Glass Blowing Overview
Oxygen is used as the mixing gas in glassblowing. Oxygen pressures range from 10-15 psi. Compressed air cannot produce the temperatures for borosilicate and quartz glass.
Glass blowers design and shape glass. They create giftware, glassware, sculpture, and laboratory instruments.
Propane alone does not generate enough heat to melt glass. Adding oxygen makes the flame 500°C hotter, to 2526°C, enough to melt borosilicate glass. Glass melts around 1400-1600°C.
Apprenticeship with an expert glass blower provides hands-on experience beyond basics learned in art classes.
Fuel Options and Salaries
Natural gas or propane will be the fuel gases used in working borosilicate glass. Delivery pressure of 5 psi is recommended. If your gas source is from a municipal (city gas) system, chances are you will be dealing with considerably less than 5 psi.
Glassblowing can be an expensive hobby, but almost all start-up costs, including class prices, for lampworking are much less expensive than manual glassblowing. A basic working light setup can be had for under $1,000.
A glass-blowing studio may be constructed at home but is expensive. Required equipment includes a furnace, glory hole, an annealer, a bench, and various tools to blow and shape the glass. An alternative is lampworking, which uses smaller equipment and less space.
Glass artists process glass in a variety of ways—such as by blowing, shaping, or joining it—to create artistic pieces. Specific processes used include glassblowing, lampworking, and staining glass.
Glass blowing is hot, potentially dangerous work. A glass blower needs a high tolerance to heat, manual dexterity and the patience to work the molten glass using a step-by-step process.
Techniques and Equipment
Charcoal or wood burning furnaces are the most traditional type of fire source used in glassblowing. Electric furnaces are more modern, allowing for more precise temperatures.
Blowpipe, a small tubular instrument for directing a jet of air or other gas into a flame to increase the flame’s heat.
A typical gas delivery system would be: Gas Source -> Regulator -> Delivery Line -> Torch or Burner.
Glass Blowing at Home
Can I use a propane torch for glass blowing?
Propane torches burn hot, but not as hot as other fuels like acetylene. Most glass requires over 1200°C to melt. Propane reaches only 1300-1400°C. However, lead crystal and soda-lime glass melt around 1000°C. With care, these glasses can be blown at home using a propane torch.
First, gather supplies – a torch, propane, tools, and soft glass. Connect the torch. Adjust its roaring flame. Now the glass. Lead crystal and soda lime are common soft glasses, malleable when hot. Though limited, propane’s heat lets artists shape Christmas ornaments. Add color or multiple layers. Experiment with round globes. Consider mixed media using glass cuts. Fuse inclusions between sheets. Even tack tiny spheres onto jewelry. The options for small torches reward persistence and ingenuity.