Glassmaking Primer or Tutorial Wanted

I was just interested in glassmaking and wondered if there was a good
site out there on it. The only glass making I have seen is for beads
(on websites, not personally). I am not interested in the history
sites I have found. I am wanted sites about the here and now and
glassmaking as a hobby. Thank you for any information.

jm wrote:
I was just interested in glassmaking and wondered if there was a good
site out there on it. The only glass making I have seen is for beads
(on websites, not personally). I am not interested in the history
sites I have found. I am wanted sites about the here and now and
glassmaking as a hobby. Thank you for any information.


JM,

If Googling on simple, general key words and phrases such as
"Glassblowing", "Glass Making" and "Glass Industry" do not yield the
desire of your heart, maybe you need books. Kindly allow YT to provide
a wee bit or three of data from the GGGlass Research Library?

The very best "getya started" lamp-working volume I know is _Creative
Glassblowing_ by Hammesfahr and Stong. Although it is geared toward the
equipment needed to work with soda-lime glass (and dates from back when
Asbestos was still "Good For You"), the "moves" resulting in
recognizeable and saleable product are clearly illustrated, step by
hand-sketched (VERY clear!) step. This is the book that enabled YT to
save my own life and likewise conferred a lifelong career to a very
badly dis'd kid 'Way Back When. (Them what done the dissin' is still
shovellin' cow poo and likely now be a-quakin' over BSE, last time I
Googled 'em outta the woodwork.)

On the "Pot Furnace and Glory Hole" side of things, try to find two
books: One is _Glassblowing: a Search for Form" by Harvey Littleton.
The other is "The Glass Makers: an Odyssey of the Jews_ by Kurinsky. In
these works you will find an abundance of vital illustration and clueful
exposition with respect to larger operations. Among many other wonders,
Kurinsky in particular explores the means by which the 9-ton slab of
glass which to this day protects the grave of the beloved Master of the
Holy Community of Beth Shearim (a long-lived community of ancient
world-class industrial-scale glass-makers, likely selling their ingots
to Egyptian remelters downriver as I remember) from marauding
archaeologists was produced.)

In any case, if not immediately able to purchase thru AmazonDotCom or
some other retail bookseller, ask your local librarian for an
"Interlibrary Loan" on these priceless (to us glass folk; the tourists
simply wanna be "wow'd") works. You might get looked at funny ("How'dya
know about THAT?") but you will have your book(s). Photocopy what you
need to keep in this case.

Granted, this "Ancient Glassmaker" stuff is "history", and maybe
therefore "BO-RING! in a sophisticatedly modernized, media-driven
"gettitNOW!" world. If somehow (WHY?) averse to concepts related to the
Judaic work-ethic and the ancient industrial roots which likely
co-birthed it _don't_ seek out Kurinsky, even tho' he was a contemporary
colleague of and valued correspondent with Corning's Dr. Harvey Brill at
the time. But to actually make real glass from nothing but the simple
(sic) materials readily found on the surface of this planet on which we
Spiritual Beings Each Having a Unique Human Experience (and not the
other way 'round) still (maybe not for much longer, tho' I for one
really do hope otherwise) camp? Frankly, I am headed that-a-way myself.

Send off for the catalog from the Glass-Craft Company of Golden,
Colorado. Lots of specialty instruction videos and the best prices on
boro lampworking stock I have found yet. (It's apparently now another
Beth Shearim situation, the company's founder having passed on and the
able crew keeping the operation going post-mortem for the apparent sake
of the honor, the Law, and the Profits accruing thereunto.) Good people
too, of a sort that is not always easy to find these days.

Google every day. (It's the Law, and Vermin Supreme woulda knownit.) ;-)

Best of success! Carry on.

Cordially,


Charlene Mann, Proprietor
The Green Goblin GlassWorks FBG
Seasonal Ornaments and Year-'Round Instruction
A Dynamic and Growing "Zero Dollah Option" Company

Hello John
There are many books and websites that can help you get started in
working with glass.
Can you tell us which aspect of 'making' glass interests you so we can
direct you?
Do you want to work with stained glass to make lampshades and other
3-D items?
Do you want to make leaded windows and door panels using traditional
lead cames?
Do you want to melt glass pieces together?
Do you want to bend and shape glass?
Many of us do some or all of the above so someone here should be able
to point you in the right direction if you can give some more info.

Well, I repied off line and this guy's e-mail is junk, so
Well, being self serving, go to my page on What Can I Do with Glass?
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/whatcan.htm
On that page are links to books information and you can wander through my
site which has stuff on furnace working, some kiln work and no beads or
torch work but has links to sites that do.


--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit45.htm Latest notes
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/NTBowl.htm Once again, Empty Bowls
will collect for the North Texas food banks - donate.
"jm" wrote in message
m...
I was just interested in glassmaking and wondered if there was a good
site out there on it. The only glass making I have seen is for beads
(on websites, not personally). I am not interested in the history
sites I have found. I am wanted sites about the here and now and
glassmaking as a hobby. Thank you for any information.

In article ,
"Mike Firth" wrote:

Well, I repied off line and this guy's e-mail is junk, so
Well, being self serving, go to my page on What Can I Do with Glass?
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/whatcan.htm
On that page are links to books information and you can wander through my
site which has stuff on furnace working, some kiln work and no beads or
torch work but has links to sites that do.


--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website

Mike, I couldn't get to your site.

John has been hanging out on R.C.B. a lot lately, asking many questions
about making a necklace. Wanted to know if my beads were plastic, and
got a little more info about them, then showed up here... maybe
genuinely curious about glasswork (I like to give people the benefit of
the doubt) but deeply clueless, or..?

--
-Kalera

---------

http://www.beadwife.com
auctions at http://www.snurl.com/1sfe

The email is not junk, it is just hit with the swen virus so much that you
are lucky if you can ever get an email in, but thanks for the link.
However, it comes up page not found.
- "this guy"

"Mike Firth" wrote in message
...
Well, I repied off line and this guy's e-mail is junk, so
Well, being self serving, go to my page on What Can I Do with Glass?
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/whatcan.htm
On that page are links to books information and you can wander through
my
site which has stuff on furnace working, some kiln work and no beads or
torch work but has links to sites that do.


--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit45.htm Latest notes
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/NTBowl.htm Once again, Empty Bowls
will collect for the North Texas food banks - donate.
"jm" wrote in message
m...
I was just interested in glassmaking and wondered if there was a good
site out there on it. The only glass making I have seen is for beads
(on websites, not personally). I am not interested in the history
sites I have found. I am wanted sites about the here and now and
glassmaking as a hobby. Thank you for any information.

I am deeply clueless. I just thought the whole glassworking thing was very
interesting and thought I'd find a good overview and maybe examples of stuff
"regular" people can do.

And you have all been very helpful and I am thankful for that. Thank you
all.


"Kalera Stratton" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Mike Firth" wrote:

Well, I repied off line and this guy's e-mail is junk, so
Well, being self serving, go to my page on What Can I Do with Glass?
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/whatcan.htm
On that page are links to books information and you can wander through
my
site which has stuff on furnace working, some kiln work and no beads or
torch work but has links to sites that do.


--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website

Mike, I couldn't get to your site.

John has been hanging out on R.C.B. a lot lately, asking many questions
about making a necklace. Wanted to know if my beads were plastic, and
got a little more info about them, then showed up here... maybe
genuinely curious about glasswork (I like to give people the benefit of
the doubt) but deeply clueless, or..?

--
-Kalera

---------

http://www.beadwife.com
auctions at http://www.snurl.com/1sfe

Sorry, I thought I fixed this before sending
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/what-can.htm

--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit45.htm Latest notes
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/NTBowl.htm Once again, Empty Bowls
will collect for the North Texas food banks - donate.
"jm" wrote in message
news:1s2Ib.2268$I07.1798@attbi_s53...
The email is not junk, it is just hit with the swen virus so much that you
are lucky if you can ever get an email in, but thanks for the link.
However, it comes up page not found.
- "this guy"

"Mike Firth" wrote in message
...
Well, I repied off line and this guy's e-mail is junk, so
Well, being self serving, go to my page on What Can I Do with Glass?
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/whatcan.htm
On that page are links to books information and you can wander through
my
site which has stuff on furnace working, some kiln work and no beads or
torch work but has links to sites that do.


--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit45.htm Latest notes
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/NTBowl.htm Once again, Empty Bowls
will collect for the North Texas food banks - donate.
"jm" wrote in message
m...
I was just interested in glassmaking and wondered if there was a good
site out there on it. The only glass making I have seen is for beads
(on websites, not personally). I am not interested in the history
sites I have found. I am wanted sites about the here and now and
glassmaking as a hobby. Thank you for any information.

In article kt2Ib.2279$I07.2404@attbi_s53,
"jm" wrote:

I am deeply clueless. I just thought the whole glassworking thing was very
interesting and thought I'd find a good overview and maybe examples of stuff
"regular" people can do.

And you have all been very helpful and I am thankful for that. Thank you
all.

I'm glad some of the info tossed out there has been helpful; I hope you
have fun with it! Please feel free to ask any questions you have if you
wish to further dispell your cluelessness.

--
-Kalera

---------

http://www.beadwife.com
auctions at http://www.snurl.com/1sfe