Favorite sources for boro torch work info?

[Randy Kaltenbach]

I've worked hot glass on and off for many years but I'm considering setting up a personal boro torch studio. I played around with this a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the process. Small sculptures, goblets, etc.

I know some of you are into this end of the game and I'm wondering if any of you would share your favorite studio, tool, ... info sources? Maybe a board like Craft Web? Maybe favorite YouTube channel? Etc.

[Jordan Kube]

Torch talk group on Facebook

[Shawn Everette]

Wetcanvas and talkglass have pretty extensive boards, but neither are nearly quality control monitored as craftweb(thanks pete). CMOG and Revere Glass on youtube are good resources as well.

The problem you're going to have is wading through the pipemaker bro garbage. Seriously, you don't need to start your video by taking a bong rip .

[Larry Cazes]

Lots of us are here. Ive been working with Boro for 8 years now. Whats wrong with talking here? As someones already mentioned the info on other boards and groups tends to be of a lower quality. My .02. Hoping no one takes it personally.

[Pete VanderLaan]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with talking about Boro here if you take Shawn's observation into full account. I'm pretty interested in facts based stuff on Craftweb and as long as that's the thrust, you'll find no resistance from me.

Craftweb has managed to escape flaming garbage or stupid simply outrageous claims elsewhere through a simple rule about your real identity. I do actually check out every new application. They have to make sense and then, they're welcome. I'm sure I make mistakes but I indeed try.

I can't make a separate Boro board without sacrificing something else so, it should stay in General discussion. So far, Katie has been unwilling to upgrade the site and I am not complaining about her generosity over the last twenty years. For someone I've never met. We really trust each other.

Have at it. Response will tell you a lot.

[Paul Labrie]

Hi Randy I would be happy to help. let me know what you are interested in. Can share what I know or point you in a direction, Paul

labrieglass.com

[Greg Vriethoff]

**Takes bong rip**

Your best bet is to start by...

What the hell was I just talking about?

[Max Epstein]

How about a stickied boro post?

I have only seen two or three intelligent posts on TorchTalk...

[Lawrence Duckworth]

Randy Mountain Glass.com is a pretty good source for tools and supplies.. I’ve been buying their Chinese rod for about 1/4 of the price for the good stuff. Half of it’s junk but good enough to learn on.

If you think about the time you’ve invested on this board learning, and who to respect, and how long it’ll take you on one of the boro boards to sort through the bs...
.....it’d be great to see a category here!

[Pete VanderLaan]

And what board would you have me get rid of? There is not room for an addition.

[Shawn Everette]

Ditto on mountain glass, they're an awesome vendor. The chinese stuff has actually made a lot of headway in the past decade, but is still usually the bottom of the spectrum. There are also a lot of new studios producing color, so there is more general price variance across the board. Word of advice, or maybe the best way to empty your bank account, wait until mountain has a sale, they'll usually be 30-40% off.

[Shawn Everette]

I'm totally down with talking here, just haven't really seen much of it. A few threads on fuming, but not much else. Honestly I think why we don't do a lot of boro discussion here is because the shop tech nerdery isn't as prevalent among (some)torch workers, and those that may be of that technical bend aren't as aware of this site as the others. That or they stay away because they know that if they try any of their bro garbage here Pete'll have them thrown off the premises.

[Paul Labrie]

Glass Crafts/Winship designs
3844 Janisse St. Eugene, OR 97402
877.893.9386
which was just bought out by Mountain Glass (so you can't buy supplies anymore) has impressive video tutorials you can buy.

along with
ABR
3808 W Vernal Pike Bloomington, IN 47404

(866) 342-4764
(812) 339-9147

Most of it is related to pipes, I don't make pipes but the techniques are applicable to sculpture work, marbles and paper weights, some goblet demos.

Mountain Glass
191 Lyman Street
Unit 400
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 225-5599
Really is customer friendly, catering to the pipe makers but they have a great selection of products with reviews. Lampworking is in a constant state of flux hard to stay ahead of the changes. Some offer classes and or studio rental.

One of the sites that helps with new lampworkers is www.talkglass.com/forum/ they cover a range of techniques, color applications, tools, and advise. Once again mostly pipe work but I have found some of the threads useful.

You can sign up to all these suppliers and get updates on the ongoing, monthly and flash sales.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Originally Posted by Shawn Everette

I'm totally down with talking here, just haven't really seen much of it. A few threads on fuming, but not much else. Honestly I think why we don't do a lot of boro discussion here is because the shop tech nerdery isn't as prevalent among (some)torch workers, and those that may be of that technical bend aren't as aware of this site as the others. That or they stay away because they know that if they try any of their bro garbage here Pete'll have them thrown off the premises.

******
I just get concerned trying to be all things to all people. We've had over 100,000 posts here, a vibrant set of archives and a great working group of people solely in hot glass. I'm not opposed to Boro at all, I in fact think much of the interesting work being done currently is in boro but I'm not trying to make this an art site. Tech is consuming enough. If the support is really there, I could get rid of one of the other boards, perhaps Earthbound Suppliers. It doesn't get much use.

[Shawn Everette]

I totally get that. Honestly I'd be very happy with a stand alone torch forum, but I'm a little too busy to moderate enough to keep it from getting infected by the bong tribe. There is so much to offer in flameworking, but the focus always seems to get diverted to if you can smoke out of it, how many wigwags you put in it, or check out this implosion brah.

Not to belittle the torch, but really there's not that much tech to it, aside from the advancement of color, by comparison. I love this sight because you(we) specifically avoid try to merit "art", and focus on solving problems. And making terrible jokes. I'd hate for that to change.

A torch is a tool, same as a kiln, glory, and everything else in the studio. If the emphasis were able to remain in that I think it has a place here, but I don't know about doing at a cost of useful information. That being said I rarely use the supplier board.

[Shawn Everette]

Take caution with ABR, I have yet to receive an order where something wasn't wrong. If you check ratings online you'll see I'm not the only one. They also don't let you buy off the shelf, pre order only, which is almost unheard of for a glass supplier.

Mountain has always gone out of the way to fix it IF something is wrong, and that's a pretty big IF. They are also super cool if you have a chance to make it down to Ashville and rummage though the warehouse. Word to the wise, take a limited amount of cash if you go, it's like sending a compulsive gambler to vegas. Come on man I just need one more rod!

I also highly suggest taking an intensive class somewhere. I'm not as familiar with the Canadian schools, but 2 weeks at Pilchuck, Penland or Corning can be highly transformative when starting out.

[Rick Kellner]

Might also consider checking out the channel Pipe Dreams on YouTube. As the name implies, it's solely focused on the 'functional' glass, yet is inspirational in technique depictions. I found the production value to be impressive relative to similar offerings.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Originally Posted by Shawn Everette

And making terrible jokes. I'd hate for that to change.

*********
I'm crushed. "Terrible?" Only last week I was told that people didn't like my "acerbic humor".

I suppose I could always go back to invoking the Gods if people didn't drink their milk. In reality I'm a huge fan of quality work and experience has taught me that encouraging photos is a road to hell. If I want to see that clearly, I go to Etsy.

[Shawn Everette]

I mean terrible in the best way possible.

[Larry Cazes]

Originally Posted by Shawn Everette

Not to belittle the torch, but really there's not that much tech to it, aside from the advancement of color, by comparison.

Haha. Maybe your just not getting out enough I work both in the hotshop and on the torch, sometimes together, and I find torch working boro to be more technique and knowledge intensive to do well.

I dont really think we need a new board. Plenty of space in general forum for it.

[Randy Kaltenbach]

WOW, I'm blown away by the interest here!

I did take a short class two years ago, and that's when I was smitten by the boro bug. Geez, glass that you can heat, bend, stick together, then set down and leave for a couple of hours without a problem is a totally new way to work. It doesn't have the "immediacy" of hot glass that I really enjoy, but it seems to be a viable way to set up a shop in my garage (without losing a place to park my cars in the Canadian winter )

Here's a sample of what I accomplished in that class, although the goblet cup and foot were blown by the instructor:

[Shawn Everette]

I'm talking shop tech stuff, not actual making technique. For the greatest part this forum is more of a facilities how to, and less of a goblet instructional. Unless you are trying to rig and maintain an oxycon set up, the tools and materials handling for torch is far less intensive than what you find in most hot glass shops. It's the exact reason you have so many more people like Randy going the torch route for the home.

You do have more people starting to mess with making color in the boro world, but that has never gained that same type of traction that the hot glass side had. It's a huge logistical step to introduce a proper furnace to a torch shop. When you already have the equipment at your disposal on the other hand, it makes things significantly easier. What is interesting is the proliferation of professional boro suppliers, while no major hot glass color manufacturers have come to plate in 25+ years.

Straight skills wise, we're all in the same glass animal family. How we break down in to genus and species is what makes us unique, but not better than the other.

[Larry Cazes]

Originally Posted by Randy Kaltenbach

WOW, I'm blown away by the interest here!

I did take a short class two years ago, and that's when I was smitten by the boro bug. Geez, glass that you can heat, bend, stick together, then set down and leave for a couple of hours without a problem is a totally new way to work. It doesn't have the "immediacy" of hot glass that I really enjoy, but it seems to be a viable way to set up a shop in my garage (without losing a place to park my cars in the Canadian winter )

Here's a sample of what I accomplished in that class, although the goblet cup and foot were blown by the instructor:

I actually prefer working boro to soft. Beautiful goblets

[Shawn Everette]

Randy, that's a nice start. The hard part is going to be focusing on what you actually want to make, and deciding on how you need to practice. There is a lot to offer in the world torch wise, so sometimes it can be hard to see the forest for the trees.

Sculpture wise, if that's the direction you want to go, stick with the clear to start. It's cheap and easy, then work towards color. Also, ventilation becomes considerably more of a concern with the color, the heat of the torch can boil some fairly nasty gas in your face if you're not careful.

Carmen Lozar and Emilio Santini were some of the best sculpture teachers I had. Kit Paulson and Micha Evans are incredible networkers. Nobody does hollow like Parramore, Eskuche is pretty incredible too. Karina Guevin and Cedric Ginart are both tremendous resources from up north. Again, look for people that are making what you want to learn.

[Greg Vriethoff]

Originally Posted by Pete VanderLaan

"acerbic humor".

In addition to buying up obscure domain names I think I'm going to take out a trademark on the word "acerbic."