Switch/off/reverse axis question.

[Paul Thompson]

I've been shown a couple methods for doing an new hole in a piece to do a switch axis (sometimes called reverse axis or off axis). Either poke a hole with a tungsten probe or torch a spot on the side then blow out or tweeze open a hole. I imagine there are a few more techniques.

The tungsten probe yields a small hole that requires a bit of work to enlarge. Torching a spot then blowing or tweezing might have a side-effect on heat-sensitive colors, but on the other hand that new point is probably going to be left on the new moile anyway.

What other ways are there and any opinions (yea, silly question) on the benefits or drawbacks of each?? TIA.

[R. Scott Johnson]

a hammer?

[Fredi Vilina]

tungsten in a dremel. rest the dremel with it off at the spot for the hole, then heat the tungsten tip red hot, not the slightly cold glass and then turn on dremel and it goes through like butter. Then once it has pierced the vessel now heat the glass and ream the hole larger. if it is an encalmo place a rod, jack tweeser in the joist as you join.

[Ted Trower]

Drop on a bit and blow out point of contact.

[Eben Horton]

I like to dig a hole with my tweezers.

[David Patchen]

Tungsten seems like too small a hole for anything, plus you now have to heat it up. I spot heat w/map gas, then drop on a ripping hot bit, flash, then puff and then pick open. Between the map gas, flash and hot bit, you can pick the hole open pretty quickly and widen it without a problem.

That's the easy part--the tricker issues are getting the new pipe in perfectly w/a nice moile, closing the hole where it broke off the old pipe and getting it back to a nice even parison for the next gather. :)

[Rick Sherbert]

Yeah I agree with david, the hole is the easy part.... But I use a torch and any crap it leaves is covered by the moile of the new pipe.

[Eben Horton]

I like digging a hole as opposed to blowing out a hole because your actually making the glass thicker around where the cup will attach to the new pipe.

getting a big moil (sp?) is simple. take 2 gathers when you make your collar. :p

[Paul Thompson]

Originally posted by David Patchen
{ snipsnip }
That's the easy part--the tricker issues are getting the new pipe in perfectly w/a nice moile, closing the hole where it broke off the old pipe and getting it back to a nice even parison for the next gather. :)

What I've been trying is frit twist pattern bubble. Jack and twist a little knob into the "bottom" to get a tight twist, and torch off the knob. This is done right on the color (before casing) to ensure maximum effect. I put on a thin patch to protect the color and punty up, then do the same thing on the "top". Now I've got a closed bubble on a punty with nice pattern on both ends. This is where I decide where the switch axis is to go, stick it, slap on a new pipe, then a coat of crystallo.

Most of these ideas were stolen from Jeff Holmwood, who demoed the process at Red Deer College this past summer.

Since I can't figure out how to embed a photo here, like Rick Sherbert's beautiful piece, I gotta do this: http://picasaweb.google.com/mnemotronic/KMGift