jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Glass
Feb 2, 2018 23:21:23 GMT -5
Post by jamesp on Feb 2, 2018 23:21:23 GMT -5
Both the studios I have been getting glass from also weld sculptures too. The hybrid glass and steel projects are awesome. They also weld up their own kilns. Every time I go to their studios the owner/artist is never blowing glass, only the young hands. it seems he has trained them in his own likeness. Janke asked if I had a large steel tube to make a bigger kiln. Hope to find an old compressor tank for him. I'd like to be a helper when building the kiln. They do have classes. More like parties. Those folks have a good time. His eagle sculpture was unbelievable. Would like to see more of them Take a class. It would be interesting to see what you can do I do have a fetish for jewelry but after picking up some of these fine masterpieces an affinity for vases and plates has grabbed me. Bet I would have never known unless you pointed out the value. Can smokers blow glass lol ?
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Glass
Feb 2, 2018 23:23:59 GMT -5
via mobile
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Post by Pat on Feb 2, 2018 23:23:59 GMT -5
I like thrift stores, junk stores, and dumps when they were fun. Used to dig up the old dumping ground behind in laws house out in the woods. Lots of glass jars and blue canning jars and glass canning lids.
Several families and generations had dumped by the creek.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 2, 2018 23:25:01 GMT -5
You just made me laugh But thats a good question
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Post by aDave on Feb 3, 2018 0:53:54 GMT -5
jamesp , love the work you are doing. I don't know how far back I'd have to go to see the background, but it's great stuff nonetheless. I saw that you mentioned you have a kiln to help what your working with. Don't be a Fawn Liebowitz. Best regards, Dave Sure don't want to have any explosions Dave lol. Maybe a video of a fictional explosion ? No need to look back, let's just say there was a lot of wrong paths taken. Trial by fire ? haha - no pun All kidding aside, and I loved that you understood the Fawn Liebowitz reference, did you post your start in glass anywhere? I don't want you to work hard and dig up old references, but I'm somewhat curious how it came about for you. I think it's beautiful stuff, and I'm curious how glass became part of your hobby. I'm not looking for a justification for it...I'm simply amazed at how you came to be involved with such beautiful material.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Glass
Feb 3, 2018 6:59:50 GMT -5
Post by jamesp on Feb 3, 2018 6:59:50 GMT -5
I like thrift stores, junk stores, and dumps when they were fun. Used to dig up the old dumping ground behind in laws house out in the woods. Lots of glass jars and blue canning jars and glass canning lids. Several families and generations had dumped by the creek. Treasure hunts Pat, gets no better. In Florida you look for 2 rows of old palm trees signifying an old road to a residence. Follow to end and look for a homesite. Look for debris/dump, dig for the goodies.
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Post by 1dave on Feb 3, 2018 7:56:46 GMT -5
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Feb 3, 2018 8:08:54 GMT -5
Sure don't want to have any explosions Dave lol. Maybe a video of a fictional explosion ? No need to look back, let's just say there was a lot of wrong paths taken. Trial by fire ? haha - no pun All kidding aside, and I loved that you understood the Fawn Liebowitz reference, did you post your start in glass anywhere? I don't want you to work hard and dig up old references, but I'm somewhat curious how it came about for you. I think it's beautiful stuff, and I'm curious how glass became part of your hobby. I'm not looking for a justification for it...I'm simply amazed at how you came to be involved with such beautiful material. That is a long story Dave. It started when I was a child. Dad bought home an optical scope from a military airplane. I disassembled it and separated the lenses, filters and reticles. The military surplus store close to home was loaded with fine military optical devices and my parents let me have a budget buying them. I made telescopes and microscopes out of them. Must have been 12 years old and I found an 8" telescope mirror in a salvage shop and built a big telescope. By then I had mastered optics to fairly high level. Giant fresnel lenses that could melt metal using sun light, prisms, spotting scopes, polarizers, ultraviolet lighting, photography, etc, guess I was a little nurd, still am. I went on and minored in optics in engineering school and breezed through it because of my hobby interests as a child. I made a couple of density measuring devices for the textile industry using a light source and a solar cell that would sense textile process machinery output in a closed loop feedback system. It replaced awkward gamma radiation devices that required care and permits to handle and have on premises. Should have insisted on a royalty on that device. On the decorative side, my Grandmother had travelled Europe and brought back a lot of fancy European glass. I was mesmerized by it too. Glass is all about bending and manipulating light. Unbeatable medium for such. And it holds and displays colors like no other medium. Which makes it a fine target for jewelry. Tumbling a fine artist's glass creation is a another whole world discovered with endless combinations. The glass artist's creation does get hammered to pieces but does get converted to another form enjoyed from new angles after tumbling it. Tumble polishing art glass like this and optical glass was my intention when starting to tumble back when joining this group 2011. So that's the cut on my history with glass Dave. Hope you are not sorry you asked lol. Thanks. The newest addition is a glass kiln. I pulled off my first 2 shelf melt last night melting scrap art glass. Should be able to tile saw these 'lenses' and extract some decent tumbles after a bit of pre-grinding.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Feb 3, 2018 8:16:00 GMT -5
There is no end to what can be melted into glass Dave. I could only hope to melt such a fine looking chunk of this Slocum Stone. Anything with a metal called titanium melted into it would be irresistible. Thanks for sharing.
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Glass
Feb 3, 2018 8:37:54 GMT -5
Post by 1dave on Feb 3, 2018 8:37:54 GMT -5
A surprise was to fine out that titanium is the 9th most common element on the face of the earth!
I had always used to think it was rare and exotic.
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Post by HankRocks on Feb 3, 2018 8:57:25 GMT -5
I have also noticed that for 2 or 3 of the weddings of friend's children I have been to lately, no china or silverware on the gift registry. They do not want it as they see no use for it which is probably spilling over into some of the collectibles of the past. They would rather travel places than have a lot of dust collectors sitting around. That's why you are seeing more of that type of stuff at Estate Sales, kids don't want it, get rid of it and give us the cash.
Same with our set, it hasn't moved from the China Cabinet in 8 to 10 years and will most likely never be used again. Now if I could just convince my wife to let me turn the Cabinet into a second Rock Cabinet!!
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Feb 3, 2018 9:29:11 GMT -5
I have also noticed that for 2 or 3 of the weddings of friend's children I have been to lately, no china or silverware on the gift registry. They do not want it as they see no use for it which is probably spilling over into some of the collectibles of the past. They would rather travel places than have a lot of dust collectors sitting around. That's why you are seeing more of that type of stuff at Estate Sales, kids don't want it, get rid of it and give us the cash. Same with our set, it hasn't moved from the China Cabinet in 8 to 10 years and will most likely never be used again. Now if I could just convince my wife to let me turn the Cabinet into a second Rock Cabinet!! You nailed it Henry. New generation a busy bunch with 2 income households. And cashing in inheritance. Susie homemaker long gone, disappearing breed. New Moms have no time for dust collectors. Less money to afford rarely used 'living rooms' where all the fancy stuff was displayed. Great rooms are the new way. Knock that dividing wall out and make usable space. Finding fine glass in a thrift store is like being a fox in a hen house. By the way, I cleaned all the agates and pet wood out of the Rio. Why waste a trip there ? he he. Sorry Mr. Texan, complain to your Governor. Next step is all the art glass in Atlanta . Don't be coming over here stealing glass lest you have a Georgia passport. Life is good with double standards. You can come over and look at my mountain of Rio agates though.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Feb 3, 2018 9:47:32 GMT -5
A surprise was to fine out that titanium is the 9th most common element on the face of the earth! I had always used to think it was rare and exotic. Never did know that Dave. It seems to be more affordable and in use way more than in the past. Add aluminum to that list. And aluminum oxide. Geez, the middle section of Georgia is about all white clay composed of 25% aluminum oxide. I believe the source is the felspar in our massive eroded granite exposures. Washed off the granite hills and deposited to the low elevation fall line He he, my tumbling slurry. I did a rough calculation on the amount of this aluminum oxide based clay I have used in the past 3 years. Lots of it. I have no doubt that it helps prepare rocks left in the rotary for an extended run for finishing steps. Clay is like oil in these parts, very valuable on large scale use in inks, paints, paper coatings. Our clay mines as big as small cities. Many a billionaire made on mining clay. See JM Huber and others like him. They sat with Carnegies and Rockerfellers. Clay continues to be a huge source of income, a steady commodity. Georgia a great place to have a tumbling hobby considering the resource of colloidal clay.
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Post by HankRocks on Feb 3, 2018 9:53:06 GMT -5
Not to worry about the Rio collecting, still plenty more. We are setting up DPS check-points looking for out-of-state license plated vehicles transporting rocks. And don't get too smart with the FRB's, we have the Post Office holding any suspect(heavy) ones shipping out of Sate for inspection!!
At some point in the next month or so I was going to go through my insulator collection and cull out some of dinged up ones. There's a lot of glass in them. When I am finished will post a picture of the rejects and see if you have any interest. Not sure how many fit in a large FRB.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Glass
Feb 4, 2018 13:11:36 GMT -5
Post by jamesp on Feb 4, 2018 13:11:36 GMT -5
Not to worry about the Rio collecting, still plenty more. We are setting up DPS check-points looking for out-of-state license plated vehicles transporting rocks. And don't get too smart with the FRB's, we have the Post Office holding any suspect(heavy) ones shipping out of Sate for inspection!! At some point in the next month or so I was going to go through my insulator collection and cull out some of dinged up ones. There's a lot of glass in them. When I am finished will post a picture of the rejects and see if you have any interest. Not sure how many fit in a large FRB. Kind of you Henry. You save them for you, I am targeting so many other forms of glass. However if you want me to tumble polish some for you I would be happy to. The amount of agate at the Rio is startling. If I lived where you do I would be all over that lake with a boat. However the coatings from the lake water do hinder collecting terribly. Higher dry shores during low lake levels are clean rocks and easy to ID. I do know for a fact the closer you get to the lake the finer and more common are the agates. A half mile away and the agate occurrence drops tremendously. Food for thought Henry. Stay close to your vehicle and DO NOT drive your vehicle across that thorny shit, stay on clean roads without branches.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Feb 4, 2018 13:16:03 GMT -5
A blob melt to be reduced to tumble sizes lol. ~6 inches across. these are small chunks of colored glass picked out of glass blower's debris. Next melt similar, but dams will be utilized for more of a brick casting for sawing instead of a 1/2" thick patty. Loving the color chaos.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 4, 2018 13:27:12 GMT -5
The color chaos is fantastic!
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Post by 1dave on Feb 4, 2018 13:43:58 GMT -5
How about spacers for easy breakage?
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 4, 2018 13:51:14 GMT -5
Talk about eye candy! The pieces look like candy- yummy candy. Your pictures are fabulous! Once upon a time I used to work glass. It was so damn hard to photograph!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Glass
Feb 4, 2018 14:02:13 GMT -5
Post by jamesp on Feb 4, 2018 14:02:13 GMT -5
Love you guys
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