c/glassblowers

Shoutout to the guy who told me my punties were too thick

I was at a studio in Austin last month, working on a small vase. Another glassblower, this older guy named Carl, watched me for a minute. He just said, 'Kid, your punties look like tree trunks. You're fighting the piece.' I was using punties about the size of a pencil. He told me to try ones half that thick, like a coffee stirrer. I switched over, and wow. The piece balanced way easier. I wasn't wrestling it so much. It felt lighter on the pipe. My control got better almost right away. Has anyone else had a simple tool change make that big a difference?

Was cleaning an old studio in Portland and found a receipt for a 1970s glory hole rebuild that cost $12.

Found it tucked in a dusty manual for a Bethlehem bench burner. The receipt was from a place called 'The Hot Spot' and the work order just said 'reline and patch, urgent.' Can't imagine getting that done for twelve bucks now. Anyone else stumble on weird bits of glass history in old spaces?

Finally got a clean pull on that cobalt blue marble after three tries

The first two attempts just cracked at the neck, but keeping the punty warmer on the third go made all the difference. Anyone have a trick for keeping the color from shocking when you're working with dense rods?

Hit 500 hours on my torch this month and it feels weird

I mean, I just checked my log and I'm at 512 hours since January. That's way more than I thought, like over 4 hours a day average. It's not even my main job, I just do it in my garage after my regular shift. I guess it adds up when you're trying to nail down a specific implosion technique and keep messing it up. Seeing that number made me realize how much time I've sunk into this one skill. Has anyone else been shocked by their own practice hours when you actually count them?

My old glory hole gave out after fifteen years last Tuesday

It was a custom one I built back in 2009, and the refractory finally cracked all the way through on a big vase pull. I had to shut down the whole shop for two days while I patched it with some emergency castable. Makes you think, you know? We used to build so much of our own gear, but now it's all just a phone call away. What's the longest you've ever kept a major piece of equipment running?

Back when I started, I had to pick between a cheap glory hole kit or saving for a real one.

I went with the cheap one, and the burner plate warped after maybe 30 hours of use. Anyone else have an old piece of gear they wish they'd just saved up for instead?

I finally got a clean pull on a 2-inch marble after three tries with a new torch tip.

The key was letting the gather cool for a full 30 seconds longer than usual before starting to stretch it, which my instructor in Tucson showed me last month.

Stuck picking a new glory hole for the shop

I had to pick between a bigger, more expensive glory hole from a known brand or a smaller, cheaper one from a local guy. I went with the local one to save some cash and support a small business. It heats up fine, but the opening is a bit tight for some of my bigger pieces, you know? Anyone else run into this and find a good way to work around it?

My kid asked me why I don't make anything for the house

I was showing my daughter, Lily, the new vase I made for a gallery in Asheville. She looked at it and just said, 'It's pretty, but why don't we have any of your stuff here?' I've been so focused on making saleable pieces for the last 5 years that I never kept anything for us. It hit me that I'm not even enjoying my own work at home. Do you ever feel like you're just making stuff for other people?

At the Toledo workshop, I saw a master use a wet newspaper pad for shaping. It made me rethink my whole bench setup.

I was at a workshop in Toledo, Ohio about six months ago, watching a glassblower named Maria shape a vase. She used a simple, wet newspaper pad instead of a graphite paddle for the final neck. The control she had was amazing, and the piece cooled more evenly. Now I'm debating if traditional tools like paddles are always better, or if sometimes the simplest, cheapest methods are more effective. I've been using a newspaper pad for my last ten pieces with mixed results. Has anyone else switched to a more basic tool and found it improved their work?

I was sure that $80 graphite paddle was just hype until I tried one on a big vase last week

A guy at the Corning Museum said something I still think about

I was there last fall watching a demo, and this older glassblower was making a simple vase. He kept talking about 'listening to the heat' while he worked. I asked him what he meant later, and he said, 'If you're fighting the glass, you're too cold. If it's fighting you, you're too hot. It tells you.' That stuck with me. I've been trying to pay more attention to that feel instead of just the clock on the annealer. Has anyone else had a teacher or artist give you a piece of advice that simple but that good?

Finally got a clean seal on a 4-inch bubble after three days of trying

Honestly, I was trying to make a simple bubble for a vase base and the seal kept getting a tiny crease every single time. I must have reheated and reworked the same piece like twenty times over the weekend. Has anyone else had this happen with bigger gathers, and what's your trick for keeping the seal smooth?

My attempt at a cobalt blue marble went completely purple

I was working on a set of drinking glasses last week and wanted to add a small cobalt blue marble to each one. I've used the same batch of Reichenbach cobalt rod for years with no issues. This time, after I encased it and worked it into the piece, the color came out a deep purple instead of blue. I was working in a slightly more reducing flame than usual because I was trying to keep the base glass extra hot. I think the extra reduction changed the chemistry of the color. I had to scrap the whole set because the client specifically wanted blue. It was about $150 worth of materials and time down the drain. I learned that even a familiar color can act totally different with small changes in the flame atmosphere. Has anyone else had a cobalt blue shift like this, and what's your method to keep it true?

Heard a guy at the Corning Museum talk about annealing thick pieces

He said for a 2-inch thick paperweight, you need to soak it at 950 degrees for at least 48 hours, not just overnight. I always just guessed at my soak times based on thickness, but that specific number made me realize I was probably rushing it. How do you all figure out your annealing schedules for really heavy stuff?

I keep seeing people blow their punties off too fast and it's cracking their pieces

Pro tip: I switched from a 5mm to a 3mm punty rod for my small cups

For years I used the thicker rod, but it left a bigger scar and was harder to break off clean. After a workshop in Seattle last fall, the instructor showed me the lighter touch with the 3mm. Do you think this works for all small forms, or just specific shapes?

I tried a new graphite paddle versus my old steel one for shaping

Everyone at the shop said the graphite would stick less, but my steel paddle gives me way more control for sharp lines. After three tries with graphite, my pieces just looked soft and rounded. Has anyone else stuck with steel for certain shapes?

Just visited the Corning Museum of Glass and noticed something about their demos

Everyone raves about the hot shop shows, but I think they focus way too much on speed and big pieces for the crowd. I watched a gaffer there make a goblet in under 5 minutes, but the punty attachment looked rushed and left a huge scar. Do you think public demos sacrifice good technique for entertainment?

A guy at the studio told me my handles looked like sad, melted bananas

Honestly, I was making a set of tumblers about two months ago and thought my pulled glass handles were fine, just a bit curvy. This older guy, Mike, who rents space at the same studio, watched me for a minute and just said, 'Betty, those look like sad, melted bananas. You're pulling too slow and letting gravity do all the work.' Tbh, it was pretty funny but also spot on. I was so focused on keeping the glass hot that I wasn't pulling with enough tension. He showed me his method: heat the gather, give it one good twist, then pull fast and straight out, not down. I tried it right then and the difference was crazy. The handle was tight and smooth, not droopy. Now I always do that quick twist and a confident pull. Anyone else get some weirdly accurate feedback that fixed a bad habit?

Spent $150 on a new glory hole door and it's a total game changer

My old door was just a piece of scrap steel and it was a pain to open and close, especially with hot glass in hand. I finally bit the bullet and got a proper counterweighted door from a shop in Portland. The difference is insane, I can nudge it open with my elbow now. It feels way safer and I'm not burning my gloves anymore. Anyone have tips for keeping the track clean from punty drips?

Warning: my attempt at a cobalt blue marble went totally purple

I was trying to make a classic cobalt blue marble for a paperweight at my studio in Tacoma, using a batch of glass from Northstar. After the second reheat, the whole thing came out this deep, weird purple instead of blue. I think my propane mix was off, maybe too much oxygen? Has anyone else had a color shift like that with cobalt, and how do you keep it true?

My apprentice told me 'you can't cheat gravity on a 12-inch gather' after a piece slumped in the annealer.

Overheard a guy at the supply shop say he only uses one color for everything

Honestly, I was picking up some clear tubing last week and this older guy was telling the clerk he only uses 'Midnight Blue' for every single piece. He said he's done it for 15 years and his work sells fine. Ngl, it kinda messed with my head because I stress over color combos for hours. I've got like 30 different frits and powders, and half are past their prime. Makes me wonder if I'm overcomplicating it just to feel like a 'real' artist. Has anyone else just picked a signature color and stuck with it?

Just dropped $400 on a custom graphite paddle... and my cat knocked it into the annealing kiln before I could even use it.

Found it this morning, perfectly annealed and now with a permanent paw print impression. Anyone have a good spot for a weirdly shaped paperweight?