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Blog Creativity What is Lampwork
Blog Creativity What is Lampwork
| 19 March 2009
My Lampwork Studio & Bead Making Process
What is Lampworking? Lampworking is a technique to make handcrafted glass beads from long rods of glass. Molten glass is wound around a steel mandrel that is held into a flame, the beads are shaped by rotating the mandrel through the flame. A variety of tools and techniques are used to add shapes, colors and designs. Each one is its own work of art, two never quite the same.
Below shows photos of where I make all of my beads. My husband built me a wonderful work area in our garage! Each bead is made by hand one at a time on a steel rod (mandrel) in front of my oxygen and natural gas torch.
I have over 75 colors of glass to choose from. I currently work with a brand of glass called Effetre. I use a variety of tools to help me shape my beads and add decorations and designs. My average bead takes me 15 minutes to make, with more complicated items taking many times that long.
Once I am happy with my bead I slowly take it out of my flame, let it cool for a few seconds (so it is no longer molten) and stick the entire bead and mandrel into my kiln. Glass needs a chance to 'settle' in order for it to be properly cooled, this process is called annealing. Annealing gives the glass time to sit at a stable temperature (950 degrees) and properly settle/align. My beads soak at this temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes depending on size.
When the soaking period is complete my kiln automatically begins the cool down process, the temperature drops at a very slow rate to finish the annealing process. This entire process from soak to completely cool to touch lasts about 4 hours. Annealing beads is a must if you want to greatly reduce the chances of a bead cracking.
Once my beads are cool to the touch (usually I do this the next morning) it is time to clean them! I take them off the mandrels and collect them all in my bucket. Beads are attached to mandrels with something called bead release, a clay like substance that lets you work your hot glass on the mandrel and gives you the ability to break it away when you are done to remove the bead. Next I take all my beads and sit in front of a large bucket of water and used a diamond tipped bead cleaner to scrub out the inside of my beads. This removes all the bead release from the inside. Rinse in some clean water, dry and they are now ready for use!
A few interesting things to know about the lampwork process:
When the soaking period is complete my kiln automatically begins the cool down process, the temperature drops at a very slow rate to finish the annealing process. This entire process from soak to completely cool to touch lasts about 4 hours. Annealing beads is a must if you want to greatly reduce the chances of a bead cracking.
Once my beads are cool to the touch (usually I do this the next morning) it is time to clean them! I take them off the mandrels and collect them all in my bucket. Beads are attached to mandrels with something called bead release, a clay like substance that lets you work your hot glass on the mandrel and gives you the ability to break it away when you are done to remove the bead. Next I take all my beads and sit in front of a large bucket of water and used a diamond tipped bead cleaner to scrub out the inside of my beads. This removes all the bead release from the inside. Rinse in some clean water, dry and they are now ready for use!
A few interesting things to know about the lampwork process:
- I wear special safety glasses made for those working with glass. They not only protect my eyes from broken and flying glass but also reduces the sodium flare and IR levels produced by my torch and the glass melting!
- My work space has a large ventilation hood installed to suck up the fumes from my torch and glass.
