Working and Blowing Glass
with a torch
using Borosilicate Glass (Pyrex) at
- Our goal for this workshop
- What we do in this workshop
- Pictures of projects demonstrated in these workshops
- About our classroom and equipment
- Other workshop information
- To sign up or get you name on our interest list for this workshop
Goal of this workshop
To teach
you how to use a torch to turn glass into art or functional pieces.
You will learn how to use Borosilicate (Pyrex) clear glass rods
and tubes and colored Northstar glass rods. This type of glass,
as opposed to "soft glass", allows you to make and
blow larger pieces. This is because Borosilicate glass is not
as sensitive to cracking or breaking while working larger pieces
on a torch. We want you to know before hand that blowing glass
using glass tubes takes much practice to master. How far you
can progress in this workshop will vary from student to student.
We accept beginners in this workshop but any previous experience
you have in working glass with a torch will help you progress
more quickly in this workshop. Of all the types of work one can
do on a torch, this class is the most challenging.
Click here to see a
video of an instructor demonstrating.
Some
things we do in this workshop
This is an intense workshop and there is a lot to master. The pace and the amount of material covered of this series of workshops will vary depending on the students.
Workshop I (Two day Saturday and
Sunday) $245
- Basic vessel blowing using mostly clear
Pyrex:
- make jars
- blown ornaments
- basic pipe structure
- discussion of
- safety
- equipment, torches and kilns
- Basic color techniques
- using northstar glass
- fuming with gold and silver
Pictures of Projects made and demonstrated in this workshop
Our
classroom and equipment
Our classroom and workshop area has perhaps the latest and most complete setup available anywhere. Each student has a well lit comfortable work area with plenty of room for working. We have natural and individual halogen lighting. Every Student gets to work on a large torch like the Carlisle, Bethlehem, or Major Burner, has their own HotGlass glass annealing kiln and all of the latest tools. Most important in a workshop like this is the ventilation. With so many large torches going at the same time, the quality of the air quickly becomes heavy: Inducing headaches, difficult breathing and fatigue. Even one torch could cause this. Our area at Sundance has a high volume ventilation system keeping the air fresh.
Click here to see
a video of students working in our studio.A note from Brian, the owner of Sundance:
I remember taking a Glass Beadmaking Workshop many years ago in a well known teaching studio in the San Francisco Bay Area from the biggest name lampworker. It was terrible. It was dirty, cramped, and they stuck me at the end of a table on a rickety short stool with no elbow room. It was so cramped that the instructor couldn't reach me except for once during the entire 2 day workshop! Not only that, but I was taking the workshop with some pretty now famous people, a click group. So much for any attention for me. So much for my $385 fee! But I did have the best lighting, only because I was the closest to the grimy window. I've been told it hasn't changed. Actually I was glad for that experience. I was determined not to expose my students to that type of atmosphere in my teaching studio! Our classroom and workshop area has the latest and most complete setup available. We have natural lighting and a vent to keep the air fresh. Each student learns on the oxygen/propane Minor Bench Burner Torch with HotGlass annealing kilns and all of the latest tools. All equipment and tools are included. You will be guaranteed a well lit, ventilated workspace with plenty of elbow room and at half the price! And EVERYBODY gets and plenty of attention and the best instruction!
Most of our students are from out
of town. There are nice affordable accommodations
close by. We can shuttle you from and to the San Jose Airport
and close by Motels.
Other workshop information
This is a weekend workshop, Saturday and Sunday, from 10 AM to 4 PM each day. After the weekend, torch time is available by the hour 7 days a week (except during days when there are other torch using workshops. Click BACK to find the current workshop dates.
Sundance provides:
- Space
- Knowledge
- Inspiration
- Basic Equipment (you can bring any of your
own favorite tools if you like)
- Torch & Annealing Kilns (OK to bring your own torch)
- Graphite pad and paddle
- Graphite Rods
- Pliers
What you provide:
- Initiative
- Motivation
- Artistic Talent
- Materials
- Any other specialized tools
What to wear:
- Cotton clothes that cover from the neck to the foot
- No open toed shoes (sandals)
- No loose clothing (we have a previous students baggy sweater with a big burn hole as a reminder)
- No loose hair, tie it back or wear a hat
- Bring your favorite sunscreen
- Bringing your lunch allows you to be able to work during lunch break (we have water and coke machine)
Glassblowing
with a Torch Workshop (Pyrex) with Max Rigman- 2 day,
Saturday and Sunday Workshop - Click
here for many details - Learn how to BLOW glass using 
Pyrex tubes, Rods and Northstar
Colored Rod. Learn how to fume glass with gold and silver. Make
Vessels, Christmas Ornaments, and Pipes. Everyone will be working
on large flame torches like the Major Burner! - Tuition $500.
WHY do we have this and the two below workshops as almost identical
workshops? We want to give you the variety of different instructors.
Every instructor has different techniques to offer. Because this
type of workshop is difficult, and is only one weekend long,
you may want to work with different instructors. Calender
Upcoming Workshops:
- To be scheduled
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