Top Tips For Newbies

Started by nete, January 01, 2013, 10:46:16 AM

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tish

mine would be
tie your hair back
use a rod rest between beads so that the hot end is always at the top
check the torch nozzle every so often for glass chips etc
and never listen to the vioce in your head that tells u to pop the hot bead on the back off your hand just to see how hot it really is (i can show u the scar if u want )

noora

* Practice the basic moves, like making dots or applying stringer. Practice them a lot. That way, when you want to make something fancier your intended design won't fail just because you couldn't get the dot or stringer in the right place.

* A tip I learned just a few months ago: when you want to try out a surface decoration, for example making raised flowers or leaves, practice making them on a glass rod first. That way you won't spend lots of time making a bead just in order to practice a decoration that'll turn out wrong the first ten or twenty (or more...) times. Making the bead can be good practice too, but I often run out of patience if I spend hours on fugly beads before I get the hang of some surface decoration.

* If you want to soften the entire bead (for example so that you can shape it), keep it in the outer part of the flame so that it heats up slowly. If you want to soften just a spot (for example to poke or melt in a dot), keep the bead near the torch so that the part you want to soften heats up quickly.

Rosenquartz

Quote from: Margram on January 01, 2013, 09:43:53 PM
You can take tea breaks - when I started I torched for hours on end without a break, thinking I would have to bleed the pipes each time I stopped... :-[ ;D

But beware... with my new set-up I have a solid copper tube coming through the wall to a shut-off valve then rubber tubing to my torch. When I had a tea break I shut off only at the torch and when I went back I noticed a distinct smell of gas and although I did a leak test (using a spray can of leak detector fluid) I could not find the source - I could only put it down to a slight leak somewhere due to the pressure in the pipes or the valve on the torch not shutting off 100%. I now try to remember to shut off at the valve at the wall for tea breaks, and at the valve on the outside of the wall for longer breaks.
More recently I fitted a carbon monoxide detector in the room and now it reminds me if I don't shut-off properly or if I don't turn on the room extractor fan. I think my detector will always be hypersensitive because it's positioned only about 6 inches down from the top corner of a sloped ceiling where all the hot air will accumulate.
Rosenquartz

arachnia

Quote from: ARBeads on January 01, 2013, 04:12:21 PM

Check the lids on the bead release before shaking.............

LOL yes.... still need to get that spot on my kitchen ceiling  ::)
Vickie
]

Redhotsal

A few from me:
1) Don't think you can "get away" without proper ventilation for a few months. You can't. You owe it to yourself to look after your lungs. You'll only get one pair. If you really really insist on working without extraction make sure you get LOTS of fresh incoming air. You'll freeze, but you won't poison yourself.
Even if you have extraction - you'll need fresh air to replace the stuff your pulling out so you may freeze either way!  ::)

2) Lots of beads get stuck on the mandrel. You probably won't be able to get them off "by hand". Go and get some "mole grips" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locking_pliers and lock them onto the mandrel a few mm away from the bead. Wiggle the bead with your right hand (after a 10 minute soak in water) and hold the mandrel firmly in the mole grips with your left hand. (Swap hands if you're left handed). Your bead should come free without too much work, but you will often find wrapping an old cloth around the bead gives you a better grip on the bead. This is where you will see if your dots and stringer work has been melted in enough!

If you have broken the bead release and the glass is stuck to bare metal, I'm afraid it may never come off.

3) Stuck beads can make nice flower pot decorations!  ;D

Dragonfire Glass


katherinem

I would say:

1) Read old threads on this forum - I worked my way through pretty much all of them! It may not all mean much to start with, but you pick up all sorts of information.

2) When people say, practice, practice, practice, they mean it! You have to be prepared to get through quite a lot of glass on fuglies, so get some effetre in cheap colours to practice with. I like the 'selection packs' too, then you can try out a colour before buying lots of it.

3) For me, although I love to read about lampworking, nothing beats watching someone demonstrate a technique. That, and the opportunity to meet other lampworkers, is why I love to take classes when I can.

Although, given that I've only been doing this just over a year, I reckon I'm barely out of 'newbie' status myself  :)

james M knox

My addition would be:

VISIT FLAMEOFF  ;D  ;D  ;D - Plenty demo's to see, lots of people to talk to, glass and tools to purchase, and torches to practice with if you see a technique you want to try while you remember it.... It is in April.

Well worth a visit - better if you can do both days, but even 1 day is worth it.

Oh yes - nearly forgot, never be afraid to ask that question, the only stupid question is the one that has not been asked.  ;D

James M Knox

lemon kitten

My two penneth for what it's worth would be revisit......I often look at old PCM of beads I made years ago...and then try and make them again.....only better......you'd be amazed how you've improved.

Janey x
Never stand up in a canoe!

helbels

I like that idea Janey as I'm a bit lacking in mojo atm, perhaps I'll have a go at remaking something x

flame n fuse

talking about mojo, did you see the suggestion on   http://melanie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/ for playing around with colour palettes?

mel

My tip would be to make a support for the 'other end' of your mandrel as most newbies forget that it is important to hold the mandrel horizontally and invariably get a get a pointy end on the bead.

SO, get a small paddle marver, file off a few mm in one corner, then drill a shallow hole in it.

When you have dipped your mandrels, pinch off the last couple of milimetres, then you can easily balance the marver in your divet when twirling (without crumbling your bead release. I still use mine, especially for bigger beads

That doesnt make much sense does it?  :-\

I'll post some piccies in a mo.


Also, to rejuvenate lumpy old bead release, get an old mandrel, bend one end into a little circle, stick it in your dremmel and whisk up your pot of bead release, adding boiled (cold) water until its all smoothy new again. It works fantastically well.
Laughinglass Lampwork Beads

flame n fuse

and also a few 'failed' beads in the pot of bead release, can help with mixing it up when it's settled out