glassblowing Archives

Sonic Level for Glassblowing (Punty Level)

December 16, 2022March 14, 2024 by geexadminin Glass Resource Exchange Archive

Want a tool for beginners struggling to keep pipes/punties level? Ken Flanagan developed the punty level as a glassblowing teaching aid for Professor Helen Lee at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A student is holding a glassblowing punty with a pink level sensor attached near the back of the pipe.

This tool emits a tone based on the degree of deviation from the level plane. It is loud enough to hear over the ambient noise in the hot shop. It attaches to a pipe/punty with a 3D-printed clamp that can accept a large range of different pipe/punty diameters. The hinges are printed in place, meaning that there is no assembly once the print is complete (other than the electronics).

To minimize awkwardness for the gaffer, the punty level is quite small and can easily be mounted on the far end of the pipe/punty. It is secured with a rubber band.

For ease of replication, there is a GitHub page for the project (including instructions in the wiki) and a Thingiverse part for the 3D-printed clamp.

LINK TO RESOURCE

Resource submitted by Ken Flanagan

The Art of Plasma by Wayne Strattman

May 26, 2022May 26, 2022 by geexadminin Glass Resource Exchange Archive

Newly published in 2022, The Art of Plasma by Wayne Strattman is the first book dedicated to the medium of plasma sculpture. An invaluable resource to plasma artists of all skill levels, and an illuminating read for anyone interested in the intersection of art and science and the past, present and future development of plasma art.

“Glass, gas and electricity combine to create unique possibilities for artists. Historical techniques are now made modern in this hands-on text, revealing ways to fuse art with science to create revolutionary forms of light art. The history, theory and practice of the plasma artist are all covered to give the practitioner both context and practical information to work within this dynamic medium.”

Wayne Strattman, plasma artist, engineer, designer and author, operates Strattman Design, the leading maker of plasma displays for museums, trade shows and movie companies worldwide. Strattman holds a PhD in the Neon Arts for his research, writings and long advocacy for plasma and neon as sculptural media. Strattman previously edited the best-selling 4th edition of Neon Techniques: Handbook of Neon Sign and Cold Cathode Lighting.

Cover of "The Art of Plasma" by Wayne Strattman. The cover features an organic tree plasma form with a lower blue tendrils, and a brighter, sharper neon branches at the top.

LINK TO RESOURCE (SHOPIFY)

Resource submitted by Cary Rapaport

Intro to Glass Art Demonstration Zines!

January 18, 2022January 26, 2022 by geexadminin Glass Resource Exchange Archive

“These are a collection of zines based on the demonstrations and visiting artists presentations during Art 3003 AU2021 at The Ohio State University, taught by Brianna Gluszak. Each student was assigned a demo or presentation to take notes during, then re-form their notes into a zine to be shared with the class. This assignment not only produced an interesting collection of written (drawn) glass resources, it also neutralized the need within the classroom for a note taker.”

GIF rotating between editions of Intro to Glass Art Demonstration Zines, made by the students of OSU.

First Day in Hot Shop – Celeste Carpenter
Bit Structure Demo – Victoria Taylor
Press Molds with Richard Harned – Helene Roussi
Stained Glass with Richard Harned- Sydney Mitchell
Collaborative demo between Andrew Newbold and Brianna Gluszak – Emma Morgan
Intro to Cold Shop – Henry Mayeux
Collaborative demo between Jon Capps and Molly Burke – Rebecca Irmen
Intro to Imagery on Glass – Mia Kordowski
Imagery on Glass (powder printing) – Madison Gladman
Visiting Artist Kim Harty – Gianni Giarrano
Visiting Artist Ben Wright – Kaitlyn Smith

LINK TO RESOURCE

Resource submitted by Brianna Gluszak

KSU Glass Resource Site

December 8, 2021December 8, 2021 by geexadminin Glass Resource Exchange Archive

Kent State University Glass’ Resource Site, featuring helpful intro guides for glassblowing, mold-making, kiln-casting, and more.

“The most useful individual pages are: https://ksuglass.wordpress.com/technical-materials/ and https://ksuglass.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/glass-rescources/. The first is a (non-comprehensive) list of useful technical documents for basic glassmaking. The second is a list of links to material/info suppliers that students might find useful.”

Screenshot of Kent State University Glass Program's Glass Resource Site, featuring an image of a large blown vessel being worked on

LINK TO RESOURCE

Resource submitted by Davin Ebanks

Portable Polariscope

November 9, 2021March 16, 2022 by geexadminin Glass Resource Exchange Archive

“This is a design for a portable polariscope. A polariscope is a useful tool for viewing stress in transparent materials such as glass or plastic. Using either linear or circular polarization, stress in glass is visible through the polariscope viewfinder. It is a useful teaching tool for understanding the properties of glass or plastics, and a necessity in the glassblowing studio to aid in the fabrication, quality control and troubleshooting of glass work.”

Image of an illuminated portable polariscope. The 3D printed object features a portable flashlight that reflects onto two screens in parallel with each other.

LINK TO RESOURCE

Resource submitted by Amy Lemaire

Blowhose Mask Assembly

June 17, 2021November 9, 2021 by geexadminin Glass Resource Exchange Archive

“How to set up your mask with the blowhose adapter created by Amy Lemaire“

Image of a person poking a hole through a face mask to create a blowhose adapter

LINK TO RESOURCE

Resource submitted by Jenna Efrein

Glassblowers Guide

June 17, 2021June 17, 2021 by geexadminin Glass Resource Exchange Archive

“Glassblowers Guide is a resource for seasoned and aspiring glassblowers that offers high-quality videos focused purely on working with soft glass in the hotshop. GlassblowersGuide.com features a host of free videos, several short instructional series, and a 6+ hour, 22 video course called Understanding Hot Glass. UHG is designed to be more than just a step-by-step guide on how to make some specific shapes, but rather an in-depth exploration into glass as a material to give students a framework for really understanding the how and why of glassblowing… and also step-by-step instructions on how to make some specific shapes.”