Discover the World of Miniature Glass.

Lampworking is basically a miniaturized version of glass blowing. It consists of a small torch, often times called a "minor burner" or a "Fisher burner." These torches are capable of reaching upwards of 2000F and produce flames that range from 3" to nearly 12" long. The torch is used to heat up specific parts of the piece to allow it to be shaped.

There are two ways to blow a piece at the benchtop. The first way is to use a blowpipe. These blowpipes are generally about 8" long and only 3-5mm thick. By adding on glass to the tip of the blowpipe, you can shape and form a glass piece in the same manner as a blown piece. The alternative method is to use a tube of glass. Using a variety of tubes with different diameters, you can achieve a number of different sizes of pieces. To start blowing a piece from a tube, one of the tips is heated until it melts and creates a blob that seals one end of the glass straw. Once the end is sealed, a small puff of air can be blown into the tube to begin inflating the piece.

Once a bubble is established in the glass, the shaping process can begin. Throughout the process a number of tools are used ranging from jacks, tweezers, and shears to the marver and a variety of picks. Each of these tools are used for a specific technique in shaping and decoration. For more details on these tools, check the glassblowing page.

After completing the shaping process on the blowpipe or tube, the artist prepares the piece to be annealed and removes it from the rest of the glass. The piece is then placed gently into the annealing box and its temperature is slowly brought down to room temperature.