused on.

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Wrap the hot rod around the pin, stretch it a little more and tag it down on the back of the piece. The neat thing here is that the glass in the loop where it touches the pin freezes and keeps its shape, but you can still stretch the rest of it slightly to attach it to the back.

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Lift it of the pin. It should look like this:

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Snap off the rod and fire polish the nub.



This is all one movement: Wrap, stretch slightly, tag, stretch slightly, hesitate and snap off.

Hope this helps.

-Don-

[DawnT]

Bump!

[Bobeche]

Very helpful tip, thanks! I'm gonna try it.....

[DawnT]

We have a new tutorial! Thanks KareTX!

Leaf Tutorial

I originally learned how to make leaves from the book “Flameworking” by Elizabeth Ryland Mears. This book has a lot of great information for beginners and intermediate boro folks.

Supplies
Clear rod
GA Trans Green
VB Amber Mist frit

Tools
Masher
Round pliers (or other shape)
Small brass shaper

1. Encase clear rod with Trans green



2. Heat until lines melt in and then mash



3. Heat lollypop and dip one side in frit , reheat and dip one edge again



4. Melt in Frit

5. Heat until soft and use brass shaper to make vein marks (usually take two or three times reheating)



6. Cold attach punty



7. Make sure the leaf is soft and stretch , if too soft wait two seconds. Heat the body of the leaf not the tip when doing this.



8. Flame cut and heat at the tip on one side and use pliers, move from top to bottom. Flip and do other side (if pliers have different prongs flip those also if you want the sides to match.



9. Finish shaping, disconnect and attch to bead or make loop. I make tabs so that I can easily attach bunches together .

[DawnT]

Here is the Supplylist for the 15 Dec Tutorial from Jo (AKA Sleekbead)

Encased Rainbow Twist Drops

SUPPLY LIST:

COLOR:
2 rods clear (6mm) one for punty, one to use
4 fancy color rods (no crayons for this tut... use high silver colors or fancy colors) example: Momka's Magic Mirror, Momka's Blue Lightening, Glass Alchemy's Silver Strike 3, Turquesa. (but you can use whatever you want, that was just an example).

TOOLS:
Peters Tweezers
small and large tungsten pokers
long pair of looped hemostats (or whatever you use for puting an offmandrel piece into the kiln)

[DawnT]

Turtle Tutorial by Karen Draper


Supplies:

Clear rod (Med size and small)
Pearl Green
NS Silver Creek
NS Unxplainium
NS Sublime (cut into five ½ inch pieces)
Black stringer


Tools:

Masher
Graphite marver
Flat nosed pliers


1. Make a clear maria and use the mashers to flatten




2. Use the Green Pearl to cover the top with the last wrap just coming over the edge to cover the clear and melt in well



3. Make dots with Silver Creek and then Unexplainium as you like leaving space around them. Use the small clear rod to fill in around color.



4. Start melting and shaping



5. Make sure you melt really well so that the crackle look seen above melts in. Use the small rod to fill in divots



6. When you get the shape you want start adding the legs that you pre cut.



7. Shape as you go with flat pliers, make sure they are melted in well. Add the head and shape. I use a razor tool to make the mouth. Use black stringer to make eyes.



8. Add a loop or cut rod and use the turtle as is. Make sure he goes in a hot kiln and that you ramp down after annealing to prevent cracking

[DawnT]

This tutorial was written by Scott Young of Vetro Glass in Grapevine Texas.


I wrote this about 3 and a half years ago, but it should help anybody who is "exploring" this technique for the first time...

1. using a 12-14mm clear rod, get a nice ball of hot glass on the end
2. flatten the "ball" into a disk by holding rod perpendicular to marver & pressing down (looks like the following -------| )
3. draw dots or lines on the outer limits of the face of the disk
4. melt in by holding the disk almost perpendicular to the flame (if you think of the disk as a tire, the flame would be on the outer "tread" near the face)
5. once the pattern starts to melt in, tilt the rod/disk up slightly to allow gravity to begin "slumping" the "tread" towards the face. looks like ----{
6. marver back into a disk (see #2)
7. (optional) you can add "highlights/veins" to the petals by placing dots (2 or 3) on each line of your pattern.
8. place 3-6 "small" dots in a circle near the center of the disk (I find that intense black or ocher works best)
9. repeat steps 4, 5, & 6
10. now, draw evenly spaced lines or dots (using mixtures of green) around the circumference of the disk (these will be your leaves/stem)
11. repeat steps 4, 5, & 6 approximately 5 or 6 times (depending on how well your pattern is "imploding")
12. now, to finish, you can either let the "slumping" from step 5 continue until all sides melt in to become a ball (my preference), or some people will use a small punty and cold seal to the center of the flower and pull out the stem. If you use this method, you will then have to encase the nub/stem with a coat of clear.
13. now use the marble mold to finish the rounding process.
14. (optional) If the bottom of the marble looks "runny" (the greens smeared or whatever), you can put a small "covering" pattern on the bottom.

Anyway, that is the "brief" (yeah right) steps I use. Your results may vary.

Hope the pictorial helps!

I used 104 COE for this tutorial, but you can use any COE. If you are doing boro (33 COE) I would recommend using Blue Spruce for the petals and Goldenrod for the Stamen (pull stringer for the stamen – approx 2mm).

This technique can be used for quite a few decorative patterns/pieces. Some really nice effects for boro occur using double amber purple frit first, imploding a few times, then backing with a contrast color or black. Instead of making a marble, you may also just flatten the back after imploding and place a loop for a pendant.

[fyrsmith]

Hi everyone,

Here is a photo tutorial for boro raked hearts. I posted this on WC about 3 1/2 years ago and thought it might be time to post it here for the newbies.

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Let me know how this works for you in the other thread.

-Don-

[fyrsmith]

No one has posted in either of these threads for over a month. Anyone still around?

-Don-

[DawnT]

I can post a couple more tutorials here but there didn't seem to be much interest so I wasn't sure if I should.

Is there still interest in this tutorial thread?

[sharon*johnson*designs]

Hi there!

I haven't checked this post in awhile - thanks for the reminder that it exists!

I love making heart shaped beads in soft glass so extra thanks for the boro heart tutorial!!!

Sharon

[rguttierrez]

I am interested. I have been thinking about going down the Boro road. This thread is awesome.

[Rob]

I'm very interested. I was checking this thread daily. But there was no change for a long time.

Rob.

[teachertracey]

Don't stop! I'm a newbie and love this. I can't wait to try that heart.

[playingwithfirebeads]

Please keep posting. I made a couple of hearts Don's way and was going to use that kind for beads of courage.

Thanks,
Bonny

[Nickeson Designs]

yes... please do add more!!!

Thanks everyone for sharing such kewl stuff!!!

Dan

[DawnT]

Okay then! I'll get the new ones up this weekend.

[SadiesJewels]

Yep ... me too says More More More!

I've been taking my time in getting into Boro but keep checking the beads and the tutorials for new things. It's all very much appreciated!

[bclogan]

Yes! More tutorials...!

I keep checking back for the next one....

[Beckah]

Love to see more tutorials

[DawnT]

Implosion Ring Tutorial by Karen Draper

Sorry about any fuzzy pictures was taking myself while I worked. This assumes you know how to make a marble. Have fun!

Supplies:
Clear rods 3mm an 10-12 mm
Black rod
Frit of choice
Color rod to complement the frit

Tools
Marble mold
Marver
Pliers
Ring Mandrel (Size of your choosing)


1. With the 10/12 mm rod heat and collect a gather



2. Use marver to create a maria



3. Heat and apply frit to bottom of maria



4. Heat and press to form implosion and form into a small marble back the bottom with black.



5. Leave on putty (using 3mm rod) and place in hot kiln to hold



6. Heat your ring mandrel and desired glass. Mandrel must be thoroughly heated or glass will come off as you turn and apply.



7. Decide where the top will be, add a little frit either side and melt in. As you heat marver the sides to flatten but do not thin out.

8. Once ring is formed to your liking put a small blob of clear where you want to attach the implosion.

9. Get the implosion out of the kiln, hold the implosion with pliers and take off the putty. If some clear sticks that is ok if it is on the bottom.

10. Heat where you want the two to join (the clear blob and the bottom of the implosion)


11. Using a small flame make sure this joint is completely melted.



12 Anneal is you wish.

[Sarabella]

Very helpful tutorials - keep them coming!!

Thanks everyone for sharing your boro expertise.

Sals

[jojo101]

hey thanks dawn and everyone for doing this!
im bout to go try the turtle

[DawnT]

TUTORIAL
Encased Rainbow Swirl Pendant:
By: Joanna Mueller




Quick Tip: Remember to wave your rod in and out of the flame every now and again during this process. Even though it is boro, you will be painting stripes onto a rod and there is a chance of them “popping off” if not painted on hot enough.

Step 1: Take one of your boro colors and “paint” a 2 inch stripe down the length of the 6mm clear rod from the very top. Melt in slightly (just enough to know it will not pop off). Take your next boro color and repeat. You can use as many colors as you want, however, for the coolest effect, make sure to leave some clear “unpainted”.



Step 2: For this step you can either use another 6 mm clear rod, or a 4mm clear stringer rod… your preference. It’s time to encase all your “painted” stripes with clear glass. Begin covering each color stripe by “painting” the clear over each and every one. Then, you will also need to paint a clear stripe in the areas that had no color.



Step 3: Pick up another 6mm clear rod and melt it to the tip of the painted bulb you just created. Make sure the pieces are sealed together hot, not a punty. Once you have done this, remove from heat just for a quick moment until the glow is gone. Remember to keep your entire piece straight, don’t have the piece you just added at a large angle. Put the entire “bulb” of glass with stripes into the flame and heat slowly to a nice even red glow. Remember when rotating in the flame, at this point, to keep each hand rotating in the SAME direction while you are heating. Once your “bulb” is heated through and is workable, begin to rotate your hand in opposite directions making a “twist” in the bulb.
You can pull apart slightly depending on if you want the design to be tightly swirled, or loosely… the choice is yours. (It will take a few practices before you feel comfortable with this, and know what you like.)



Step 4: Now that you’ve twisted your bulb into a swirl design, it’s time to melt off the clear rod you added in step 3. I prefer to melt off all the clear and drill my hole right through the color other than have a large blob of clear at the top of my pendant… but it’s up to you. Once you have melted off the clear rod from ONE side of the bulb, it’s time to make your loop-hole. Bring the tip of the bulb into the flame and gently shape into a rounded end. (I like to turn mine upside-down for just a moment and narrow it up a little, however, again, personal preference). Once you have your end nicely shaped and smooth, bring it into the flame once more and give it a nice red glow (not drippy, but definitely HOT). Pick up your Peter’s Tweezers and press them together into the tip of your bulb. (Quick Tip: It’s important to make sure you’re not pressing your tweezers together too near the end of the bulb… if you do this, then the top of your loop will have less glass and be weak.) Once you have pressed your tweezers into the end of the bulb and you have a nice print in the glass, pick up your tungsten pick and slowly heat it in the flame. Then, quickly “drill” your hole through the imprint left from your tweezers.
(This can be tricky and it is usually the part where all newcomers have trouble, just keep practicing, it will come!) It is important to keep the glass warm but not molten when you are drilling the tungsten into it. IF your glass is too hot, the tungsten will stick to it, if it is not hot enough, you will have trouble getting the tungsten to poke through. Keep your tungsten at a little glow, but do not heat so much that it is fuming in the flame… HAZARDOUS!!!!



Step 5: Ok, so after a few trials and errors, you’ve managed to drill your hole…
Take a clear rod (I prefer 6mm) and punty up to the end with the loop-hole.
Remember, when you punty, you are heating the punty rod NOT the pendant loop.
Once your punty is on, bring the other end into the flame and burn off the clear rod of glass. Once you have done this, you can begin letting gravity and heat shape your pendant for you. I hold my clear rod in my hand with the pendant pointing UP into the flame. Important to remember NOT to heat the loop-hole while doing all this. If you do, you will distort your loop-hole and have to re-heat it and re-drill it. I let the heat shape and smooth my encasing into a nice bulby shape. (almost like a large jellybean with out the little dent in the middle) If you want your pendant smaller, just remove unwanted glass. Once shaped, and encasing nicely melted around, I like to raise my arm up and turn the pendant DOWN into the flame. I let it get hot enough to move, but not drippy. (hah! Can boro get drippy?) ………then I let gravity “pull” the pendant down slightly into an elongated shape. Or sometimes, I just leave it in a fat jellybean shape. You decide!



Step 6: Flame strike and when happy with color, gently grab your pendant with your looped hemostats and break off the punty. Turn your flame down to a medium point and “flame polish” and slightly shape the area where your punty has broken off.




Put in kiln and anneal…..

Take out of kiln when cool and wear your new rainbow twist pendant!!!

Now go experiment and let’s see those pictures!

[Leanne]

You can also do the first couple of steps in the above tute ny sleekbeads and then condense it into a marble!
Great tuts keep em coming!

[Iwantonetoo]

being new to boro, this thread is awesome! Thanks to all of you for the time you put into posting and sharing this information.

Sheri

[Reenie]

bump

[skookum]

Great thread! I'm off to try some of this.
Any chance of this thread becoming a sticky so it doesn't get lost?
Thanks to those who posted!
Sherri

[DawnT]

I PM'd Corri and asked it if could be made a sticky and never got a response.