Welcome to my World of Glass!
This is ”My Studio”. My
wonderful husband Nick and I set it up. A quick run down of my studio
consist of a torch, ventilation system (very important for not killing
brain cells), kiln, oxygen concentrator, lots of glass (don’t tell
hubby), tools and more tools, fire extinguisher (I hope never to use
this) and many packages that arrive weekly. I stop all deliveries
when DH is home on vacation. Yes, my name is Dawn and I have
an addiction
to glass!
I use a Minor
torch with natural gas and an oxygen concentrator. The kiln I use is a
Chili Pepper Tool box. I also have a hood vent that takes the fumes
from the torch and glass to the outside. There are several type
of glass that I use that are imported from Italy. They are Effetre (Moretti), Vetrofond (Murano), and Lauscha glass. I also use
a lot of crushed glass called Frit.
To make lampwork beads I use
my Minor torch and melt a rod of glass around a steel mandrel (a skinny
stainless steel rod about 12 inches long). I mostly use the 1/16
mandrel. I find that this size works best to make jewelry. It makes
the perfect size bead hole. I then shape the bead and decorate it with
various colors of glass and fine silver.
Once I make a bead it is
immediately placed in my digitally controlled kiln. This removes the
stress from the glass and makes the bead a lot stronger! This process
is called annealing. Of course they are glass but they should last a
lifetime!