07-12-2010
Zen Glass is in the forefront of the studio glass scene in St. Pete. With the new Chihuly collection and Hotshop, St. Petersburg is experiencing a renaissance and we are a huge part of it. Look for our latest work @ The Museum of Fine Art, Ami Jewelery in the Vinoy, The Morean Arts Center and Florida Craftsman.
This page offers a look into our technical world of Flameworked Glass Art. Here you will find a glossary of terms as well as information and ideas for getting started in flameworking.
Safety Certificate:
Lampworking is a centuries old trade that has evolved into a huge studio glass movement. Safety is our #1 goal first and foremost! Here are some things you need to know in order to step one foot in our virtual studio.
1. Protective eyewear is a must. The torch gives off a sodium flare as well as ultra violet and infa-red rays. Didymium lenses do not protect your eyes. Depending on the size and type of glass you work there are different scales of lenses.
2. Setting up your studio, you will need to figure air flow and ventilation into the plans from the start. A hood system or an exhaust fan in the window with your torch blowing into it. Light an incense, check your air flow. Always have clean fresh air on your back. Your torch must be facing out and getting sucked out. Your flame shouldn’t dance around.
3. The gas you will be using is Oxygen and Propane in ether a premix of surface mix torch. Your tanks should always be stored outside. You will need regulators for both, which you can pick up at your local welding supply. ALWAYS check your lines and seals for leaks with a spray bottle filled with soapy water. CHECK ALL CONNECTIONS! This cannot be stressed enough. Your gas lines need to be up and away from any hot glass shards! Have extinguishers close and up to code.
4. Glass dust and powder are dangerous. Please acknowledge and appreciate this and take precaution. Great ventilation and OSHA dust and fume masks as well as a clean workstation are a must when working with powders.
5. Glass and the torch you melt it on are EXTREMELY HOT, in upwards of 3000 degrees. Respect the heat. When you burn yourself turn the torch off and take a break. Have aloe handy. If burn is severe please see a physician.
6. Glass is sharp and breaks. If you cut yourself turn the torch off and take a break. Have first aid handy; to stop bleeding hold hand above head. If cut is severe see a physician.
Important Terms
Soft Glass vs. Hard Glass:
Coefficient of Expansion (COE): The rate at which the glass heats up and cools down.
Compatibility: Glasses with the same COE will melt together smoothly and stay together when fused; they are said to be compatible.
Annealing: Holding the glass at a specific temperature in order to allow the stress to release.
Checking: A fracture in the glass caused by too great a temperature difference.
Devitrification: Haze on the surface of the glass caused by the breakdown of the crystal matrix caused improper heating.
Fuse: Two pieces of glass form one.
Gather: A mass of molten glass.
Inclusion: A foreign body within the gather, can be either accidental or intentional.
Mandrel: A metal rod around which beads are formed.
Marver: To roll and shape molten glass against a hard surface usually graphite or steel.
Murrine/Millifore: A picture or patten sculpted, then pulled into long canes and sliced in to chips.
Millifore is a specific pattern which literally translated means “thousand flowers.”
Pontil (punty): A rod, either glass or metal, used to hold the gather. They can be solid or hollow to allow the artist to blow through them.
Raking: Drawing a tool across the molten gather to form a feathered pattern,
Slump: To bend a piece within the kiln. Can be used to bend glass into a molded form.
Soak: To hold the glass at a certain temperature for a fixed length of time.
