The Steps to Making an Optic Ribbed Vortex Bowl
The Vortex Series is characterized by dynamic swirls of richly colored glass captured in layers of crystal.
The hand made process elicits pattern variations ranging from a tight twist of color to a more painterly, watercolor effect. The series encompasses an entire product line which can be mixed or matched to suit your tastes. All vortex colors are available on all styles. A colored collar is optional on bowls and vases.
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1. Melting furnace with fresh batch (raw materials)
2. Color on pipe
3. First gather (layer of molten glass)
4. blocked (shaped) gather on color at the bench
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5. Blocking second gather
6. Glory hole (reheating furnace) closed
7. Third gather coming out of melting furnace
8. Third gather shaping with wet newspaper
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9. Refining shape for frit (color chips) roll up
10. Rolling up frit
11. Reheating
12. Marvering (rolling on steel table) to smooth down frit
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13. Twisting frit
14, Pre mold shaping
15. Inside the optic mold
16. Freshly ribbed from the optic mold
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17. Twisting the optic on marver
18. Twisting the optic with diamond shears
19. Establishing neck
20. Further refining the neck
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21. Reheating
22. Shaping with paper
23. Shaping with jacks before puntying (transferring ends)
24. Making the punty
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25. Puntying up (transferring)
26. Opening with jacks
27. Reheating on the punty
28. Opening with parchoffi
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29. Opening with centrifugal force
30. Opening parchoffi
31. Refining shape with wet newspaper
32. The finished bowl