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Coral Fish

Coral Fish

Info from Diamond Tech Glass
Materials Needed:
• Moretti Glass Rods: black, white & orange
• Black and White Stringers
• Bead Press
• Stainless Steel Tweezers
• Protective eyewear
• Mandrels coated in bead release
Directions:
Step 1: To form a base bead, heat an orange rod until a 1/2" ball of glass forms, apply
glass to a warmed mandrel. When thoroughly heated, place bead between the paddles
of a bead press and gently squeeze to form a ¼” disk. (FIG. 1)
Step 2: Using a black stringer, apply three horizontal stripes around the body of the fish.
Next, apply a white stringer, on top of the black stringer. Heat until the striped area is
smooth, trying not to lose its initial shape. If necessary, heat one side at a time and use
a graphite paddle to keep flat. (FIG. 2)
Step 3: To create the top and bottom fins, heat an orange rod until a small ball forms.
Apply two vertical layers of glass, one on top of the other on the upper portion of the
bead. Repeat this process on the lower portion of the bead making sure the lower fin is
shorter than the top fin. NOTE: Keep the entire bead hot as you work.
Step 4: To apply the side and rear fins, continue to warm an orange rod in the flame until
a pea-sized ball form. Place glass at the center right rear of the fish and a second
smaller ball in the center of the bead. Repeat process on the left side. (FIG. 3).
Step 5: Direct flame to each orange ball of glass and heat until soft, using tweezers,
pinch glass to create fins. (FIG. 4). NOTE: Keep the entire bead hot as you work.
Step 6: Using a white stringer, apply two dots on either side of Coral’s head. These will
be the eyes. Using a black stringer, dot each eye. Heat the eyes until black and white
dots are slightly blended but still retain shape.
Step 7: To make the lips, heat and place a horizontal strip of orange glass around mouth
area opposite tail fins. Using a bead rake, pull out the corners of the mouth. (FIG. 5).
Step 8: Fire-anneal your bead by heating and allowing it to cool in the outer regions of
the flame for a few seconds. Repeat several times then carefully place the bead in the fiber blanket to cool or anneal in a kiln. 
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Tips from the Glass Academy: Beadmaking

Tips from the Glass Academy: Beadmaking

 

Though not really new, because it has been around since the 19th century, bead making is gaining momentum.  One way to get into it is to buy a Hot Head torch like you see in the pictures below.  This is easily something you can do at home.  That is just propone you see attached.  

Hot Head Torch – Stained Glass Express

 bead02

If you really want to dive in, you can buy a bench burner which needs to be hooked up to gas and oxygen.  The one below is an Alpha.  You can use a 3-gallon propane to run this and a oxygen generator. 

Bethlehem Burner or Alpha Glass working Torch – Stained Glass Express

GlassWorkingTorch 

 

 

 

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Janet's Tips: Why the Heck is Lampworking called lampworking??

Janet's Tips: Why the Heck is Lampworking called lampworking??

tipsfromjanetI originally wrote this blog in 2013. I am not sure why we used this picture of unrelated glass, but I was way younger so I'm keeping it.   Lampworking is also called flame working or torch working or bead making. All those words make sense to the process except Lampworking which is the official name of the process. So, I looked it up. It is called lampworking because way back when this process started, they did it by oil-fueled lamps while blowing air into the flame through a pipe. So, there you go! This type of glasswork is where a torch is primarily used to melt the glass. Once it is molten, it is formed by shaping with tools and hand movements. Lampworking is different from glassblowing in that glassblowing uses a furnace called a glory hole as the primary heat source. The methods today use torches that burn propane or natural gas for the fuel. It is mixed with air or pure oxygen as the oxidizer. MAPP gas in portable canisters can be used.
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