A Brief History of Flame worked glass

Artist glass beads are made using a process known as "lampworking".  The term "lampworking" dates back centuries, possibly as far as the  fifth century B.C. so called because early Venetian artists actually melted the glass over oil lamps. These first "torches" were used to manipulate small amounts of glass into detailed beads and novelties.  The introduction of the Bunsen burner in the mid-nineteenth century opened the way for the development of modern fuel mix torches, which in turn allowed lampworkers to produce larger and more intricate pieces. Today's artists use a much quicker method, most commonly a propane-oxygen torch. 

    Glass bead making is a growing category of modern flameworking. Glass beads can range from small, simple beads with limited detail, to large artist canvases in glass, complete with extremely intricate details. Each handmade glass bead is a miniature work of art, shaped one at a time by the artist.

    Working with hot glass is a complicated and very hypnotizing process fraught with peril.  Molten glass obeys the laws of gravity, so the artist must keep turning the mandrel at a slow but constant rate to keep the shape from drooping.  The glass must be kept in the flame, lest it cool and develop cracks.  The artist must always be careful of the hot glass and the flame--both can cause nasty burns from even the briefest contact. 

A Brief Overview of the Lampworking Process  

 Beadmaking 

    The beadmaking process begins with three basic items: a steel rod, called a mandrel, a glass rod, and a torch. In preparation for making a bead, the working end of the mandrel is dipped in a liquid clay solution, called bead release and allowed to dry. This keeps the glass from sticking to the metal. Molten glass applied directly to steel sticks permanently and makes a beautiful plant stick!

    The glass used for the beads starts out as a clear or colored rod, usually around the same diameter as a pencil, and 12-18" long.  The glass is carefully heated in the flame to a molten state. The molten glass is then carefully wrapped around the mandrel until enough glass is applied for the desired bead size.   This glass is then heated in the flame until it is perfectly round and symmetrical for a round bead.  It may be flattened or prodded to make other shapes. Then the details such as dots and swirls are added and fused to the base bead.. The details can also be manipulated to form decorations such as flowers, feathers, and leaves. The bead is then brought to an even heat in the flame, allowed to cool slightly, and put in a kiln. 

    Lampworking involves a lot more than a torch, a few glass rods, and a steel mandrel, however.  Lampwork artists employ a variety of tools, from simple pliers and picks to highly specialized tools designed especially for bead making.  Raking, poking, twisting, pulling, and otherwise manipulating the glass creates a variety of interesting effects.  Narrow glass rods known as stringers are used for fine decoration.  A shaped bead can be rolled in chips of glass known as frit, then returned to the flame.  The melted frit gives the bead a beautiful mottled appearance. Silver and gold may be imbedded in the glass for interesting effects.

Annealing

    Another tool employed by lampwork artists, that is perhaps second only to the torch, is the kiln.  Once the artist is satisfied with the finished bead, it is placed in a kiln.  The kiln holds the beads at a constant temperature, where the glass is just barely solid.  After all of that day's beads are done and in the kiln, the beads are "soaked" for a set time so that the stresses are relieved from the glass.  The temperature of the kiln is then slowly lowered over several hours, allowing the glass to slowly cool.  This lets the molecules in the glass settle and bond properly, further reducing the stress that has been introduced in the bead making process. This slow, controlled cooling is known as annealing.  If these stresses are not relieved by this process, the bead is likely to crack at some future time, not a good thing especially if it’s already been made into a piece of jewelry!

Cleaning the bead

After a bead has cooled down in the kiln, it is removed from the mandrel and the bead release is cleaned out from the  hole, leaving a smooth, clean opening. The bead is then is inspected for flaws.  Once the bead has passed inspection, it is ready to be worked into a beautiful piece of jewelry and shared with the world. Glass beads that have been properly annealed will be strong enough to withstand everyday wearing, and not shatter at the first bump or shock.

More Detailed Beads

    More detailed artist beads start in the same basic way, but have many more steps between the first addition of glass to the mandrel and going into the kiln for annealing. Since there are probably as many different types of artist beads as you can imagine, it would be impossible to describe the process for all of them in a limited space such as this.  Lampwork artists can make hollow beads by building glass up off the mandrel and allowing the heat to expand the glass, or make miniature floral scenes or aquariums in glass. The possibilities are limited only by skill, imagination, and time. Some artist beads can take several hours "in the torch" to complete, and involve even more time in preparation of various elements to be included. Unlike other art forms, because of the nature of glass work, once a bead is begun, it must continue to be worked until completion.

Six things to look for in a good lampwork bead:

1. Holes—Are they nice and smooth, with no sharp edges to cut a thread?

2. Shape—Is it symmetrical and evenly balanced? If it is supposed to hang in a certain direction, is it balanced to do so?

3. Decorations—Are they fused to the glass instead of looking like they’re just lying on the surface? Decorations that aren’t well fused can pop off with normal wear and tear.

4. Quality of Glass—Are the colors bright, not burnt looking? Is the transparent glass clear and free of scum (the mass of little bubbles that indicate the glass was burned)?

5. Bead Release—Has it been cleaned from the holes? Artist beadmakers take the time to clean their beads; mass produced beads still have the release in the holes.

6. Annealinig—Has the bead been annealed to relieve the stresses introduced when the bead was made? This is not something that you can see, but you should make it a point to ask. If the answer is no, the bead may break from the internal stresses at a later time.