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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Glass Reference Websites => Topic started by: mrvaselineglass on September 09, 2005, 12:54:39 AM

Title: My glass blowing experience!
Post by: mrvaselineglass on September 09, 2005, 12:54:39 AM

I just did an article for the GLOWING REPORT (our Vaseline Glass club newsletter) on the "first-timer" experience of getting to blow a piece of vaseline glass!  As the black and white photos for the newsletter seemed somewhat inadequate, I also did a corresponding webpage in color.  Each photo can be clicked on for a larger view.  The glass artist, Jack Loranger, runs a small one-man shop on the border between Washington and Oregon (Washougal, WA), just off the Columbia River Gorge.  He offers a 'glass blowing experience' and walks a newbie through each step by first showing the person the entire process and then is there to talk you through each step.  After the piece is completed and comes out of the lehr, he mails the finished piece to the person.  The process took me about 45 minutes from start to finish to make this cup.  Here is the link:
http://www.vaselineglass.org/glassblowing.html
Jack's link to his webpage is at the bottom of the webpage.

Dave Peterson
"Mr. Vaseline Glass"

Title: My glass blowing experience!
Post by: Cathy B on September 09, 2005, 02:25:23 AM

I remember my first and only glass blowing attempt. It was in my high school science class. We had been given hollow glass rods and were supposed to heat the end in a bunsen burner and stub it onto our handy asbestos mat to seal it over. Then we were supposed to heat a section about three centimetres long, and blow through it to make a bulb shape.

Well, the first few minutes I wasn't getting anywhere, so I decided I'd have to heat it up really well, right in the blue bit of the flame till it started to droop, then give it a really hard blow. I can't remember what happened next. All I can remember is sitting in the classroom with the whole class staring at me, with the rod sticking out of my mouth and a million pieces of paper thin glass floating down all around to a radius of about 2 meters.

After that glassblowing experiments were banned.  :D  :D  :D

Cathy

Title: My glass blowing experience!
Post by: Cathy B on September 09, 2005, 02:31:43 AM

Forgot to say - well done on the glassblowing experience Dave, it looked like fun. Cute cup :)

Cathy

Title: My glass blowing experience!
Post by: Max on September 09, 2005, 06:52:32 AM

wow!  That IS a nice cup!  Well done Dave!  Looks symetrical too - quite a feat I'm sure.   :)

Cathy...that made me laugh!  Cheers!   :lol:

Title: My glass blowing experience!
Post by: David E on September 09, 2005, 08:10:25 AM

Thanks for sharing this, Dave! Agree with Max; it does look a very purposeful piece of glass.

Cathy: remind me never to be close to you at your next glassblowing experience :lol:

Title: My glass blowing experience!
Post by: chopin-liszt on September 09, 2005, 06:07:19 PM

:D :D :D
Super photos and descriptions! Thanks very much for sharing this!
:D :D :D
PS Now we know what you look like - that's nice too!

Title: My glass blowing experience!
Post by: Anne on September 09, 2005, 06:17:49 PM

Dave, this is lovely! Very nice piece indeed. (and, as Sue says, nice to see a fellow board member's mugshot - maybe we should have a Glassies rogues gallery..???  :lol: )

Title: Poist subject
Post by: vidrioguapo on September 11, 2005, 11:08:28 AM

Wow..what an experience Dave...looking through your "story" it was like reading a brilliant mystery thriller..I had to resist going to the last page to see the result..and what a great result.  And your experience came over really vividly, putting into perspective the hard work involved in producing just one piece of glass.  I imagine there's a lot of repepative strain injury amongst glass blowers!