How To Blow Glass

Glass pipe blowing is a tricky business. You have to know exactly what you want out of the material and just how much pressure you need to exert to be able to create it.

Glass pipe blowing was not how glass pieces were made in the ancient times, but this procedure made the whole process easier and it helped the use of glass expand. In the olden times, only the rich were able to use and purchase glass items since the process of creating them was very tedious.

But glass pipe blowing became the rage and it still lives on until the present time. Now, it is no longer simply the process of creating glass items, but it has become a meticulous art form that requires patience, skill and hard work.

The most important thing you need when you want to begin blowing glass is, obviously, a good blowpipe. A regular blowpipe is five feet long and about one to two inches wide. It has a mouthpiece on one tip while you ?gather? molten glass with the other. Shorter and smaller blowpipes are available for smaller glass projects.

The gathering tip of the blowpipe must be preheated before you dip it into the furnace, or the kiln. After preheating it, you can begin the process of gathering softened glass from the furnace. You may repeat gathering until you have collected enough molten glass for your project.

Now, roll the glass over the marver to mold it and to create a thin sheet of skin over the glass surface. You can reheat the glass if it has begun cooling down. After achieving your desired shape, blow into the blowpipe mouthpiece to create a hollow molten glass ball. Reheat the glass and you can now begin working on it.

For a more comprehensive glass blowing tutorial, read The Glass Blowing Bible.