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?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthew_wilson222mo ago

It's funny how often the fancy, expensive gear is just for show. The best fix for a squeaky door in my old house was a bar of soap, not the special lube I bought. Sometimes you just need the right touch, not the right tool.

ivan2112mo ago

My grandpa always said a candle stub works better than any store-bought hinge grease.

pipera508d ago

OH man, I am the LAST person who should be trusted with a candle stub for anything. I tried that once and ended up with melted wax all over the floor AND a squeaky hinge because I used the wrong kind of candle. My grandpa probably would have rolled his eyes so hard he'd have hurt himself. Honestly, I'd probably have better luck using my phone case as a hinge lube, it's about as useful for everything else. So yeah, I'll stick to the cheap soap trick for now at least I can't mess THAT up too badly.