Alex's Projects

At MIT there are workshops available for benchtop borosilicate flameworking.

 

Here are some of the projects that I have created.

Goblet

Goblet steps:

1. Make the bowl: Join a large diameter tube to a small diameter tube. Cut the large diameter tube and seal the end. Apply decorations the large diameter tube, then heat it up and blow into a bubble. Puncture the bubble, and enlarge the opening using a graphite rod, shaping it into the top of the glass. Place in the annealing kiln.
2. Make the stem: Start with a rod of clear glass and apply blue and white colored rods. Twist together. Place in the annealing kiln.
3. Make the base: Start with a rod of clear glass, and melt the end into a large molten ball. Flatten ball lightly on graphite plate and apply white dots. Melt in the white dots, and dip the base in blue powdered glass. Melt in the powder, and use a graphite plate to ensure flatness. Place in the annealing kiln.
4. Combine components: After the components have annealed individually, shorten the stem to a proportionate length, and place back in the annealing kiln. Add a punty (temporary holder) on the bottom of the base, and cut off the glass rod attached to the base (this is where the stem will go). Weld the stem to the base. Using a claw grabber, hold the bowl from the top and remove the glass rod attached to the bottom of the bowl. Weld the bowl to the stem. Check to make sure it stands up straight, then put it in the annealing kiln as fast as possible.

 

View of stem and base:

 

Goblet #2:

Similar process to above:

 

Second view showing nice reflections:

 

 

Tree:

One of the advantages of using borosilicate is its low coefficient of thermal expansion. This allows us to make larger pieces and they have a lower likelihood of exploding before they get into the annealing kiln. By bending and stretching rods into interesting shapes I made a tree; unfortunately it was too large for the kiln. Everything seemed to be alright, but three days later, it shattered into hundreds of pieces on my dorm room floor.

Tree in my dorm room:

 

Tree in the glass lab:

 

Terrarium:

 

Orca Whale: