*ambivalent dance*
Apr. 22nd, 2010 07:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wombat1138Took an introductory class in lampworking glass beads last night. Playing with large flames is way too much fun.
Unfortunately, I'm still very definitely in the newbie phase (not too surprising, really). I could tell at the time that I was having trouble maintaining the symmetry of a basic bead shape, though my precision at applying melty glass improved somewhat as the evening went on. I went back today to collect my beads from the annealing kiln, and a fair number of them have cracks from inconsistent thermal control on the mandrel, including (imho) the prettiest one: pale transparent neo-alex with opalescent dots. I also chipped one of them at home while trying to clean excess bead release out of the borehole-- all of them need to have their boreholes cleaned out, so the casualty rate may still increase further.
Oh well. I definitely want to go back for more-- there's another class in two weeks, as well as occasional "open studio" days. The classes have a flat fee that includes 3+ hours of torch time, instructor attention, and a basic range of supplies; the "open studio" sessions have a lower per-hour fee for use of the torches and kilns, but people have to bring their own glass stash (and possibly tools/goggles).
Unfortunately, I'm still very definitely in the newbie phase (not too surprising, really). I could tell at the time that I was having trouble maintaining the symmetry of a basic bead shape, though my precision at applying melty glass improved somewhat as the evening went on. I went back today to collect my beads from the annealing kiln, and a fair number of them have cracks from inconsistent thermal control on the mandrel, including (imho) the prettiest one: pale transparent neo-alex with opalescent dots. I also chipped one of them at home while trying to clean excess bead release out of the borehole-- all of them need to have their boreholes cleaned out, so the casualty rate may still increase further.
Oh well. I definitely want to go back for more-- there's another class in two weeks, as well as occasional "open studio" days. The classes have a flat fee that includes 3+ hours of torch time, instructor attention, and a basic range of supplies; the "open studio" sessions have a lower per-hour fee for use of the torches and kilns, but people have to bring their own glass stash (and possibly tools/goggles).
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no subject
on 2010-04-23 04:06 am (UTC)