I have been given a hollow mandrel, and have had a go - I put a hollow over the end and blew, which resulted in what looked like clingfilm floating about the room! ;D Can anyone tell me how to do it? Should I have used a blob on the end? Thanks :)
very VERY gently... "blowing" is a misnomer - you literally only have to breathe very very gently.........
;)
I build the hollow on the end, then melt it down into a dense blob. That way you know how much glass you need for the size, and you also trap an air bubble (I've heard that's the hardest part about starting with just a blob). Then make sure it's evenly hot, cool a second or two to form a skin, then gently blow. I like to put a mirror so I can see what's happening! You can melt it down and re-blow a few times, as long as you don't burst it.
I've only done it once, but one tip from me (I started with a blob) - I mixed the glasses I used, including white, and when I blew, the white stretched much quicker than the other colours, resulting in an uneven shape and, ultimately, a nice big hole :D ;D - I keep promising myself to try again, using just one type of glass...
I asked that question once on a Dutch forum and got a great tutorial...
You can check here (http://glashobby.forumup.nl/viewtopic.php?t=5039&highlight=bolletjes&mforum=glashobby)...
I'ts in Dutch but the pictures are speaking for themselves...
Thank you everyone :) I will try with the hollow again, but let it thicken up a bit first.