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Tutorials
~Vessel Tutorial~ ~Buy Hollow Mandrels~
(below) 
As soon as I get some one to take pictures of me doing this I will post them!
I tried to do it myself.... sadly it was not that great, and blurry.
I have only done this by
means of trial and error, I have never taken a class, or read about
anything more than blowing shards (which I am not very good at....) I am using a 'hot head' torch and 104 glass for those of you interested!
THESE PICTURES AND TUTORIAL ARE FROM MY FIRST TRY!
*on 11-07-07
IF I CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT!
MATERIALS:
- Hollow Mandrels- I am using 1/8" But any other size will give you similar effects.
- Glass = that stuff you are addicted to!
- Other helpful tools:
- Bead and button mold (larger sized)
- Tweezers
- Everything else you normally use!
PREPARATION:
- Dip Mandrels in bead release, blow excess out to clear hole.
I am using smaller hollow tubing, 1/8, but larger 1/4 or 5/32 could also be used.
1) I start with a coated hollow mandrel and make a skinny barrel bead a centimeter from the end of the mandrel. Make the bottom of it nice and pretty, that will be the neck if desired. (it can be embellished now or after, and touched up after if needed)
2) Next start forming a disk on the barrel bead closest to the end of the mandrel. It can be in the middle of the barrel too for effect, and to ensure there are no gaps, however it is harder to get the bead release out if it gets in.
3) Continue forming the disk like you would a hollow bead curving to straight sides. Continue the sides as long a you like, then spiral down. (I use a thick wind and start off with a smaller hollow form, I think I get a better shape this way. Before you close off the end hole, you can do inside put stuff and fume too. Also as long as you get the disk extended over the end of the mandrel you can just blob on the end and mix and swirl.
4) Heat the form, make sure that there are not gaps in the sides, patch if necessary, or let gravity do it's thing, just spinning usually gets them out.
*Add embellishment if desired
5) Now that you have hollow bead form, heat to glow,droopy but not collapsing, and slowly spin and blow lightly at first and then when it starts to stiffen you can increase the pressure (A little).
Do a few and you will get the idea. You have to watch for side blow outs (uneven heating or thin wall spots attribute to this) I tend to have more glass on the bottom, so I heat that more than the sides. A good even heat first and then heating the bottom will give you a good shape. A good shape to start with does not always make a difference, as long as your walls are even on the sides and the bottom is rounded, or rounded to a glob it will be fine!
You can use marble/bead molds to help shape if you roll it out in a 1in bead mold. Play and blow out the shape in the mold itself to constrict the shape. Try both sides. ( I used a 1" and 7/8" bead mold)
Do not be to concerned about collapse, if this happens melt to a nice rounded blob and do it again. (its fun really) and I had a really hard time ruining one *trying to*
6) Heat the now blown shape in the flame until you like the shape, and/or it is even. give it a puff every now and then if you are getting it hot hot again, or of the shape starts to distort. If you let it distort you can get a really neat industrial look.
*Add embellishments now if desired.
7) Depending on how you have worked your vessel in the flame you can touch up the neck with stringer and add wings or handles or handle wings. I use stringer for this (factory pulled is perfect!) Make handles starts with dots and then I connect and make pretty on each side I have done wings using the fold method on the handles as well or some with just wings.
When it is done you can spot heat the bottom and with a stringer pull to a point as well!
Be careful when adding handles that the spot heating does not collapse the vessel shape, it might be necessary to add a puff if you see it distort.
throw it in the kiln!
Please let me know if this is helpful, I will get Pictures of step by step soon!
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