Lampworking
[2] In the mid-19th century lampwork technique was extended to the production of paperweights, primarily in France, where it became a popular art form, still collected today.
Lampworking is used to create artwork, including beads, figurines, marbles, small vessels, sculptures, Christmas tree ornaments, and much more.
Leaded glass tubing was commonly used in the manufacture of neon signs, and many US lampworkers used it in making blown work.
However, it has a narrower working temperature range than the soft glasses, has fewer available colors, and is considerably more expensive.
Most lampworkers use glass produced by commercial manufactures in the shape of rod, tube, sheet or frit.
Sheet glass is produced in varying thickness and can be cut and shaped before being worked in the flame.
Today soda-lime, or "soft" glass is manufactured globally, including Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, China and America.
Lead glasses are distinguished by their lower viscosity, heavier weight, and somewhat greater tolerance for COE mismatches.
Borosilicate originated as laboratory glass, but it has recently become available in color to the studio artist from a number of companies.
At one time, soft (soda lime and lead) and hard (borosilicate) glasses had distinctly different looking palettes, but demand by soft-glass artists for the silver strike colors, and the development of the bright, cadmium based 'crayon colors' by Glass Alchemy in the boro line, has diminished the distinctions between them.
A hydrogen and oxygen torch is used to work quartz as requires higher temperatures than other types of glass.
Quartz is resistant to extreme temperature variations and chemical corrosion, making it especially useful in scientific applications.
Graphite is frequently used for the working surfaces of lampworking tools because of its ability to withstand high temperatures, low coefficient of friction, and resistance to sticking to the molten glass.
Once ready to begin, the lampworker slowly introduces glass rod or tubing into the flame to prevent cracking from thermal shock.
The glass is heated until molten and wound around a specially coated steel mandrel, forming the base bead.
Glass that has not been annealed may crack or shatter due to a seemingly minor temperature change or other shock.
As torches get bigger and more powerful, the cross-over between lampworking and furnace glass continues to increase.
