There's no firm and fast definition for "big glass" but it's one of those things that you know it when you see it. Couple clues might be
If you want to put multiple wraps on a piece, look no further than the amazing "spider wrap." You can throw on a bunch of clear or colored glass wraps all at the same time!
This is part one which covers what it should look like when things go right... This is part two, which covers what it should look like if things go very very wrong...
-Click through to YouTube for easy access to various sections of the video- ...or an hourglass, or a cooling tower. Whatever you wanna call it, this video covers 3 different ways of making forms with a waist. Tricky to get right, but it's a wonderful feeling when the bubble drops out into a perfectly smooth line.
If you want to learn these fast, practice them like you see in the video. Smallish, clear, and not puntied up. It should take less than 5 minutes to get to that point, so in a very short amount of time you can get a lot of tries at figuring things out! Intro - 0:00 Method 1 explanation - 1:02 Method 1 demo - 1:26 Method 2 explanation - 4:24 Method 2 demo - 5:14 Method 3 explanation - 9:01 Method 3 demo - 9:48 Wrapup - 11:32 -Click through to YouTube for easy access to the various sections- Two ways to make pulled cups -or twisty cups- that use the properties of molten glass in fundamentally different ways.
Having multiple methods to achieve an end goal gives you more opportunities for success in the hotshop and fosters a deeper understanding of glass as a material. Intro - 0:00 Method 1 explanation - 1:11 Method 2 explanation - 5:19 Method 1 demo - 6:45 Method 2 demo - 11:01 Wrapup - 15:59 -Click through to YouTube for easy access to the various sections of the video- A logical followup to the video on capping. This 20 minute deep dive into making a good starter bubble starts to get at one of the most important relationships in the glassblowing process.
They say that how it ends usually depends on how it starts, so train yourself to look at the starter bubble with a critical eye and put yourself on the path to a successful piece. Intro - 0:00 Gather - 2:10 Temperature - 3:13 Temp - 4:27 Shape - 6:43 Demo w/ thin sides - 8:26 Demo w/ thin tip - 10:07 Wrapup - 12:34 Welcome to the very first post on Glassblowers Guide. Thanks for visiting!
If you have trouble getting the cap right off the bat, this 6 minute video will save you hours of frustration working on pieces that don't get off to a good start. |