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Step 3Get a pipe. Gather some glass!
Once you've managed to acquire all the tools, the most difficult part of this instructable is finished. From here on out, everything is pretty easy.
note: Whenever holding a blowpipe or punty you should always be rotating it in your hand. When you stop rotating the pipe, the glass starts to tip to one side. The only way to keep everything on center and uniform is to rotate your pipe, constantly!
Grab a blow pipe off a pipe warmer. Molten glass doesn't want to stick to cold metal. If you don't have a pipe warmer, let the tip of the pipe sit in the door of the furnace for about a minute (until it starts to glow red). Warm metal + molten glass = what we want at this stage.
Place your blow pipe into the furnace horizontally, so the end of the pipe is about in the middle of the furnace. As you slide the pipe into the furnace, move your hands back to the far opposite end of the pipe. Slowly lower the tip of your pipe toward the molten glass while looking for a reflection on the surface of the glass.
The light is so bright in the furnace it's going to be really difficult to tell where the glass is. By looking directly below your pipe for it's reflection you have a much easier time of figuring out exactly where it is.
As you start to dip the tip of the pipe into the glass, (make sure you're spinning the pipe!), stop lowering it when the glass covers around an inch of the tip of your pipe. Turn your pipe for two full rotations, and the tip your pipe back horizontal (never stop spinning).
Once you're horizontal, you can start backing your pipe back out. Close the door when you've made it out of the furnace, and congratulate yourself on a good gather.
note: Whenever holding a blowpipe or punty you should always be rotating it in your hand. When you stop rotating the pipe, the glass starts to tip to one side. The only way to keep everything on center and uniform is to rotate your pipe, constantly!
Grab a blow pipe off a pipe warmer. Molten glass doesn't want to stick to cold metal. If you don't have a pipe warmer, let the tip of the pipe sit in the door of the furnace for about a minute (until it starts to glow red). Warm metal + molten glass = what we want at this stage.
Place your blow pipe into the furnace horizontally, so the end of the pipe is about in the middle of the furnace. As you slide the pipe into the furnace, move your hands back to the far opposite end of the pipe. Slowly lower the tip of your pipe toward the molten glass while looking for a reflection on the surface of the glass.
The light is so bright in the furnace it's going to be really difficult to tell where the glass is. By looking directly below your pipe for it's reflection you have a much easier time of figuring out exactly where it is.
As you start to dip the tip of the pipe into the glass, (make sure you're spinning the pipe!), stop lowering it when the glass covers around an inch of the tip of your pipe. Turn your pipe for two full rotations, and the tip your pipe back horizontal (never stop spinning).
Once you're horizontal, you can start backing your pipe back out. Close the door when you've made it out of the furnace, and congratulate yourself on a good gather.
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