WarmGlass.com

Thanks Tom - just one hole in the glass for a pin, or two?

The connectors and fittings are pretty straight forward. How the cable connects to the glass is in question. Sure, we could drill holes - but wonder if wrapping the cable around the end may be the answer - but how would that be centered?

The teardrop's end shape is determined by what's needed to hang it (yet undetermined). Weights vary as size changes. We'll be creating and installing the piece in a public setting, so it's definitely a professional job :). Perhaps the best starting point is to investigate the hardware associated wit...

Figuring out details on how to attach SS cable to various sizes of blown teardrop shapes - any thoughts on how to do this? Sure could use some ideas on how to make this look right, be strong, and clean.

Another pickup idea I'm pioneering is using kiln formed cylinders. These thick-walled fused cylinders are fun to make and easy to pick up and blow out. A little different from the typical roll-up, here we start the hot shop process with a cylinder right out of the kiln. If you want to know more abou...

There we go! Although it's tough to find something new under the sun, teaching classes on this topic is always welcomed by those interested in taking their work to the next level. It appears new, when little information or activity is found discussing this approach, and my activity came from activel...

Warm pickups out of the kiln. Glassblowing in my fusing studio, with the simple addition of a glory hole, glassblower's bench, and a few hand tools. I'm focusing on making drinking glasses (until I develop skill levels further) using slices of color bars and clear studio nuggets from System 96. I'd ...

Regardless of the configuration used, I believe the best kiln is the one you build yourself.

Using float glass, you're able to fuse and slump in one firing. I typically fuse two blanks of 1/4" plate (from the same sheet) formed into large parabola shaped light fixtures, bird bathes, or giant bowls.

I encourage kiln building because of so many reasons. Yes, good deals can be found using ceramic relics and that's fine, too. However, it's still best (when upgrading) to build your own. Stock elements from Durolite Inc. are best because they're affordable and always available. A kiln is simply an i...

Confetti is like egg shells in thickness, and made hot on the end of a blowpipe by blowing a bubble out huge. My understanding of a shard is they're small pieces of sheet glass. I make shards by putting sheet glass pieces into a 5 gal. bucket and smashing them until every piece is about the size of ...

Funny me, I don't bother with purchasing another device such as this special light for detecting the surface of plate glass. I find it refreshing to go for it, as is. So far, it's worked!

Funny how we concluded two different opinions using glycerine for a base. I never attempted to let it dry - just put it in the kiln to heat right off. We completed four stained glass windows with every piece painted that matched the original ones, and they looked identical - nice line definition, no...

Don't forget good ventilation, especially working with powders. I prefer a whole house fan mounted at the end of the bench, blowing out. Somewhere you can brush off your work that's filled with stuck fiber paper & such. A portable fan can be positioned to create horizontal air movement w/air com...

Whichever (powdered) paint you end up with, we use 100% glycerine to mix it up when silkscreening. It works marvelously.

I have (somewhere in the files) a GE pamphlet describing different properties of silicon. Some hold better under pressure, some have longer working times and such. But only one actually has the ability to stick to itself - that's called 'silpruf'. It's made for tough outside conditions (uv ray prote...

I'm the guy touting the portable controller since I absolutely love mine - able to control 4 different kilns located in various places. I bought mine from Gil Reynolds over twenty years ago and have never had to service it! Make sure you get the largest rated amps available - mine is 60 amps - so yo...

Great link Bert. This company is the ticket for all your kiln needs - I really like their very affordable stock coils for our home-made kilns!

I don't know if this will help, but you can use hollow quartz glass rods instead, placing the coil inside the rod. It's cheaper and more efficient.

A whole house fan runs either direction, with a simple turn-knob switch to control it. I place it in a window found at the end of my bench. Now I can exhaust the air, sucking out fibers, powders, and grout dust. It really becomes effective if I place a fan blowing air across the table aimed at the w...