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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

View Poll Results: Is your favorite tool specifically made for Lampwork or have "MacGyvered" one?
Store Purchased 219 67.18%
Handmade, baby! 95 29.14%
Tools? I don't use no stinkin' tools! 7 2.15%
I'm not telling you! 5 1.53%
Voters: 326. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 2007-06-02, 8:00am
firegoddess41's Avatar
firegoddess41 firegoddess41 is offline
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Default Your favorite Lampwork tool.

Is your favorite tool specifically made for Lampwork or have "MacGyvered" one?
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  #2  
Old 2007-06-02, 8:06am
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My favorite tool is one that Lori Robbins hand made just for me. I covet it above all other tools.

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  #3  
Old 2007-06-02, 8:14am
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I love my Mikey Shaper. I use it every time I torch. My other favorite? My target tongs. Store bought then McGyvered (bent) into just the right squishing position.
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  #4  
Old 2007-06-02, 9:33am
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nagibeads nagibeads is offline
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the tools I reach for most often:
graphite marver
Will Menzie's torch mount marver
graphite pad and masher
fireproof cloth
1/16" tungsten poke
tweezers
shears
Corina Magic Wand
punties
and that $6 multi tool from Arrow Springs
oh, and presses
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  #5  
Old 2007-06-02, 9:51am
Carols Glass Carols Glass is offline
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My favorite tool of all time is the Leonardo petal puller, the small one. Just got it and once I tried it I found it works for many things besides just pulling petals.
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  #6  
Old 2007-06-02, 12:02pm
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I have 3 butterknives that I got from Goodwill that have smooth edges. Came that way. I use the cheapest one which is really light weight and thin.

Is that store bought or handmade?
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  #7  
Old 2007-06-02, 12:03pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kimberly View Post
It has actually become attached to my left hand.
That sounds hand made.
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  #8  
Old 2007-06-02, 4:54pm
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My stainless steel chopstick is the tool I reach for most ( and when in a "panic" )
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  #9  
Old 2007-06-02, 4:54pm
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I use the corina magic wand, whimsicalities brass beveled edge thingee, and a dental pick that has a REALLY skinny fine hook on the end (I use it to grab my encasement layer and pull it over the edge of the bead). My other fave is rod of glass that I've pulled a stringer from; I maneuver glass better with that than anything else.
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  #10  
Old 2007-06-02, 5:38pm
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Very creative and inventive! Lots of different tools.

Stainless Steel chopsticks? I'm going to have look into that.

The one I reach for first is ceramic tile, and my large serving spoon for shaping.
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  #11  
Old 2007-06-02, 6:01pm
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I like my first press, the Corina Lentil and use it the most.
I also really like my punties by Cheryl Matson. I use them all the time as well.
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  #12  
Old 2007-06-02, 7:01pm
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kitchen table knife here.
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  #13  
Old 2007-06-02, 7:07pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chrissij View Post
I use the corina magic wand, whimsicalities brass beveled edge thingee, and a dental pick that has a REALLY skinny fine hook on the end (I use it to grab my encasement layer and pull it over the edge of the bead). My other fave is rod of glass that I've pulled a stringer from; I maneuver glass better with that than anything else.

Agreed! I love the nub of a stringer on the end of a rod!
I also reach for a plain mandrel when I wanna pull a stringer or a twistie.
I use those dental like tools with spatula ype ends... mostly the long flat ones to push glass around when encasing or make lines.
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  #14  
Old 2007-06-02, 7:57pm
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My favorite is my Pier One Imports butter knife from my own silverware collection.. Still has the serated end on it and all.. I also use my stainless steel chopsticks a lot for twisties.. That and my needle nose pliers for pulling stringer..
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  #15  
Old 2007-06-02, 10:38pm
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I have one of those cheap knives that they sell in bait stores at the beach. I LOVE that thing!
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Cricket w/two 5 lpm oxycons - and sometimes a Minor.
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  #16  
Old 2007-06-03, 3:49am
Reenie Reenie is offline
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I like my brass stump shaper. Great for moving glass around, great for petals in flowers....and the handle doesn't get hot!
That and some cheap kind of pokie things with a screwdriver rubber end that I got at Walmart!
Irene
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  #17  
Old 2007-06-03, 6:53am
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comfort grip graphite hand marver, razor knife with large blade, a dental tool, tungsten pick, graphite reamer, tongs with kevlar tips, mashers, tweezer, clay tool for smiles.
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Gtt Mirage torch with tanked oxygen.
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  #18  
Old 2007-06-03, 6:53am
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Default I selected 'handmade' -

(*sniff* -"MacGyvered" should have been a poll option) mainly 'cos it's not a lampworking tool! The tool I most reach for is an old brass letter opener - slightly curved blade & with a bevelled edge - it's just brilliant for almost everything. Second favourite tool is a brass door striker plate, finer than the letter opener & dead flat - great for tucking in ends or straightening the sides of disks ... well until I can get some mashers of some sort it does the job.

Deb
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  #19  
Old 2007-06-03, 11:42am
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I agree, Deb, "MacGyvered" should definitely been a choice!

My fav is a graphite stump shaper that I got when I first started. It now has a deep indentation, kind of like Andrea's shaper (Guarino Groovy Tool), just from so many years of use. If I didn't have this I would definitely buy one of Andrea's.
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  #20  
Old 2007-06-03, 12:20pm
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I don't know it this counts as a tool or not but my favorite thing is my arem rest. The husband of a lady I took a class with made it and I don't know what I'd do without it.
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  #21  
Old 2007-06-03, 1:58pm
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I also am a big fan of stainless chopsticks for pulling stringers. I have several pairs by the torch. The other two are the Smircich graphite marver and Val Cox Marver.
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Last edited by dichromary; 2007-06-03 at 9:52pm.
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  #22  
Old 2007-06-03, 2:36pm
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I'd love to see a picture of the homemade armrests!
Stainless chopsticks were from Heritage Glass $3.95 a pair for flat ( I use the flat) $5.95 for round.
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  #23  
Old 2007-06-03, 10:26pm
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I absolutely love my Japanese cement trowel. I bought it from Michael Barley a couple years back. It works great as a handheld marver that you can use at eye level (or in any position for that matter). It's also easy to cool on a wet towel for raku reactions, etc.
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  #24  
Old 2007-06-04, 7:58am
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I used to use a craft blade for fine poking and pulling but got tired of the black marks from using steel. So I bought some sheet brass at the craft store, probably 22 gauge, and cut out a shape that fits into the x-acto handle. Since it can be cut with scissors, I was able to customize the tip
The brass grabs nicely when I use the flat side, but it doesn't leave crud on colors like rubino like steel does.
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  #25  
Old 2007-06-04, 8:02am
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the cattwalk standard crunch. and my big graphite paddle from wale with a wicked long handle. and tweezers. nothin' fancy.
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  #26  
Old 2007-06-04, 1:51pm
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Karen Hardy Karen Hardy is offline
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I LOVE all my tools I got from Jeff (Inspiration Toolworks).
I use his disk mashers all the time - and I love the star molds, which
I use to make flower stringers.
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  #27  
Old 2007-06-05, 2:39pm
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Needlenose pliers for pulling stringer, razor with handle for petals, nugget press, large spoon for holding frit.
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  #28  
Old 2007-06-07, 7:59am
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One of my favorite tools is an embossing tool made for scrapbooking.It is a stick with a different sized metal ball on each end.I use mine to indent the centers of glass flowers
Tina
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  #29  
Old 2007-06-07, 1:24pm
R4GlassStudio R4GlassStudio is offline
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Default This one

Rocio's Bladed Shaping tool.
I use this for all my sculpture work for Boro.... but really Rocio has it for bead artist. Ron Jr.
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  #30  
Old 2007-06-07, 1:48pm
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Here's my list of what I use every time:

cuticle pusher
Whimzicalities brass tools
graphite paddle
pliers - pointed for pulling stringers and applying silver, flat (no grooves) for sheep ears, and flat (grooved) for holding leftover bits of rods to start beads
spare 3/32" mandrels for pulling twisties
tweezers
tungsten pick
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