How Do You Make Lampwork Marbles?
Lampwork marbles are orbs of decorative glass that are melted, shaped and designed in the flame of a tabletop torch. Marbles are some of the most collected pieces of glass work, and these handmade items can be anything from a classic design, such as a spiral, to an outstanding display including patterns, colors and canes that take weeks or more to accomplish. Using a lampworking set-up, you can learn to make your first lampwork marbles through patience and creativity. Put on your didymium safety glasses, activate your ventilation system and turn on your Hot Head or propane- and oxygen-fueled torch. Always wear your glasses to protect your eyes from the sodium flare and never work without a ventilation system so that the vapors released from burning the glass do not harm your health. Hold a 10 mm clear or colored glass rod in your dominant hand and continuously rotate it at the back of the torch’s flame. If you are using soft glass (soda lime), using the back of the flame helps the glas
