Hot Glass Bits #36

Contact Mike Firth

February 23 to July 7, 1997

Prev.Issue 35 Link to HGB Table of Contents Next Issue 37

[Images added in 2003 from GAS 97 pages]

HOW TO DESIGN CREATIVE GLASS INTERNET HORIZONS
HUGE GAP EST F MELTDOWN GLASS FURNACE
ELECTRIC FURNACE JOHN POWELL LINO TAGLIAPIETRA LESSON
LESSON: A WILLIAM MORRIS PHILABAUM'S DESERT FIRE
MAKE IT WIRING HOW TO DESIGN CRAFT
SOURCES GLASSBLOWER BOOKS.COM [W HANDS-ON GLASS
FRABEL CREATIVE GLASS C.E.R.F ANNEALING KILN
ROD SALE RICHARDS AWARD THE INDEPENDENT 1998 GAS Conf
DIAMOND DISKS SUPPLIES

This issue contains the following date/deadlines.

GlassWeekend '97, Wheaton Village NJ June 13-15, 1997

HOW TO DESIGN YOUR CAREER PATH, lower registration, 7/31/97

CREATIVE GLASS CENTER OF AMERICA, application deadline 9/2/97

[capitalized KEYWORD starts a paragraph below]

Hot Glass Bits is a personal chronological record of my wanderings through glassblowing and the bits and pieces of knowledge I gather along the way. It includes things I try, thoughts I have, information I receive, and reports on things I do. In many ways it is an edited diary and events calendar about glassblowing. If it is useful to others, it is worth the effort. It is normally closed near the end of the odd numbered months and mailed soon after. WHOAMI? - Mike Firth is a 54 year old, low experience glassblower who signed up for his first class in '91 without having seen anyone blow, although he had seen TV shows, and had done stained glass and worked clear tubing in the past. He has built cheap equipment in his back yard to learn and practice and is now on his second round, more traditional, of equipment. When not blowing, he is a married employee of the best hardware store around. Vision Thing: Working glass from a furnace can cost a small fortune, it would be useful to have a package of equipment that is straight forward to build and not very expensive. The legal stuff: Working glass is inherently dangerous, involving heavy materials that can be razor sharp, so hot that damage can be done before feeling occurs, with chemicals immediately poisonous, dusts that can damage the lungs, and heat sources that can wreck the eyes. Understand the safe practices required and use them to blow beautiful glass.

If I could, I surely would spend the week of July 12-18 at Hands-on Glass (see below) for a weekend of Murrini and a week of Flame & Furnace.

No, you probably didn't miss an issue.

Yes, I have included 3 1/2 months in this issue, having put the last one out late and having had too much fatigue, too little time, and too much to do since the last issue and getting back from GAS 97. That is part of the reason that subscriptions run for a year and not for a specific number of issues - and also why I am casual.

Pictures on the web If you have web access, my web page has pictures from the GAS 97 Conference that relate to the content of this issue. See the URL above to track me down.

INTERNET - If you are interested in exploring the Internet for glass, this site: http://www.siu.edu/~siuglass/ which is the Southern Illinois University glass studio, has a well maintained list of links to other sites.

NEW RATE - Hot Glass Bits has been available by snail mail or in text, htm, or eps versions via e-mail. Subscription rates via US first class mail are $15 per year, add extra postage for other countries. Starting with HB35 issue, I will be offering a lower e-mail rate for files that I can reasonably create (those listed above plus MS Works, MS Write, MS Word, Word Perfect, and RTF) sent anywhere in the world. The new rate will be $12/year. A land mail address or phone number will still be required because of the disappearance and changes of e-mail services. 1/30/97

HORIZONS, The New England Craft Program [108 North Main St. Sunderland MA 01375, 415-665-0300, FAX:413-665-4141] offers Late Summer Intensives (Aug.7-10) include Glassblowing, 6 days August 4-12 with an optional 4 day add-on Aug.13-16 and Lampworking: Shaping Glass in the Flame with Bandhu Scott Dunham. 1/16/97 6/29/97 Fall Foliage Intensives are Oct. 12-14 and include Glassblowing, Focusing In with Jim Holmes ($310+lab fee), more advanced techniques for people with prior glass experience and Glass Beadmaking with Raven Wilson.($255+lab fee) 7/6/97

HUGE GAP - Here it is more than a third of the way into March and I have reported on almost nothing related to glass. There has been a lot of activity on the Internet to occupy my spare moments and planning for the G.A.S. Trip, but most of my time has been juggling rainy days against trying to get enough time to pickup the replacement tree for the front yard and rent the trencher to install it, lighting and water for it and wiring for the garage and for a glass workstation in the back yard. I finally did it last weekend, exhausting myself with the bucking (and not to sharp) trencher and adding to my problems by hitting the water line and having to repair it. If the water line is not leaking, the water table is about 10 inches below ground level right now. In conduits, so I can add more later, I am running 40 amp 220 volt service and multiwire signal plus natural gas piping to the garage and the work station. Of course, with costs of the G.A.S. trip and the costs of this (minus the $350 the guy who hit the tree paid) I will not be able to spend anything too serious additional on glass for a while. 3/12/97

Subj: Stuff Date: 97-03-14 22:19:39 EST From: hultman@ix.netcom.com (Lori or Jeff Hultman)
Hi--I haven't had time to write in awhile, mostly due to family stuff. I wanted to let you know that I loved the class at Corning. The facilities there are beautiful. The studio itself is so quiet and clean and the tools and all the equipment just looks and IS so professional. The furnace was 1000 pounds I think and there was also a 2nd furnace with two crucibles of color. They had three annealers, a pick up oven, a garage, hmmm I can't think of anything else, but it seemed like they had everything. They also had lockers for us to use which I was a luxury I never experienced. The only thing missing was a store to buy color or any other tools or supplies you might want to get. But, that also saved me lots of money I didn't need to spend. They keep the place meticulous and it is very comfortable to work in. The staff was also pretty helpful and the meals and accommodations were good too.

The structure of the class was pretty loose, but allowed working time pretty much from 9 am to 11pm. Jack Wax was the instructor and his teaching style was great for me. He gave so much individual attention to everyone, making everyone feel his or her work was especially important. We worked at our own pace without feeling pressured or judged. Egos were checked at the door too. Having the museum there was fabulous and their library is incredible. You could spend a week there just doing the museum and library. They have all kinds of books, magazines, videos, slides, EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GLASS!!! The major disappointment was that the time was too short, and I would have stayed a few more days if I had known more to begin with. The second disappointment was a 'tour' of the Steuben factory and I thought that was pretty much a waste. Maybe it was the time of year or the time of day even (near the end of the shift), but it seemed like the men who worked there were excellent candidates for people arguing that labor unions make people lazy. I don't need to say any more.

All in all, I have to say it was a rewarding experience and a great value for the money. I hope you get to go some time. I hope everything else is good with you. I still have actually starting building our hot shop. I have to take the dog out right now, so I'll write again soon.

Lori Hultman Subj: Austin Glassblowers Date: 97-03-21 08:09:40 EST From: NCFVF 1 To: MikeFirth
Dear Mike:
I went to Fire Island Glass while in Austin. Matt and ?Teresa? were great to talk with and gave me a couple of referrals for equipment/supplies. I did not get down to Wimberly.
It's a small world, to resurrect a cliché - Teresa told me there was another glass studio in the area; in fact it turned out to be in Spicewood with an Austin phone and was a woman (from Detroit who married a Texan) with whom I did a concentration at Penland in 1994: Marty Johnson, ZERO Gravity Glass Studio, 25418 River Road, Spicewood, TX 78669; [now closed]. I went out to visit and take pictures of studio equipment - I hope they turn out good. Mart's glass studio and her husband's metal studio next to it are wonderful - they are on the bank overlooking the Perdenales River. They also are building a great house next door.
I also saw some good movies and documentaries while at SXSW Film Festival. A documentary on Robert Johnson: "Can't You Hear the Wind Howl?" was terrific, especially for any who loves the blues.
The Texas Memorial Museum at UT had a spectacular extensive permanent collection exhibit of Pre-Columbian pots - I took lots of pictures and hope they turn out good also. Also, I took pix of the large animal paleontological exhibit - most of the fossils, vertebrate and invertebrate, had been found in TX.
I had some good Vietnamese food while in Austin and some great TexMex, especially at Chuy's. Also, I went to the original Threadgill's - down home TX country cooking. Threadgill's was not as good as anticipated but the place was fun.
My husband, Carl, and I applied to The Studio at Corning for Gudenrath's class in June - we're keeping our fingers crossed. (Matt and Teresa also have applied to the Studio this summer - apparently they went last summer.) I look forward to your notes on the Tucson GAS. Best of all possibles...Marjorie

BACK FROM G.A.S. - As I write this over a week has passed since I was in Arizona. The G.A.S. Conference was very good, with some high points unlike other conferences. I have a lot of material and this issue is already so late, I am wondering if I will be able to catch up with later issues when there is less material coming in. What were some of the highlights?

I started the week's visit with a trip to the University of Arizona Mirror Lab, which was neat to see and fit in with the theme of warm glass of the conference. The Lab is making huge astronomical mirrors - 5 to 8 meters (about 16 to 26 feet - 200 to 300 inches) - using a mold that spins at 7 rpm. This spin would give a curve to the molten top surface. Cores to give the back a honeycomb structure are computer carved on top to match the curve of the mirror. Chunks of glass, 37,000 pounds, are placed on the cores which surrounded by heating elements and covered with a lid with more elements, using in total a million watts. The spin and the core shape produce a thin (1-2") layer of glass with the honeycomb structure behind, so the blank is much lighter than that produced at Corning by pouring molten glass over cores, taking much less time to anneal and having much less glass to be removed for a perfect surface. (Bubbles are fixed by grinding them open and inserting halves of sized glass beads.) The honeycomb will be fitted with ventilation plumbing to adapt the glass to air temperature rapidly and to actually change the curve by heating and cooling selectively.

At the time we visited, they were working to rescue a casting that leaked several thousand pounds of glass below the cores. The cracks are now sealed with cold glass and a too thin layer of glass is across the top. They are cleaning the top surface and intend to melt a new layer of glass on the top, keeping the sides at the annealing point and bringing the top quickly up to the melting point, with frax blanket separating the temperature areas.

The scale of the place is impressive, it takes a lot of equipment to melt, grind and move a chunk of glass 25 feet across. Heavy steel rings and frames form carriers and mounts. A major event of the middle of the Conference was the Calido, the opening of a major show of "warm" glass at the Tucson Museum of Art. The museum is built on a very small footprint in a historic district by spiraling down into the ground with an elevator at the bottom that brings you back to the outside of the museum. The show includes extraordinary examples virtually every method of working glass above room temperature and below furnace temperature, including sagging 1" x 4' x 8' sheets, dichroic films that reflect a different color than they transmit, casting, fusing, pate de verre, and so on. Although nothing made me want to change from furnace work, some of the more striking pieces were by Richard LaLonde (which I also encountered at a gallery) who fused very bright opaque color powders to clear and then sags to a vase shape. Karen LeMonte dragged and modified hot bottles into the shape of clothing. Sidney Cash fused a piece that appeared to be thin ribbons flowing and folding from a sagged layer holding three wires; the ribbons hold the resulting structure. Mary Shaffer had an installation "Tool Wall" with glass sagged across and round tools such as hooks, clamps, and wheels; some of the displayed pieces had the glass going up, for a disconcerting variation.

MELTDOWN GLASS - Appropriately, the last thing I did on my trip was to visit B.J.Katz at Meltdown Glass Studio in Scottsdale [1-800-845-6221] who does fusing and slumping and has equipment to do it on a grand scale. Her largest kiln takes over 60 amps of 3 phase at full power and gives her over 5 feet by 10 feet inside. It is a large flat heavily insulated box that is lifted by a chain hoist off a table that rolls to the side, the whole built in place by her and her friends. Besides using it to do large pieces, when she was invited to produce for the museum 250 pieces in a limited series, she put dozens of molds in the kiln and fired them all together. Her major activity now is seashore pieces with color elements of reefs, fish and coral on bowl shapes. During and after the conference there were many interesting furnace related events.

FURNACE - The one that may have the most influence on me was a three hour session on building a studio, which focused on furnace making by John Chiles [P.O.Box 164, Weston VT 05161, 802-824-4415], a guy who will build you furnace ($6,000 in materials, $7,000 in labor) or rent you the forms to cast your own ($400 plus shipping.) He made a convincing case for down draft furnaces with freestanding pots and lots of insulation, so much so that I am going to modify the dome I have to cast to perform that way: burner above the pot, aimed across its back edge, gas spiraling to a flue below the pot rising behind the furnace.

He made the best case against invested pots I have encountered. The advantages of invested pots are that they reduce the risks of stressing the pot during heating and cooling and when (not if) the pot cracks, the investment permits longer use by catching the glass. But investment restricts the amount of insulation that can be put around the pot (because adding insulation changes the temperature curve in the investment so the glass can flow further into the insulation and thus reduce the insulation value.) But the price of using the cracked pot is that every time the glass in the pot gets low, some portion of the glass in the investment flows back into the pot, producing chords and bringing trash with it.

ELECTRIC FURNACE - I got to see a successful electric furnace at Chuck Willoughby's Canyon Studios in Prescott [520-776-4002]. It was designed (and built?) by Jim Moore who makes nice tools in the Seattle area. The heat source is silicon carbide rods off three phase power and provides enough heat to melt Spruce Pine batch. The furnace is a box with thick insulation. Access is provided by pneumatically moving the thick box-like top - first the rails supporting the top are raised about 2 inches then the box slides back. A shelf with an oval hole is pulled back along with the box and provides protected access to the pot. It's all triggered with a foot switch. So are the doors on the glory hole - with a pair of teardrop shaped holes - and a reducing atmosphere valve that adds more gas.

JOHN POWELL blew the first demo that I saw at Philabaum's and it was most impressive seeing the piece being made. Powell makes the bags with the stained glass colors that stand about 3 feet tall. The techniques are straight forward if large. Two and three layer cane is pulled to large diameters (3/8" to 1"), sheared to about 1/2" pieces and laid out in rows on a marver table. This is heated with a torch nearly to the melting point. The parison is worked out on the pipe to give the right diameter to roll once across the colors. A last very hot gather is made, draining the excess, and the 4-5" bubble is rolled on the marver and rushed to the glory hole melt the glass in. When all the colors are hot, the exterior is worked somewhat and the size increased. A platform on a table has been prepared and Powell runs up to the top and begins blowing the piece down between a V of large (2-3") pipes welded to a plate. A guide at ground level keeps him informed so he can lift the piece up to avoid sticking to the pipe and blow the piece out to form a nice bottom to sit on. The top is hit with torches and stretched to a foot or more and the neck is cut with pipe cutter more commonly used on 3-4 inch copper. A man in a silver space suit carries it to the annealer.

Lino-2.jpgLINO TAGLIAPIETRA blew two demonstrations on Saturday morning, a hot ticket that caused some problems with people who had registered very early in expectation of being certain of getting in. I saw the first demo. Within the limits of my notes and memory, this is what he did. [2003 - I don't have pictures of the early part of the demo because the film was slipping in my camera, making a multiple image.]
A steel plate covered with kiln wash was placed on a long handled tool with another plate and heated in the glory hole.

 

 

 

Lino-3.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LINO-4.JPG

 

 

 

 


Upon removal, large (1/4") clear encased opaque stringer was laid on it with steel blocks at each end to keep it from rolling. Reheat.
On a gather large enough that the stringer will not go all the way around, pick up the stringer, leaving a gap.
Jack the gather and pull the tip, cutting off extra, so the stringer lines run from one end to the other.
LESSON: Wasting glass is a constructive technique.
Bow the piece, while puffing, to make an inflated new moon shape with the clear section outside.
Punty the piece on the outside of the bow. Heat especially the Lino-6.jpginside of the bow and punty to it with a hot gather so that the center can be pulled into a third point even with the two ends.
Reheat the three tips and pull and cut the tips until able to pull the edges out to make a bowl shape with curved lines running around the body of the bowl.
LESSON: A wet cloth draped over the hand protects up close while shearing large glass.
 
 
 
 


 
 
 

LINO-7.JPGGather on a pipe, burst it out, reheat and punty to the lip of the piece. Fine tune the shape and pattern.
Gather clear over the hollow piece to make 6" and then gather again to make 7" for a thick clear layer.
Lino-8.jpgExtend the shape and swing to create a 2 foot long, 4" diameter shape with lines curved down its length.
Flatten sides with thick dry cork blocks.
Punty to end, heat and pull neck to form a tube, snapping off extra.
Pull on tube to refine shape of neck to graceful shape.
Lino-9.jpgHeat and shape body with cork blocks again to an acute triangle with rounded corners with the curved lines highlighting the shape.
Take off the punty, torch the punty mark and put in the annealer.

 

 

 

WILLIAM MORRIS talked about his art and methods at a well attended session. He is making more complex shapes of his artifacts that suggest old bones and pottery of some ancient people. He credits his team to the success in making them. He rents Pilchuck from late September through April. Among the equipment he considers helpful is a very well controlled garage, a lot of torches (7) from large to small, an "arsenal of tools" many made for a purpose and kept, many texture plates that permit patterns that effect the picking up of color powder. The pieces are so time consuming, he doesn't even consider knocking them off the punty, but cuts them off with a welding torch. There is a lot of coldwork to clean them afterward.

Added outdoor space at Philabaum'sPHILABAUM'S is a pivot of hot glass in Arizona - virtually everyone you talk to has blown there or learned there or worked there. Located not far from downtown Tucson (I walked it ... once) the site fronted with a sculpture made from the tail of a C-131 and a building with a substantial gallery and a large blowing studio.
 For the conference the parking lot and part of the back of the building were transformed. A complete outdoor setup (to remain after the conference) was built along one wall and spaces provided for two lampworkers.

 




Aunt Gladys the portable glassblowing centerThe Southern Illinois University Mobile Glassblowing Trailer (Gladys) was set up along the back edge with its own set of bleachers. Several tents provided space for beadmakers and food and t-shirt venders.

The hottest stars were scheduled in the main studio in two sessions by ticket admission only. The other sites had good people. Conference fees included a pair of visits to the site, the choice made at registration often on the basis of the star turn. I saw Lino and Stephen Powell during my time slots inside and outside saw Bob Carlson.

Carlson did a blown piece into a sand mold, gathering clear over the largest core I have ever seen put in a furnace. I have always argued that most furnace doors are too big for the work done through them. This is one case not. The core was about 6-7" across and two gathers were done on top of that. The result was a cube of nearly solid glass with faces and figures on each side and a top blown out to a shape like the top of a minaret.

DESERT FIRE GLASSWORKS - [4 Cameno Otero, Tubac AZ 85646, 520-398-8050] is located in a village of arts and crafts that has been built next to a state park site of old buildings including a church. What is oddest about it is that it is miles and miles from almost everything, on the road between Tucson and Nogales. The site is laid out like a small village, but everything in the village is a shop for some art or craft or a restaurant.

Desert Fire shares a building with AuSi Gallery [520-398-3193] which is all glass from a number of artists. The studio got hot in December. It is a nicely laid out standard studio with the exception of an incredibly quiet furnace and a generator out back to keep the glass going when the power fails (frequently I am told.) Special steps were taken to keep the studio quiet and until Allen Anderson, my guide, mentioned it, I had assumed the studio was cold. In the gallery were a lot of nice pieces.

MAKE IT? - Richard Hornby makes a business card holder in glass. His looks cast. His shape is about the same as you would get by pressing clay into your palm and into the cracks between your fingers, pressing a V above the palm to hold the cards. It has a nice shape that sits pleasantly in hand. It seems to me that an office desk or front desk would have much more use for a card holder than a paperweight.

Subject: PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!! From: jr4reform@aol.com (Jr4reform) Date: 19 Apr 1997 06:02:05 GMT I love the art of glass and any application that deals with glass I'm eager to learn. When I found a school that specialized in the craft...from painting, fusing, slumping and stained, I was ecstatic. The Appalachian Center for Arts and Crafts houses a 5000 square foot studio for glasswork alone, and they have other programs for fiber working, pottery, blacksmithing and numerous other crafts with talented professors to guide you through the learning process. The problem is the school that supports this program, Tennessee Technological University wants to cut funding and possibly close the Center. Please help the Appalachian Center for Arts and Crafts in their letter writing campaign to keep the school open. Not only does the Center offer college classes for those seeking a specialized fine arts degree, but summer workshops for the whole family. This Center is a community asset and must be kept alive!!!! Enclosed is a number of e-mail addresses to write just to tell them how important this school is to the future crafters of America. Dr. Angelo Volpe, President of Tennessee Tech aav7268@tntech.edu Governor Don Sunquist dsundquist@mail.state.tn.us Dr. Charles Smith, Chancellor of TN Board of Regents csmith@tbr.state.tn.us

WIRING - The ground has just about settled from all my trenching in the backyard and the temporary rye grass is shooting up and down to hold the dirt in place. Last night I finished the inside conduit installation and wiring of the breakers and tonight I put in place the an outlet on the far end of the wiring and flipped a breaker. I am still a ways from getting the outside 40 amp service finished, since I only vaguely know I am going to have standard outlets, a 220 outlet and capacity for permanent wiring. I am further along in the garage, with the old 6 breaker box that used to serve the house to handle that end of the second 40 amp circuit. When I moved in, the whole house was served on two breakers through 2 wire tube and post wiring. Now I have 200 amp service with 3 wire 20 amp wiring throughout, all of which I did after passing a homeowner test the City of Dallas gives.4/30/97

HOW TO DESIGN YOUR CAREER PATH - is seminar Sept. 12-14 at the Mt. Washington Conference Center, Baltimore MD with a deadline of 7/31/97 for reduced registration fee. "For craftspeople, students, and recent graduates who want to learn how to craft a successful career." Experts in more than a dozen topics. Product development, pricing, public relations, etc. $299 for day participants, $399 for sessions, meals, social events, and lodging. Scholarships available. The Rosen Group, 3000 Chestnut Avenue, Suite 300, Baltimore MD 21211, 410-889- 2933, 1-800-43- CRAFT. 5/8/97

SOURCES - A web page that includes samples of lampworked glass, links to other glass related pages and a fairly good list of sources is http://www.teleport.com/~zoron/sources.html. 5/15/97

GLASSBLOWER WANTED From: "Bert Weiss" Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 I'm posting this for Chris Heilman Studio fine art glass studio and gallery needs all around studio worker. Assist in one of a kind and limited edition production. Also make and sell your own work in gallery. Must be able to blow off hand glass products on your own. Great opportunity and work environment. Chris Heilman Studio Art Glass Portland Maine 207-854-1597

BOOKS.COM [Whitehouse-BOOKS.COM, 90 West Market St., Corning NY 14830, incorporating The Book Exchange, 1-800-935-8536 FAX: 1-607-936-2465] a new name for one of the better places to get older books on glass. 5/17/97

HANDS-ON GLASS [261 North Baker Street, Corning NY 14830, 607-962-3044] 1997 Summer Programs include weeklong and weekend classes. Weeklong Classes include Beginning Glassblowing (July 7-11 and 21-25), Advanced Beginner (July 28-Aug.1), and Flame & Furnace (July 14-18) as well as Sandcasting and Engraving. Weekend classes include Murrini at the furnace (July 12-13) and two sessions of Beadmaking. The cost is $350 to $485 for the week long and $185 for the furnace weekend. If I could, the combination I would do is the Murrini weekend followed by the Flame & Furnace week a combination costing $670. The weekend instructors are Gretchen Lapp Hamlin, a blown glass beadmaker, and Peter Secrest, who blows and kiln works, while doing the week are Loren Stump, nationally known bead/flame worker, and David Buck, Steuben Glass trained co-founder of Hands-on and Studio Tech at The Studio of the Corning Museum. 5/17/97

FRABEL - which makes lampworked pieces of modest size at $70-$300 (mostly, a full bouquet 34" tall is $2,500 by special order) reminds me that the Gallery at Lenox Square has been closed/moved to the studio. [Frabel, 695 Antone St, NW, Atlanta GA 30318-7601, 1-800-843-1450, FAX: 404-351-1491, http://www.frabel.com, studio@frabel.com] 5/19/97

CREATIVE GLASS CENTER OF AMERICA - fellowships for 1998 has an application deadline of 9/2/97 for three sessions Jan 5 - Apr 3, Apr 13 - July 10, Sep 14 - Dec 11, 1998. The Center is one prime gems of glass working careers, giving unlimited access to glass for 3 months with housing and a $1,500 monthly stipend provided. Application requires 10 labeled slides or work and thirteen copies of the slide information sheet, application, resume, statement of use of the period, two letters of recommendation, one paragraph about you and work for publicity purposes. Obligations include working in the view of visitors 12 hours a week (not demoing, just working), donating a piece, maintaining the house - cooking and cleaning. Equipment includes a 750# clear and a 300# color tank, 9 kiln/annealers, 2 glory holes, 2 benches, lampworking station, 9 extremely serious pieces of coldworking equipment, sandblasting, engraving, and electroplating equipment. [Creative Glass Center of America, Wheaton Village, 1501 Glasstown Road, Millville NJ 08332-1566, 609-825-6800 x 2733, FAX: 609-825- 2410] 5/19/97

C.E.R.F. is worthy of your attention and donations, since it provides funds for craft artists who are stricken by disaster - whether that means a car stolen with all tools and latest work or a flood, earthquake or fire devastating the studio. [Cornelia Carey, Exec.Dir., CERF (Craft Emergency Relief Fund), P.O.Box 838, Montpelier VT 05601, 802-229-2306, FAX: 802-223-6484] 5/19/97 Thirty-eight galleries around the U.S. have joined in naming September 1997 A MONTH FOR CERF Galleries include two in Texas (as of 9 June) Two Friends Gallery in Galveston and Hanson Galleries in Houston. Other states represented include MA, NY, CO, OH, NC, CT, MO, CA, AR, NM MI, OR, and VT. 7/6/97

ANNEALING KILN - Subj: Re: Annealing Kiln Date: 97-06-05 19:32:52 EDT From: cogen@ll.mit.edu (David Cogen)
Hi, a couple months ago you gave me some advice for my annealing kiln I was building. (I do respond to mail, but it takes a while!) You discouraged me from using a light dimmer as a manual controller. I took that advice and ended up getting a 76000 controller from Omega Engineering. This is an excellent controller, with a single segment ramp/soak, for about $200. Of course, some work was required to use this controller: add an enclosure, an external relay, outlet, switches, etc. But I am quite pleased with the results.

I splurged and got the RS-485 communication option ($50 more). Someday I will connect the controller to my Macintosh and then I can do any temperature profile I can imagine, by writing a program on the Mac to control the controller. But for my purposes at present (glass beads), I imaging the single segment ramp-down (or even natural cooling in the oven) will be sufficient. Thanks for the advice. -- David Cogen -- Scarabe Subject: Two Glass Blowing Studios open in AZ From: rowenaaest@aol.com (RowenaAest) Date: 8 Jun 1997 13:29:06 GMT This summer AZ will grow in greatness. Two Glass Blowing Studios will open. One in Glendale.......Don McKinney will be moving his Glass Blowing into a building next to The Glass Palette Gallery and Jim Antionius opens his new addition in Prescott. Glass is Growing in Arizona!.........Rowena Texas Lamp Manufacturing, 505 East Highway 80 Forney Texas 75126, 972-552- 2602 has a catalog and an extraordinary selection of parts, shades, bases, etc.

Subj: No Subject Date: 97-06-10 16:32:15 EDT From: hultman@ix.netcom.com (Lori or Jeff Hultman) To: MikeFirth
 Hi Mike--
I haven't heard from you in awhile, not since I told you about my experience at Corning in Jan of this year. What's new? Also, issue 35 of Hot Glass Bits is the last one I received--have you not done any since then?

I still haven't built my hot shop. Now money is a problem--but I remain ever optimistic. I returned to Corning for Paul Stankard's class (lampworking) and it was a pretty good class. Also teaching were Lino Tagliapietra and Donna Milliron. So the entire experience was extraordinary. Watching Lino work is fantastic (not to mention a little depressing, knowing I'll never be able to do anything like what he does).

Still, he is such a master and such a sweet person as well. He's also a great cook and made dinner for the whole group (about 35 people) one night during the class. He took over the restaurant at the Day's Inn where Corning has us stay. Anyway, what's up with you and what's up with Hot Glass Bits? I miss you both. Lori Hultman

The Corning experience sounds grand. Lino is nice and I had wondered whether you got the chance to share between classes. Thanks for letting me know.

When I took the class at GAS 93, Bowling Green State U., I was the least experienced person there by far. Most had owned or now owned their own shops. I was asked by one of the hosts whether I found watching more experienced people depressing, and my response was NO!!, I found it exhilarating. I have a long set of notes on watching Lino at GAS and the lessons I drew from it. I don't know that I would be able to do what he does (I probably won't but I don't KNOW it) and the pieces I learn, just like the "mistakes" that are interesting while I am learning, seem part of the challenge.

Just as I am delayed with HB36, I continue to plod with the furnace. I have worked on the wiring outside in parallel with the more necessary garage work and have cut the tube for the flue

Subject: Kiln Controller From: jh@ihug.co.nz (HH) Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 09:35:35 GMT Who knows a good and reliable temperature controller for cone 10 firings. Requires at least six steps to fire my four burner gas kiln.

Subject: Re: Kiln Controller From: Roger Peterson rlpete@ix.netcom.com Date: Fri,04 Jul 1997 HH, Go to the Watlow home page; http://www.watlow.com/ Look into their 981/982 controller. It has four 6-step ramp programs, hi/low alarms, etc. etc. I saw on in action at Brian Kerkvliet's a few weeks ago and was impresses enough to put one on order. ($425 for the options I wanted to run a glass annealing kiln.)

If you have a FAX, get the page that lists their FAX-back 800-number and dial for a spec sheet. Then call the nearest Watlow office to get the name of their local distributer. I ordered 7 days ago and expect it early next week. Roger...

COLOR ROD SALE - Olympic Color Rods [818 John St., Seattle WA 98109, 1-800-445- 7742, 206-343-7336 Fax 888-880-rods or 206-243-2292] is offering 20% off on Kugler, Reichenbach, and Zimmerman colored Rod, Powder and Frit in specific colors, limited to the stock on hand (no special orders) until July 31. 7/6/97

RICHARDS AWARD FOR RESEARCH IN AMERICAN GLASS to be presented annually. A total of $10,000 has been made available for 1998 for assistance in meeting research project costs, including travel, living expenses, and photography and publication expenses for collectors, scholars, students, and institutions for original research related to the manufacture, distribution, sale, or use of glass in the American market during the 17th-19th centuries. Deadline 1 Feb. 98. Applications are available from the Corning Museum of Glass [One Museum Way, Corning NY 14830-2253] or the Richards Foundation, P.O.Box 39, Portsmouth RI 02871 7/6/97

THE INDEPENDENT GLASSBLOWER TAKES A BREAK. IGB is moving and suspending publication for 6 months from June 20th. The new address effective that date is David Gruenig, RFD #2 Box 238-B, Lyndonville VT 05851. No electricity, etc., available, although back issues are. Write with notes & hints. 7/6/97

TOOTS ZYNSKY has a nice interview in Glass Focus [Beverly Copeland, Glass Focus, the Contemporary Art Glass Periodical, Glass in Black & White, 9323 Olcott, Morton Grove IL 60053, 708-967-8433, $28/yr] touching on the early days of Pilchuck and exploring how she began doing her distinctive fused filament glass sculptures. Glass Focus is primarily for collectors, but the listings of showings and events can be useful for glass workers and the interviews have been interesting. 7/6/97

1998 GAS Conference will be in Seto, Japan, May 38-31. Plans still being worked on will try to permit as many people as possible to go at a cost close to commercial travel at a stateside site. Glass Art Society, 1305 4th Avenue, Suite 711, Seattle WA 98101-3401. 7/6/97

Blow Good Glass Hot Glass in Texas Dallas - Kittrell-Riffkind Art Glass, [5100 Beltline Suite, Suite 820, 214- 239-7957] July 11- August 9th - Goblet Invitational. Dallas: Carlyn Galerie, [6137 Luther Lane, 214-368-2828]

In Wimberley, southwest of Austin, Sable V Fine Art Gallery, [The Courtyard Overlooking Cypress Creek, 512-847-8975] The Art of Children will include work by artists under 18, including Alex Mack, 9 years old, who works in flat glass doing sculptures and wall hangings. The 5th annual Gathering of Glass will open September 20th and artists who are interested are invited to send slides. Gathering includes all forms of glass work.

The MSC Forsyth Center Galleries [Student Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, 409-845-9251]
1 In this space are pasted ads containing the following text.
2 Joppa Glassworks, Inc., We make and sell annealing kiln elements and Giberson Ceramic
3 Burner Heads for your gloryholes and furnaces. For ideas on how to improve your studio equipment
4 call or write Dudley Giberson, Warner NH 03278, 603-456-3569 fax:456-2138
5 ------------
6 Divas Glass Art, Terry Maxwell, Shirley Daniel, Classes, Pipes, and Blocks
7 1100 East Rendon-Crowley Road, Building #7, Burleson TX 76028, (817) 293- 0190
8 Fax:(817) 293-9565

1 In this space are pasted ads containing the following
2 Gabbert Cullet Company, Dealer in Glass Cullet,
3 Frank G. Lane, Owner, 700 Cherry Avenue,
4 Williamstown WV 26187 304-375-6435 Office
5 ---- 304-375-7790 Home; FAX:304-375-4832
6 DIAMOND DISKS - nickel plated and resin GRINDING/POLISHING SUPPLIES
7 punty grinding wheels, perfume reamers belts (diamon, sil carb, cork) sawblades.
8 Parts and pads for dremel, cerium oxide, etc. Call for catalog of kiamond grinding and polishing
9 supplies HIS GLASSWORKS INC, 91 Webb Cove Road, Asheville NC 28804
10 Phone 800/914-7463 fax 704-254-2581 For your convenience, the form below is printed opposite the mailing label on the back page, so you can cut it out to renew, etc. and leave the information intact. I send Hot Glass Bits to: Those who are mentioned in an issue, Hot Glass Texans, others I feel like sending a copy to, and those who have paid for it.

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