Lampwork Bead Class

I was so excited to make beads, I jumped into a lampworking class at the Brookfield Craft Center (CT) taught by Ellen Morrell.  I learned a TON of stuff and loved working in the studio!

My notes:

VOCABULARY:

C.O.E. – Coefficient of Expansion.  2 glasses MUST have the same COE for them to stick together.  Soft glass has a COE of 104.  Borosilica has a COE of 33 – the 2 cannot be mixed.

Mandrel – Piece of wire that the bead is formed on.  The size of the wire determined the size of the hole in the bead.  Can be very small to vary large (rings, etc).  The bigger the mandrel, the harder it is to get an even bead.  Start with a relatively thin, 12” or longer mandrel.

Bead release – similar to slip in pottery.  Used to coat the mandrel so that the bead will come off.  If the bead touches the metal it is stuck forever.  Make sure the slip is dry before applying the glass.

Marver – graphite or brass and come in many different sized and uses.  Marvers leave chill marks.  Do not put them in the fire.

Frit – broken glass or powder that can be added to hot glass to produce effects on the bead.

Gather – a glomp of hot glass that forms at the end of the rod as you heat it.

Pick – a tool used in bead making. 

Stringer – a thin rod of glass made by pulling a “string” off a hot rod.  Can be a single or multiple colors.

Filligrano – a clear encasing around something such as gold stone which burns.

Alabaster – it is very difficult to work with and it is recommended that you stay away from it.

Striking – Taking it out of the flame and let cool, then reintroduce quickly (flash)

Reduction – Change chemistry of oxygen and propane and starve it of oxygen

Didium Glasses or shield – takes away the soda ash flare

SUPPLIERS:

Frantz Glass – great glass, has sales

Devardi – has great tools

Mountain Glass

Sundance Hot Glass

Howaco Glass – will sell you individual rods

GLASS MANUFACTURERS:

Effetre (Morano) also Moretti – made in Italy.  Also called soft glass.  COE 104

CIM (Creation is Messy) Made in China.  Good glass with nice colors COE 104

Double Helix – Made in the USA.  Popular for metalics.  COE 104

Vetrofond – Mond in Italy COE 104

Borosilicate – different glass all together.  Hard glass or pyrex.  COE 33

BOOKS:

Making Glass Beads – Cindy Jenkins

Passing the Flame – Corina Tettinger

Contemporary Lampworking – Bandhu Scott Dunham (more advanced and includes borosilicates)

HISTORY:

Italian formulas were family secrets.

One guy left for Germany and shared the secret and glass spread out from there.

Also called soda-lime glass

TECHNIQUE NOTES:

We’re using Oxygen and Propane

Transparent is easier to work with.  White tends to get soupy.

Different COEs require different kiln and torch temps

Soft glass melts between 1200F-1500F

Anneal at 950F / Ramps down at 100F/hour

Work parallel to table

Heat mandrel with slip until it glows red

Poke the glass into the tip of the flame to slowly warm it then bring it to the sweet spot.

Mandrel in non-dominant hand, glass rod in dominant

Add glass to mandrel outside the flame

Keep bead behind the flame and rolling to keep it warm (hot sticks to hot)

Once glass starts to cool, add another wrap of glass

Put bead back in heat and let it fall down until round

Keep the bead behind the flame as shaping

Classroom torches & vents

The flame

The sweet spot

A BIG reminder of how to turn the torches on and off!

Ellen giving a demonstration

My classmates :)

Some of the rejects by one of the beadmakers who is a regular

Very cool stuff

Another one

Warming the bead to add more glass

You can see the reaction!

From the back - you can see how she works behind the flame

A very hot bead

Adding dots!

Adding a clear layer of glass

The beads I made that day with the exception of the 3 to the top right which I made at the Metalsmith's Symposium