Pin Frog

[Lotti]

Now lovely Tufnells sent out clever little pin frogs as the gift with Aug orders, I am very very grateful for it and have looked at it and stroked it (carefully) but have absolutely no idea what to do with it    Can anyone help please (I have seen tuts for it making marbles and using boro but I am a soft glass person and just don't know what to do with it at all (apart from continuing to stroke it!).

[MadelineBunyan]

have you got  the book creative lampwork by Joan Gordon?
theres a good tut in there that uses one. but it is off mandrel. can be done in soft glass though.

if not, it can be used on beads by pressing in while hot, then capping the dimples with clear/a transparent to trap bubbles in a pattern

or you can use the dimples as markers for placing coloured dots of stringer in regular patterns, with or without bubbles

a start for you!

[Dee Dee]

That's a coincidence!  I was looking through my lampwork book by Joan the other day, and thought I would love to have a go at that tutorial, so ordered a pin frog - am eagerly waiting for it to arrive!  Ít's a lovely book!

[chipperpottery]

Shows how old I am, we used to have those for flower arranging.

[Pat from Canvey]

Same here Rita, I found my flower arranging one when the topic of pin frogs first came up. The hoarders mantra, Never throw anything away that might come in useful 40 years later. The ZX Spectrum is still in the loft.

[Studio Girl]

I ordered one then found two flower ones in the draw so your not on your own there

[Lotti]

I thought they were for flower arranging too!  I do have Joan's book, but as the tut was for boro and off mandrel thought I couldn't use it, but I guess I could have a play, couldn't see how I can use it with round beads, maybe on lentils?  Best find my cheapest glass and have a go! Thanks for all your help.  

[laurat]

Same here Rita, I found my flower arranging one when the topic of pin frogs first came up. The hoarders mantra, Never throw anything away that might come in useful 40 years later. The ZX Spectrum is still in the loft.

We have a ZX in loft, hubby is waiting another few years befor making a million on it  !

[Steampunkglass]

Same here Rita, I found my flower arranging one when the topic of pin frogs first came up. The hoarders mantra, Never throw anything away that might come in useful 40 years later. The ZX Spectrum is still in the loft.

We have a ZX in loft, hubby is waiting another few years befor making a million on it  !

Likewise, along with a ZX81! Now, if you have a ZX80, then you really have got something that's worth money (it's white/cream, and orginally came either made or as a 'build it yourself kit!)

Err, back to the pin frogs, yes you can use it with soft glass, it does seem better for off mandrel work as far as I can tell

[Stackmyra]

You can use it for marbles

this one I made with the small pin frog from tuffnell

its made of soft glass 

[Pat from Canvey]

Very delicate and pretty.

[Lucas]

What in the world is a pin frog?  I'm intrigued, and all these images in my mind of tiny glass frogs sitting on the top of a big hat pin...I'm thinking that's probably not it, so can anyone psot a pic?

[Amber]

Here ya go 
http://www.tuffnellglass.com/contents/en-uk/d26.html

[Lucas]

Thank you!  They do say you learn something new every day...!