Gas

[Pringle Teetor]

WHo went? How was it? I am waiting till next year to return....pictures? Stories?

[Barb Sanderson]

It must have been good if everyone is too tired to post! What was amazing? What was not so amazing? The great, good, bad and ugly....we all want to know! ;)

Barb

[Steve Stadelman]

It was the best attended conference I have been to. There was a lot more viewing area at Elements to see the demos, at least it seemed like it to me.

[Hugh Jenkins]

Sorry I did not get to see your shop Steve, just too tired from all the fun and action. But, I will be back sooner than later.

GAS was action. Good access to all activities. Had lots of fun and constant conversation. Good job, Portland!!!

[Ben Solwitz]

Bullseye in full force? I was taking a class at Corning with Mark Ditzler and he said he thought they would probably have a strong showing since they are in the area. I was sort of surprised he was in Corning instead of the conference with all the fusing he does.

[Barb Sanderson]

Mark does a class each year at corning and usually the same week each year. He's like an institution there (please don't tell him I said that!). Hope you enjoyed his class.

Barb

[Ben Solwitz]

Yeah I had met him previously when I was taking a blowing class there but this was the first class where I had him as an instructor. He was a great teacher, this was the first time I had done any fusing and I learned a ton. We pulled a bunch of cane and screen printed with some paradise paints and all kinds of stuff. The roll ups were tough but Harry is a great teacher as well so it went pretty smoothly. Also Gayla was a great TA as usual, we certainly kept her busy messing with all the things we wanted to fuse.

Mark is planning on teaching a fusing class at Corning in the winter as well, apparently it used to be called 'Thicker, Better, Deeper' or something to that effect but they made him change it this time. He also said he might teach a class on fusing sinks at his studio some day if he can get over the fear of a bunch of students drilling sinks in his shop. :)

[Pete VanderLaan]

Portland was well attended compared to Pittsburg. We were constantly busy in the vending area and we had the opportunity to actually see the show since the vending area didn't open until 11:30 AM. Everyone I saw seemed to be having a good time. I heard very llittle criticism of tthe planning,or the execution of the show. I saw very few people from private studios and mostly saw students but I expected that. It was genuinely great to see old friends again like John Croucher. We had a lot of catching up to do. It was also great to see Fritz who is looking a lot like Methuselah these days.

Corning next year should be good as well.

[Charles Friedman]

Portland was outstanding. The Ler-B-Q at BE was great, ribs and chicken go in at one end and 100 feet later, dinner comes out. I loved it. Tried to say hi to Pete V, but his booth was always very busy when I went by.
It was good to see Henry get his lifetime award, he deserves it. Lots of parties and great demos. Klaus Moje show and demo where fabulous. To quote Klaus "it's all in the details" and Portland did just that.
Good shows at the gallery hop.
The Grateful Dead Cover band with the "Further bus" was a nice touch, but a bit smokey. Also a good Raggie band.

[Holly Wallace]

The conference was well planned, widely diverse and a lot of fun. My compliments to GAS. And just to show what a nice bunch of folks glass junkies are- one of the suppliers had very expensive little items (that we would all like to have) on an unmanned table- and none were missing at the end of the show !!! Now the chocolate in the bowls did go really fast.

[Ken Peterson]

good times!!!!

[Jordan Kube]

Excellent conference.

[John Riepma]

We just got home late last night after driving across the country. I thought the conference was excellent, really appreciated the change to the schedule with demos in the AM and lectures in the afternoon. The demos were spectacular, and the space at Elements was perfect considering the huge number of people who wanted to attend them. I saw most of the demos, made it to 3 of the lectures which I thought were all very good. We went on the studio and factory tour on Wed. and were quite impressed with some of the large-scale fusing projects as well as the factories. The tech display was great too. I thought that the organization of this conference was very good, and the transportation to the various venues was excellent.

It's always great to meet people too, and put faces to the names we see here all the time. The bus rides to the various venues gave a good opportunity to do that as well. The gallery hop and after-party were well organized, and the closing night party had a great band and venue. I didn't make it to the bitter end of that because we had to leave for the coast the next day, and also because of my advanced age.

In all, it was an excellent conference. My congratulations to everyone who helped organize it, that must be a huge job. It also gave us the opportunity to see a part of the country we had not been to before, and a great driving trip. We were able to see Mount Hood for 100 miles to the east in the mirror on the way home, and just beat the storms through Nebraska.

Can't wait for Corning....

[Ben Rosenfield]

Wish I'd been able to go.

[Pete VanderLaan]

sell your go cart. Hock the Fez.

[Ben Rosenfield]

No help. Life just has a way of pushing glass down the ladder just as I'm trying to push it up to the next rung. Another story for another time.

Also, it's a mini car. Outside of the duties the vehicle performs in its official role, it may simply be a go-kart. But as it is in full-time use for Shrine-related functions only, it's a mini car. Sure, I'm arguing a technicality -- perhaps a completely imagined one at that -- but life is full of technicalities. Then it's a whole lot of darkness.

[Pete VanderLaan]

I've heard about that darkness. Turn on the headlights. Get your prostate checked.

[Ben Rosenfield]

Get your prostate checked.

I'm up to twice daily. Three times on weekends.

[Randy Kaltenbach]

I'm up to twice daily. Three times on weekends.You know, it's real nice having a woman doctor. When someone asks me to lie down, stands behind me, and puts a finger in my bum, the last thing I want to smell is Old Spice!

[David Patchen]

Did anyone attend the Giles Bettison or Dick Marquis demos?

Would love to see some photos...anyone?

[Charles Friedman]

I watched both and Klaus. No photos to share, images only in my head.
To Quote Dick M: "This kind of work is very much a waiting game or like watching paint dry."
All three artist using BE glass, took many long and low temp reheats to get there tiles up to even working temp.
Dick also said: that when his crew would be just standing around waiting, he would just hand out $5.00 bills to all and by the end of the day the help would have there pockets bulging from all that cash. It was a fun way to pay the help.

[Kathy Poeppel]

Did anyone attend the Giles Bettison or Dick Marquis demos?

Would love to see some photos...anyone?

Lucky to have seen both of them. No photos though, as the flash on my pocket camera couldn't reach the action from the bleachers. Interesting processes using all bullseye glass. Bettison did a rollup that became a flattened (<2" depth) vessel with sharp corners. All about glass pushing rather than blowing.

Marquis made a boat shape (flat bottom, pointed bow, flat stern) using hot slab construction. No pipes or punties. All of the manipulation was done between heats (a gazillion of them in a relatively cool glory hole) on the pastorelli using kevlar gloves (lots of them-changing to a fresh pair when they were too hot for comfort). He used frax "paper" so everyone close to the action was wearing a respirator.
I won't go through the step-by-step unless you are hungry for more detail.

[John Riepma]

"Did anyone attend the Giles Bettison or Dick Marquis demos?
Would love to see some photos...anyone?"

I have some photos, not the best because I was not able to get that close to the action but some are worthwhile. I am in the process of catching up with the day job and sorting things out from the conference, but when I get the wheat separated from the chaff I can send you what I've got. I've got a couple of other requests too, so I'll probably copy to CD. They're pretty big files.

[John Teeter]

He used frax "paper" so everyone close to the action was wearing a respirator.

almost everyone:confused:

When asked...he said...the resperators were for sheilding faces from the heat. And I was like...uh..huhh....

I just didn't breath.


I took pics of Giles on a camera phone. Not really that great ;)

John "man-ing the doors" Teeter

[Jordan Kube]

If he was using frax paper in the glory hole you can bet everyone in the room was breathing it.

[David Patchen]

Would love to see photos and hear more about how these guys did their work. I don't see many others working w/murrine much so it's interesting to see how others manage the challenges. Why in the world was Marquis using frax paper? Kilnwash rocks and he's carving the surface off anyway. Giles mentioned something in his description of his demo about how he keeps his murrine sharp--anything in his demo referencing this? He carves the surface off as well (I've found this always helps, but limits the size of the work.).

[Ben Solwitz]

I've never used frax paper but kiln wash can be a pain to keep off of the glass. You really have to brush it off well, especially in areas where you are joining two pieces, otherwise you have white scum inside your glass. I guess this isn't such a problem if you are going to grind off the outside, but it could still cause problems at joints. Also if you're constantly reheating and manipulating glass on the same plate it would be easy to disturb the kiln wash and expose metal, I don't know if paper would be any better in this respect. It does seem dangerous to be using paper with a bunch of spectators around though.

Most of the shops in my area have tons of exposed frax around, I don't know if they don't believe it is harmful or just don't care. Lots of frax blanket knock-off tables and annealer lids and whatnot. I've seen a few frax glories without any rigidiser as well. I don't know what sort of effect it's having on my lungs but I don't have much of a choice as to where to work as there are only two public shops near me.

[Greg Vriethoff]

I've never used frax paper but kiln wash can be a pain to keep off of the glass. You really have to brush it off well, especially in areas where you are joining two pieces, otherwise you have white scum inside your glass. I guess this isn't such a problem if you are going to grind off the outside, but it could still cause problems at joints. Also if you're constantly reheating and manipulating glass on the same plate it would be easy to disturb the kiln wash and expose metal, I don't know if paper would be any better in this respect. It does seem dangerous to be using paper with a bunch of spectators around though.

Most of the shops in my area have tons of exposed frax around, I don't know if they don't believe it is harmful or just don't care. Lots of frax blanket knock-off tables and annealer lids and whatnot. I've seen a few frax glories without any rigidiser as well. I don't know what sort of effect it's having on my lungs but I don't have much of a choice as to where to work as there are only two public shops near me.

Dick uses frax paper because he does a lot of reheating while "contructing" his pieces. Kiln wash probably wouldn't keeps his parts from sticking.

As far as exposed frax and spectators, a once-in-a-while (possibly once-in-lifetime) exposure isn't going to hurt anyone.

I do agree that far too many people have a cavalier attitude with frax. A lot of this has to do with ignorance. Folks that are going to work in this business need to educate themselves about the dangers.

[Charles Friedman]

[QUOTE=David Patchen;74134] Giles mentioned something in his description of his demo about how he keeps his murrine sharp--anything in his demo referencing this?


When Giles was heating up the murrine pattern, with many reheats, after it came out of the glory hole, bench torches where used to heat very specific areas of the layout. Some murrine pieces needed more attention then others. So when the entire sheet made temp. all the pieces where heated very uniformly. He also pressed the glass into shape (while on the hot plate). When he made the vessel there was hardly any blowing. He pounded it into shape. The bottom of the piece was a fused rectangle piece picked up (on the punty) from a hot box. About 1"X8", a very tight fit.

The rolling yoke with the fork attached and could swivel around to different workstations, was a great piece of engineering. A person did not have to hold on to handle, while the plate was in the glory hole. All three used it. (Giles, Dick and Klaus). I also think that the murrines where heated up over night on a kiln shelve, rather on a metal plate. The murrines where very thick.


I talked with Dick later in the day and he said he was stopping that series of work. I asked if it was because of all the frax. He said no, just tired of that series.

[John Teeter]

Giles mentioned something in his description of his demo about how he keeps his murrine sharp--anything in his demo referencing this?


When Giles was heating up the murrine pattern, with many reheats, after it came out of the glory hole, bench torches where used to heat very specific areas of the layout. Some murrine pieces needed more attention then others. So when the entire sheet made temp. all the pieces where heated very uniformly. He also pressed the glass into shape (while on the hot plate). When he made the vessel there was hardly any blowing. He pounded it into shape. The bottom of the piece was a fused rectangle piece picked up (on the punty) from a hot box. About 1"X8", a very tight fit.

The rolling yoke with the fork attached and could swivel around to different workstations, was a great piece of engineering. A person did not have to hold on to handle, while the plate was in the glory hole. All three used it. (Giles, Dick and Klaus). I also think that the murrines where heated up over night on a kiln shelve, rather on a metal plate. The murrines where very thick.


I talked with Dick later in the day and he said he was stopping that series of work. I asked if it was because of all the frax. He said no, just tired of that series.

Dick used a DIRTY piece of welded together steel plate to pick his partterns up off of. The kiln shelf paper was layed over the whole plate under the pickup and then he used a sharp knife to cut the paper/glass away right before he picked it up and put the pieces together.

Klaus used a steel plate as well that was heated up slowly over night, but did very few reheats before Paul Cuningham(please excuse the spelling) rolled it up cold and then Lyn Reed stitched it together.

I don't remember exactly what Giles used...but I think it was kiln shelf. He kept the murrine pattern sharp by NEVER getting the whole thing really hot and smearing the edges. We set up the yoke carefully so the flame did not impinge on the murrine sides while heating. He kept the glory hole around I'm taking a guess of 1900-2000(?). The very innovative part of the demo was using the big block of clear square cane that fit INSIDE of the bottom of the murrine rollup (he never necked it down to "close the bubble") to give him something to really form the rectangular piece around.

Hope I'm not giving away any secrets ;)
john

[Rick Sherbert]

The most impressive bit was when Dick picked up the side part with his hands and wrapped it around the soft brick form that already had the bottom glass part sitting on top of the form (assembled upside down). He then proceeded to reheat and use his hands to make sure the side and bottom sealed nicely. Had a whole stack of somewhat thin kevlar gloves at his ready. Hands are the best tool we have...

It was good to meet the Johns (Teeter and Riepma). I wish I had been able to meet the rest of you.

[Franklin Sankar]

Rick is he a man of steel ,? was it hot?
Just trying to line up my superheroes.
Franklin

[Rick Sherbert]

Hot and flexible like warm taffy. Used some of those yellow kevlar gloves that didn't appear very thick. I was impressed.

[David Patchen]

A steel plate? How old-school! I would have liked to see Dick do this as I've found kiln wash and kiln shelf, when applied properly are pretty amazing and I rarely get any crud on my work.

[Ben Rosenfield]

You know, it's real nice having a woman doctor. When someone asks me to lie down, stands behind me, and puts a finger in my bum, the last thing I want to smell is Old Spice!

Either way, it's only right that you should put on a show. Lean into it!

[John Van Koningsveld]

As long as I get some spooning afterward.

[David Patchen]

Ben, I recommend a prostate massage for you. Yes, disturbingly, there is such a thing.

[John Teeter]

A steel plate? How old-school! I would have liked to see Dick do this as I've found kiln wash and kiln shelf, when applied properly are pretty amazing and I rarely get any crud on my work.

for Dick...one of his "setups" was really individual round canes set next to each other that he heated slowly IN the glory hole...to fuse them all... The glory hole was maybe 1600. Took FOREVER (30 minutes?). By the time he was done and went for the "move" the round canes had completely fused into a solid plate WITHOUT squishing. Pure gentle patient heat that melted a bunch of round canes into a single plate. Because it took so many heats...he has to use the frax paper to get good release.

for Klaus. coulda used kiln shelf. we just didn't have any 20x23 inch kiln shelf ;)

Rick: sorry I never got a chance to chat with you more!

[Rick Sherbert]

No problem John, you were busy. Is that your home studio?

[Rick Sherbert]

OUr own Mr. Teeter, the rotating pastorelli holder and the giant cheesburger with lettuce, tomato and sesame seeds.

:)

[Rick Sherbert]

A few more....

[Ken Peterson]

Hey Rick, were you the guy that was getting pissed at me cause I had the ian and aaron's (the element's owners) video camera and I kept getting in your way. That's freakin hilarious if it was. Good to meet you. Or not.... maybe?

The massive pile of gloves that Dick Marquis had was awesome. It was very generous of him to share that process with us. It was a great conference.

Ok Teeter...... I gotta get the rest of the crew in on the lime light. My jealousy can't be overcome. So.... if you were ever curious about what I look like, remember the guy driving the plate during Klaus demo and the guy doing misc torch and paper smoke blowing stuff for Paul Cunningham. That was me.

Mr. Lynn Read aka Vitreluxe did the stitch job.

Mr. Andy Paiko glass machinest played the role of space man carrying the plate to the dolly. And I believe he boxed it.

Mr. Eric Poli (polly?) played the role of misc turning guy.

Go team Portland!!!!!!

It was a real honor working on the Klaus team. He is a good man. I can see it in his eyes. Great show at the portland art museum also.



Was a good time.

[Charles Friedman]

OUr own Mr. Teeter, the rotating pastorelli holder and the giant cheesburger with lettuce, tomato and sesame seeds.

:)

When John Miller (the guy who made the hamburger) after he took the 1/2gather for the meat, he slapped that fresh gather with his bear hand to flatten it.
It got a great round of applause and cheering.
A gentleman setting next to me asked when glassblowers first attain "Rock Star" status? I answered with "ever since Billy Morris"

[Franklin Sankar]

So how did he make the Burger. How did the cow fit.?
Franklin

[Rick Sherbert]

No Ken, I don't think it was me but that would be pretty funny. I always had a pretty good vantage point. I only took a few pictures. I was hanging out with Bill Gutenrath behind the large glory for Dick's demo, over on the bleachers for Klaus and the rest of the time behind the small Stadelman.

Franklin, it was pretty cool. It was built just like a burger. Bottom bun, picked up the burger from the oven, added cheese and lettuce, blew a bowl for the top bun and attached.

[Franklin Sankar]

Ah ha, so the trick is to make the ingredients before and keep in the oven. Is that what he did and you did not see how he made the cheese?
So who moved the cheese?
Franklin

[Rick Sherbert]

Here in the states we say: "Who cut the cheese?"

If I recall correctly, the cheese was put on as 4 small triangles (only what you would see peeking out beneath the bun)