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We start
with glass rods, usually Effetre (previously known as Moretti) from
Italy or Bullseye from the U.S. These are soda-lime, or 'soft' glasses.
The rods
are transparent or opaque and come in many colors.
We then melt the
glass rod in an oxygen-propane flame. The molten glass is wound onto a
stainless steel mandrel that has been treated so that the bead will come
off more easily later when it’s cool. The bead starts to take shape!
Next, we shape and decorate the hot bead using different
colors and textures of glass, precious metal foil, and enamel. The bead must be
carefully controlled in the flame so that the decorations and textures
will stay put!
Finally, the glass is slowly cooled in the flame until it
is solid again. We then put it in a fiber blanket or in vermiculite to
cool very slowly. Once it reaches room temperature, it is taken off of
the mandrel and annealed in a kiln. To anneal Effetre glass, it must be
brought up to 960°F and stay there for about an hour. It must then
be cooled at no more than 70°F per hour back down to about 500°F and
then can be brought to room temperature. This whole process takes
about 12 hours, but is very necessary. Annealing relieves the internal
stresses so that the glass is more durable and will last a lifetime!
“Lampworking” is a term used a
long time ago because the flame that was used to melt the bead came from
a gas lamp.
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