Important Facts That Influence Lampwork Pendants

Posted by adortalukdar on January 10th, 2014

Lampwork pendants are created from beads that are made during the process of lampworking. Lampwork beads that are used to make Lampwork pendants get their name from the process that creates them. The process uses glass that is melted with a lamp or torch. Lampwork beads to use making Lampwork pendants, Christmas ornaments. Scientific instruments, figurines, artwork, and small vessels to use for drinking glasses can be made with this procedure. Lampwork pendants are unique.

It seems that the process of creating Lampwork pieces started in Italy around the 14^th century, but there are some beads that have been dated as early as the fifth century. The glass is melted using a lamp or torch to start the process. Then the molten glass is shaped by using different tools, and by blowing through tubes to extend the blob of molten glass that is resting on the end of a hollow tube.

Do not confuse the art of lampworking with glass blowing because they both work with molten glass that is shaped into other objects. Glass blowing is completely different from lampworking. Glassblowers melt their glass using a furnace and not a lamp.

Soda lime glass is the most frequently used type of glass for the making of the glass objects. Many people call soda lime glass soft glass, but the artists that use this process also use a hard glass known as borosilicate. The soft glass is most frequently chosen in this type of creation because it melts at temperatures that are lower than some other glasses melt at. This low temp melting point makes it easier for the lampworking to be performed.

There are some problems associated with using soda lime glass for the creation of these projects. Soda lime glass expands further during the heating process than the harder borosilicate version does. The softer glass also contracts more as it cools than the harder version does. This means that the items created from the softer glass are more likely to crack. This tendency has to be taken into consideration when the artist is considering the creation of something new.

 Many lampworking artists use a bench burner to melt their glass. This type of burner is mounted to the bench in such a manner as to provide a stationary flame to the artist. A hand torch can also be used when maneuverability of the flame is important to the proper creation of the piece.

 In order to relieve thermal stress from the pieces of glass the artist will use a kiln. The kiln can also protect the glass from thermal shock and reduce the amount of cracking it has.

 The glass is rolled out onto a flat space called a marver so that it can be smoothed out and have decorations applied to it. The Marver is generally made of steel or sometimes of graphite.

 There are many other tools that are used in the creation of lampworking pieces. Shears, hot fingers, a lathe, a reamer, a blow hose, and a tungsten pick, are some of the many different tools that are used in this work.

Lampwork pendants are made from glass that has been melted and shaped using the lampworking process. Lampworking pendants are unique pieces with a “one of a kind” feel to them. You can get more information from pandahall.