Ear plugs (glass ones)

Started by Lotti, July 10, 2014, 09:44:30 AM

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Lotti

Anyone  make these?  I see that CG beads now have a range of rollers for making these http://cgbeads.com/beads_ear-gauges.html  Am thinking about it as I live in surfers country and wondered if anyone else makes these and any hints or tips (these would be in boro only btw).

Steampunkglass

I did try making some years ago, I found making them even and totally round really hard though! I gave up when I went past a stall selling them for a few pounds. If I'd have had one of these it might have been different though - the sizing was the hard part to get right and seemed the most important!

Nicknack

What a good idea.  DD wears ear plugs, and would love me to make some for her, but I don't think those are big enough. Will have to investigate.

Nick

Lotti

Quote from: Steampunkglass on July 10, 2014, 09:52:10 AM
I did try making some years ago, I found making them even and totally round really hard though! I gave up when I went past a stall selling them for a few pounds. If I'd have had one of these it might have been different though - the sizing was the hard part to get right and seemed the most important!

Presumably you would start need to make a plug sized blob and shape it, removed the shaped blob from the rod (punty up) and shape, fire polish and then knock off the punty, fire polish that bit holding with something (I use sponge forceps) and just drop in kiln??????  Do you know if there are any tuts anywhere for this sort of thing?  Donna just says in her home page blurb that she made hers on mandrels cos she isn't good at punties but I would like to try to do it that way if I could (I suppose with tunnels you would make them on mandrels?).  Being in surf country and being 'in' with one of the local surf shops I thought it might be something worth trying (not that I haven't anything else to do you understand, just interested in a bit of diversification!). :)

garishglobes

I read a bit about both ear plugs and ear horns on Lampworketc a couple of years ago - Jamie used to make them. For non-mandrel ones, I'd say the last roller looks best (the one for small plugs) and perfect for eliminating the difficulty with gauge, which I think was what stopped him too. You can decorate the ends but I'd make sure the glass you use for the main part of the plug doesn't have too many exciting metals in, or is sleeved.  ;)

Steampunkglass

I probably start with a clear rod the right size, that way you've got a nice round shape for the centre area which I think is the critical one to get right, then have fun making the decorative 'end bits' in pretty much the way that you suggested. I think the 10-14mm range is the more popular size from what I was told, but you'll get people going up to 20mm and beyond!

Lotti

Thank you everyone for your help.   Couldn't get hold of my friend in the surf shop today might try to pop in next week to see what he thinks (after all I would probably want them to be the outlet for them ;) ).

Nicknack

DD told me that if I could make some I'd earn a fortune. We're at opposite ends of the county, so shouldn't get in each other's way, and you're better than me, so I should go for it, if I were you.  The rollers in your link only go up to 19mm, and DD wants an 18mm and a 32mm, (yes, different sizes in each ear!) so hopefully they'll bring out a "large" size.  I might just try Glenn's idea..........

Nick

Lotti

Quote from: Nicknack on July 10, 2014, 11:19:40 PM
DD told me that if I could make some I'd earn a fortune. We're at opposite ends of the county, so shouldn't get in each other's way, and you're better than me, so I should go for it, if I were you.  The rollers in your link only go up to 19mm, and DD wants an 18mm and a 32mm, (yes, different sizes in each ear!) so hopefully they'll bring out a "large" size.  I might just try Glenn's idea..........

Nick

:) :)  I think they are bringing out a bigger one according to the website, she wanted to get these out before the Gathering, they do have the bigger tunnels, but I think I would start with plugs first.  In looking up these things (I have noooooo idea) I found a website of a shop in Brighton that sells them and I learned ALOT!  You go for it too, will take me a while to get there anyway and as you say it is a BIG county ;) :) xxxx

SilverGems89

Personally I wouldn't go much bigger than the sizes already available for the plugs, they would be waaaaaay too heavy if they were solid! (I guess that's where making them on the end of a mandrel might come in handy!) the tunnels look great though!

ajda

Quote from: SilverGems89 on July 11, 2014, 07:21:41 AM
waaaaaay too heavy if they were solid! (I guess that's where making them on the end of a mandrel might come in handy!)
...though slightly lighter in boro than soft glass. I wonder about trying Glenn's idea of starting off with rod of a particular diameter, but instead of rod using tubing...? The problem I'd have is preventing the tube mis-shaping - so maybe mandrel is the answer.
Alan
www.ajdalampwork.etsy.com

Steampunkglass

OH has one of these big holes in her ear, and did buy a tunnel made of boro tube that had been fumed with gold (although not very well in my opinion!) I did ask why she'd wasted money on it when I could have made her one like that!  :D

I think it's not just about location, it's also going to be making your own individual style as well, that way it doesn't mater where you are in the country if you have a design that is desirable and unique then you can sell them anywhere (and for a reasonable amount for your time and energy too)

Lotti

Quote from: ajda on July 11, 2014, 07:59:58 AM
Quote from: SilverGems89 on July 11, 2014, 07:21:41 AM
waaaaaay too heavy if they were solid! (I guess that's where making them on the end of a mandrel might come in handy!)
...though slightly lighter in boro than soft glass. I wonder about trying Glenn's idea of starting off with rod of a particular diameter, but instead of rod using tubing...? The problem I'd have is preventing the tube mis-shaping - so maybe mandrel is the answer.

I agree I think I would struggle to make the tube behave (but then I am a new boro person and my tube control is well, not fab!).

Quote from: Steampunkglass on July 11, 2014, 10:08:21 AM

I think it's not just about location, it's also going to be making your own individual style as well, that way it doesn't mater where you are in the country if you have a design that is desirable and unique then you can sell them anywhere (and for a reasonable amount for your time and energy too)

Probably very true, I just thought I might have a bit more of a captive audience here to start out with and wanted to give the local surf shop something a bit different alongside my other pieces they have and then when it goes well I shall take over the world - mwhahahaha  ;D