c/glassblowers

Tbh, I was shaping my goblet stems wrong for two years until a workshop in Portland

I kept getting weak spots and breaks until an instructor, Mark, pointed out I was cooling the gather too much before pulling. He said to keep the pipe hotter, around 1800 degrees, and pull with a steadier, slower motion. Honestly, it made the stem way more consistent and strong. Anyone have a different trick for pulling a solid stem?

My recent piece cracked from cooling too fast on the marver.

In my experience, control your cooling rate to avoid thermal shock.

Serious question, my latest cup developed a weird bulge on the side

I was blowing a simple cup and one side puffed out more than the rest while I was shaping it. From what I've seen, moving the pipe slower might help keep the heat even. Has anyone else run into this and fixed it?

Just had a color mix go muddy on me mid-piece, back to the drawing board lol

Hot take: My landlord keeps calling my studio a 'hobby room' and it drives me up the wall.

I mean, this is my job, not some weekend craft project.

Appreciation post: My neighbor's casual comment about symmetry improved my vase shapes.

A small talk insight can refine your craft.

Swore off team builds after a bad commission, but a mentor changed my view

I always thought doing glassblowing solo was the only way to keep quality high. After a messy group project where things got heated, I avoided team stuff for years. Then my old teacher asked me to help on a big museum piece. I was skeptical, but seeing how we shared ideas and caught each other's mistakes changed everything. Now I actually seek out collaborations because the end result is often better. It's not just about speed, it's about learning from others too. I guess I was too proud to admit that before. That one project really opened my eyes to how good teamwork can be in this craft.