Beginning to blow glass

[Superfluous]

What kind of an investment am I looking at for a torch and necessary accessories to get going?

Recommendations for a decent, affordable (less than 500 or so), capable torch? Tips or advice?

Completely starting from scratch here and really excited :snake:

[OnSilverWings]

there is some awesome info in this thread:
http://www.glassdistrict.com/forums/glass-blowing-art-journals/330-official-glassblowing-q-thread.html

hope that helps! i too am lookin to start blowing very very soon. best of luck to you! :)

[ROOR24]

The Melting Pot - Where All Glass Addicts Melt Together
http://www.talkglass.com/forum/

[Superfluous]

Wow learned a lot from those links already.

You guys think the National 8b would be good to start out with? Any particular tip things for it I should acquire? Are purchasing flashback arresters for the gas a necessary precaution?

Any suggestions on kilns? I read through the first 8 pages o6r so of that first link but nobody ever really makes much mention of kilns besides how expensive they are.

[Blunts R US]

Yo i am also down with this thread. I have been looking for a local blower to apprentice but have been coming up with no luck. I am around the washington DC area so if there are any blowers on here close by who would be into giving lessons or taking on an apprentice please let me know. There is a sick as blower around here but my local shop owner is being hesitant about giving me his number.

[Superfluous]

Yeah I live in an area with absolutely no local blowers. I'd like to find somebody to work with and gain some advice one day but for now I just plan on having fun and teaching myself along the way.

Think I might actually start off with a National 6b..

[ropesheads]

Wow learned a lot from those links already.

You guys think the National 8b would be good to start out with? Any particular tip things for it I should acquire? Are purchasing flashback arresters for the gas a necessary precaution?

Any suggestions on kilns? I read through the first 8 pages o6r so of that first link but nobody ever really makes much mention of kilns besides how expensive they are.have ago at making your own kiln youve started on the glass ahead of most keep going.your first one may not be so good but there are few old ones around the world to guide u. good luck

[BigManNew]

Hey man, When i started glass blowing this is where i got my torch and tools from:
http://www.sundanceglass.com/glass-pipe.htm (sorry if i assumed that you wanted to learn how to make pipes)

Also a good place to find kilns and just about anything else you need is:
http://www.glasscraftinc.com/

also if you have any questions about glass blowing you can pm anytime.

[Bob Dobalina]

DO NOT buy a kit from Sundance. It is a rip off. Go on ebay and piece together a set up. Dont bother with a national. Get a red max made by nortel. $450 new $250-$400 used. Great torches. Get a pottery kiln with a temp controller. Buy your graphite tools off of ebay. Get a set for $40-$60. Just search ebay everyday. Search ; glassblowing, glass blowing, lampworking, for torches I have gotten some great deals on ebay by searching bench burner. $2k torch for $300. Also search craigslist. Get buddy buddy with shop owners so they will introduce you to artist. Glassblowers are everywhere. I am in Oklafuckinghoma, the last place you may think a pipemaker resides. Just search out deals and never trust a company that wants to sell you a set unless you have cash to blow. Half of the stuff in the kit will never get used. I will come back to this thread and offer more opnions in the future.

[Superfluous]

Yeah actually I was looking at that kit because dude form StoneGlassWorks said it was what he started out on and that the tools were great and he still uses many to this day. I was thinking about the Red Max but I figured I'd probably just start with something a third of the price but still functional that I can keep as a hand torch after upgrading to something nicer. Tried some ebay searching but had absolutely no luck. You're right though, I should search everyday. I think I'll try craigslist and even though there won't be anything nearby maybe I can convince someone to ship.

I'm already good friends with my local shop owner and that's why I know that there aren't any other blowers around here. Everything in the shop is stocked by traveling artists.

So, what's this about making my own kiln? Hmm.. would that require anything other than some firebricks, a (particularly powerful) heating element, and a pyrometer?

[iCapture]

This is exactly the thread I wanted to start. Glad to see its already here. Looking at all the different styles of the artists and all the different color possibilities really intrigues me. I am a stoner through and through, but I have also been an artist since my first memory. So I figure this could be a very fun hobby. I can't wait!