Glass blowers blow air through a tube to inflate molten glass, then shape that glass into a variety of different objects including cups, vases, light fixtures, and sculptures. You might worry that glass blowing will be too hard to learn. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning glass blowing and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. This way, you’ll be successful however you choose to apply your new skills.
What is Glass Blowing?
Glass blowing starts with heating glass in a furnace until it melts. That melted glass is then gathered on the end of a long metal tube known as a blowpipe. The glass blower blows through the blowpipe to inflate the glass, and while it is soft, molds it into whatever shape they want it to be. Finally, the glass is cooled gradually, in a special kiln, so that it doesn’t crack. Glass blowers can work alone, however, many work with an assistant.
Glass blowing is a skill that is hundreds of years old. Getty explains, “In Europe, Asia, and North Africa, glass production began around 1600 BCE. Creators from Egypt and Mesopotamia mixed sand with natron, a salt compound found in dry Egyptian lake beds, and heated it in a kiln for several days until it turned into glass.” While glass is a common household object today, when it was first created, it was rare. Getty says, “Glass was valuable, on par with semiprecious stones. At first, the relative scarcity of glass and the laborious process required to make it meant it was reserved for only the highest-ranking members of society such as the pharaoh and his entourage.”
Benefits of Learning Glass Blowing?
Learning glass blowing gives you access to a unique hobby. Glass blowers use a variety of different techniques, colors, and types of glass, and create beautiful, one-of-a-kind glass pieces, and many people take up this skill because they find the creative process involved to be very rewarding. Glass blower Parker Stafford explains, “It is one of these materials, even after blowing glass for close to 30 years, it is still magic.”
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Some types of glass blowers create custom work for a variety of unique purposes–such as for lab experiments–and that can also be very rewarding. For example, Karl Termini is a scientific glassblower for Cornell University, where he creates custom glassware for the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. He says that he enjoys the challenge of creating unique equipment for the scientists who work there. He says, “Every day is a chance to learn something.... Someone will come in with a challenge and they’ll need me to figure out how to do it. I take pride in coming up with a solution. That’s my favorite part.”
Is Glass Blowing Easy to Learn?
Most people are able to learn some basic glass blowing techniques relatively quickly, however, glass blowers say that it usually takes a long time to master this skill. Glass blowers need strength and dexterity, they need to learn about the properties of glass, and they need to learn to handle heat and to work with specialized skills. Glass blower Bruce Marks says, "It takes years to learn." He explains, "For one thing, you're doing two separate things with your hands, so it's like rubbing your tummy and patting your head."
Most people find that glass blowing is easier to learn through a paid class. In fact, most glass blowing experts advise that trying to learn this skill on your own is not the best idea, and can actually be dangerous. For instance, the Bern Gallery, which specializes in glass pipes, says, “DIY glassblowing is never recommended. You need a lot of tools and a lot of knowledge to blow glass pipes safely.” If you’re looking for somewhere to learn this skill, CourseHorse offers a variety of different glass blowing classes.
What You Need to Know Before Learning Glass Blowing
Some glass blowing classes are relatively costly, so if you’re planning to learn glass blowing, it can be a good idea to start with a bit of research on what will be involved. Glass blowing is a unique activity that does have a few unusual aspects.
If you’re planning to learn glass blowing, you should be prepared to work with extreme heat. In order to melt glass, the furnace that glass blowers use must be kept at a temperature of about 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Epiphany Studios, a glass blowing studio in Michigan discusses the heat on its website, writing, “The glass is SO hot and it’s radiating hot, hot heat. Just standing by it will make your skin turn red. Over time you’ll build up a bit of a tolerance to it.... When taking video with a cell phone, sometimes even they overheat from the proximity and need a break to cool down – it’s really that hot!”
Some people are also surprised to realize that glass blowing is a very physical activity; unlike some other types of art, glass blowing engages your whole body. Glass blower Deborah Czeresko says that it requires endurance, grip strength, and balance. She says, “It’s like a sport out there, in that it is physical, and it’s moving all the time.”
What You Need to Learn Glass Blowing
Some arts can be pretty easy to start learning. For instance, if you want to learn to draw, all you need is paper and a pencil. Glass blowing is not so simple; you’re unlikely to have the necessary supplies lying around at home. Instead, if you want to learn glass blowing, you need a lot of specialized equipment. You also need to devote time to learning and practicing the unique skills involved. If you take an in-person class–which is the most common way to learn glass blowing–the equipment that you need is usually provided.
Specialized Glass Blowing Equipment
In order to blow glass, you need some specialized equipment. A furnace is necessary to melt the glass at about,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Glass blowing furnaces are often powered by gas. You’ll also need a blowpipe, which is a hollow steel tube that is used to gather the melted glass and blow air into it, and a yoke, which is a stand that supports the blowpipe while it’s in the furnace. Most glass blowers also have a bench to work on. In addition, they use a variety of different tools and molds for shaping the glass, including knives, tweezers, shears, and paddles. Finally, an annealing kiln is used to gradually cool finished glass pieces so that they don’t crack.
Safety
Since glass blowing involves molten glass and intense heat, safety is a very important part of learning this skill. Glass blowers need to learn to work safely, which means knowing how to safely use all their tools, and also wearing a variety of safety equipment. Safety equipment can include safety glasses, gloves and sleeves, a leather apron, and closed-toe shoes. Glass blower Todd Hansen explains that glass blowers also need to be constantly aware of their surroundings. He says, “One of the things when you're in the studio, especially when you're walking around with hot glass, is be very aware of what's happening around you. You need to pay attention to, not only what you're doing, but what the other glass blowers are doing in the studio as well…Always be careful, be careful what's going on around you, be aware of what everyone else is doing and you should have a good, safe experience.”
Glass
All glass is made primarily from sand. Glass maker Mike Cushing explains that a type of sand called silica sand is used. He says that silica sand is different to beach sand because it is more pure: “There are a lot of minerals and other items in sand which are filtered out for our process.” He adds, “A fun fact about glass is all glass is clear. If you see a piece of glass that's green or blue, they simply change the color by adding a metal to the process.” For instance, he says, “When you melt the silica sand if you add copper to that mix a very small amount will turn your glass to blue." While all glass is made from silica, there are a number of different types of glass, depending on what other materials are added to the silica. Borosilicate glass is one commonly-used type. It is relatively durable and heat-resistant, and is often used to make items that need to be strong, like bakeware and laboratory glass. Soda-lime glass is also popular with glass blowers. This type of glass is relatively inexpensive, and also has a lower melting point.
Time and Patience
It will take time to develop your glass blowing skills. You need to get used to the heat involved. In addition, since you can’t touch the glass directly with your hands, you’ll need to get used to working with glass blowing tools instead, and will need to develop the precision and control required to make precise designs.
Key Takeaways
Glass blowing is a unique skill that requires some specialized equipment and training from an expert. If you understand these unique requirements before you start learning, you will be better prepared to succeed as a glass blower.
- Glass blowing has been practiced for hundreds of years.
- Blowing glass can be both challenging and extremely rewarding.
- If you want to blow glass, you need to be prepared to work around extreme heat.
- Glass blowing also requires physical fitness, strength, and dexterity.
- In order to learn glass blowing, you’ll need a number of specialized pieces of equipment.
- Having safety knowledge and gear is also an important requirement for a glass blower.
- Glass blowers use a number of different types of glass.
- Time and patience are an important part of developing glass blowing skills.
- Contact CourseHorse to find options for in-person or online glass blowing classes, including private group sessions.