I'm thinking about experimenting with glass blowing!

[L6steel]

I've watched a couple three shows on tv about glass blowing and it is really amazing what folks can do with a wad of hot sand!!! Since I don't make knives right now I need something to put my creativeness into and think that would be an awesome craft to try. Anyone here ever done any glass blowing?? Is it dangerous or difficult to learn?

 

[btboone]

I did a little working with glass tubes when I made some homemade lasers but I haven't made the glass from scratch. The biggest thing to watch for is that the glass can look perfectly cool but still be hundreds of degrees! It takes a few seared fingerprints to really drive that one home. There's nothing too complicated about it; just heat up and cool down slowly.

 

[mete]

I've only done some laboratory glass .The serious decorative glass always is tempered afterward !!!

 

[underaged!]

I was thinking about it at one time, but upon research, I found that you need a lot of bulky equipment to do thinks right. And I have none of it.

 

[mwerner]

Watching folks do real "art glass" is like watching ballet. A finely-tuned dance between blowing, shaping, heating, cutting, bending... Wonderful to watch.

I wish you luck. Like the guy above says, it tends to take a lot of stuff to do well. The results can be spectacular!

 

[brewthunda]

Just remember Clinton's words - don't inhale!

 

[ulua]

my son, who blows glass, says go to www.thegldg.com, it's the glass lampworkers forum.
good luck
ulua

 

[severtecher]

Check out Gordon Smith, glass artist/knifesmith from New Mexico.

 

[L6steel]

Thanks for the input guys!!!!
I did a google search and it turns out there are three or four glass blowing shops down here. I just realized the sand down here is silica sand so it should be good for glass.

 

[Kohai999]

Check out Gordon Smith, glass artist/knifesmith from New Mexico.

Really nice guy, met him at Pasadena a few weeks back.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson