Tonight at glass class, B's instructor took pics of him actually blowing and bending the neon glass rods. Finally, he is working on a project for me - which I will post about once he completes it. If you remember back on a previous post - the glass that is used to make neon pieces comes in straight 4 foot lengths. B uses the rubber tubing, hooked in his mouth, to keep air in the glass while it is heating and bending - so the glass doesn't collapse on itself.
Close up of the heating and slow bending.
B working on a double back, which is the end of the design where the electrode will eventually be butt welded into place.
Following a pattern that is drawn out ahead of time, B heats the glass and bends it into the shape of what he is working on. Once each bend has cooled, and set, he moves to the next bend. He uses different types of heating elements (also shown in a previous post) to heat the glass tubing.
Once the designed piece is shaped, electrodes attached and been pumped with gas, parts of it have to be blacked out. That is what B is doing here. He is using rubberized black out paint to cover the parts of the design you do not want to 'glow' when it is completed.
Next week B should finished with this particular project and you can see what the two of us collaborated on!
Close up of the heating and slow bending.
B working on a double back, which is the end of the design where the electrode will eventually be butt welded into place.
Following a pattern that is drawn out ahead of time, B heats the glass and bends it into the shape of what he is working on. Once each bend has cooled, and set, he moves to the next bend. He uses different types of heating elements (also shown in a previous post) to heat the glass tubing.
Once the designed piece is shaped, electrodes attached and been pumped with gas, parts of it have to be blacked out. That is what B is doing here. He is using rubberized black out paint to cover the parts of the design you do not want to 'glow' when it is completed.
Next week B should finished with this particular project and you can see what the two of us collaborated on!
1 comment:
B, do you know how envious M is of your glass blowing and neon making projects? He is VERY envious! Will you come to SF some time? I will take you on field trips and you can teach M how to create masterpieces (and Robotics too, while you're at it). :D We are so amazed at how much you have learned and accomplished this school year! Kudos to your mom too!
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