(aka Flame working or Torch working)
Lampworking is an art form that has been around since around the 1300’s. It came out of Italy,
where glass was melted using a lamp. Now we use bench mounted torches, which combine oxygen
and fuel (natural gas or propane) in order to create a flame hot enough to melt glass rods.
We heat coloured or clear glass in the flame and then wind it around a steel rod, called a mandrel.
The mandrel has been coated in a clay-like material - bead release - in order to keep the glass from
adhering permanently. Glass is shaped and decorated in and out of the flame. We have to be
careful not to let the glass get too hot, or the shape and design is lost as the glass droops, or become
to cold, as it will crack or shatter.
A simple bead can take as little as a 5 minutes for an experienced lampworker to make, and more
intricate designs can take much longer. The “bridge” beads John makes and the larger creatures
take approximately an hour each. Once the object is complete, it is immediately placed in a heated
kiln to anneal.
Annealing is a very important part of lampworking and essential to long lasting beads. It removes
stress in the glass and greatly decreases chances of cracking or breaking by keeping the beads at a
specific heat and slowly bringing them down to room temperature.
Annealed glass is quite sturdy, but being glass will still chip, break or crack if handled too roughly.
Once cool, the bead release is removed and the bead is inspected to make sure that it meets our
standards– well made ends (not sharp or jagged), no structural defects like undercut dots (which will
pop off), and an aesthetically pleasing look.
This is a short video of John making a border collie. The sound is of the fan and oxygen
concentrator and is loud, so you might want to turn down or mute your sound. There is no voice
over. I plan to add some longer clips in the future.
And this is what the dog looks like, after coming out of the kiln the next day:
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