Glass Blowing Safety
Very important!!! Goggles. Your goggles should be didymium lens glasses that filter out the yellow flare, UV and IR. The yellow flare is due to sodium (actually it is orange). All elements have their own spectra-finger print which show up in various spectrums, ie... visible, IR, UV, etc... Sodium shows up as orange and potassium shows up as a beautiful purple. OK, enough Chemistry.
Make sure you have the proper clothing. Even the best glassblowers, drop their glass. So, no opened toed shoes (sandals/flip-flops), no low cut tops or tank tops (once-in-a-while the glass way, explodes and pieces may go everywhere), and no shorts.
Make sure a fire extinguisher is near. Pull the pin and use a sweeping motion at the base of the fire...for a large fire. Use a fire resistant table to glass blow. My table is lined with a cement board. These are found at Home Depot, in the sheet rock section. For burns, I suggest Burt Bees "Res-Q Ointment." This works so much better than cold water. REMEMBER: HOT GLASS LOOKS THE SAME AS COLD GLASS!!! You WILL burn yourself good, at least once. After a while, you only smell it, not feel it. Use a towel for breaking glass... And if you get frusterated...just walk away, eat some chocolate and have a diet coke, then come back.
Next Monday, you get your supply list.
More of my students works.
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