Lampwork
is a type of glasswork used to create smaller glass objects using a fixed
directional flame to melt the glass, whilst using lamp working tools and
gravity to shape the piece. It is a very different process from glass blowing
which as the name suggests uses a blowpipe to inflate a glass gob or gather to
form a cylindrical glass shape which can then be shaped with glass blowing
tools. These small handcrafted lampwork pieces are the most time consuming
method of making glass beads as each art bead is individually made over a
flame, resulting in labour intensive but beautifully bespoke one of a kind
beads.
A
Brief History of Lampwork Glass Bead Making
Lampworking
is the result of a combination of chance – that first piece of natural glass
falling by accident into an open fire – alongside a long history of innovation,
development and refinement. It is impossible to really determine when
lampworking as a process was born but many of the elements that make
lampworking what it is today can be traced back through the centuries to when
mankind first discovered how to make glass.
Through
archaeological excavations and examination of early glass artefacts it is known
that small open fires were used for all forms of early glass making. In time
small earth formed beehive furnaces were introduced. These primitive furnaces
are known to have been used in ancient civilizations from Japan to North
Africa, and seem to have dominated glassmaking prior to the birth of Christ. It
was the Romans who took this basic beehive shaped furnace and refined it with
the addition of exhaust vents and side access, creating what would effectively
become the first true glass furnace. Alongside this they also developed and
refined new glass working tools for shaping the glass that they produced.
Glassmaking became a sophisticated and highly successful industry during Roman
times, with 600 years spent refining their techniques until they were adept at
shaping glass, colouring glass, recycling glass and even more impressively
removing colour from glass until it was almost clear.
The
next significant phase in glassmaking followed the sacking of Rome in the 5th
Century and the rise of Islam and the exquisite artistry that this culture
embodied. It is in the 10th Century, specifically 982AD, that the first
recorded reference is found to Venetian glassmaking. In the 13th Century
Byzantium was captured by the Franks and the Venetians, with Islamic glass
making techniques quickly adopted within Venice’s established glass making
industry. The epicentre for glass making had now moved to Europe. As Venice’s
glass making industry moved from strength to strength it benefited from the
Republics status as a major trade centre for Europe, Asia and North Africa.
Keen to keep their competitive edge the Venetian authorities introduce
protectionist measures banning the import of foreign glass, whilst ensuring
Venetian glassmakers were discouraged from disclosing their techniques by
moving their foundries to the isolated Island of Murano in the Venetian Lagoon.
To read more about this particular region and its intriguing history have a
look at our History of Venetian Glass Making in our Guides & Information
section on our website or on this blog.
Times
have now changed, and tourists are encouraged to visit the original glass
furnaces and workshops on Murano to see how the workers create glassworks using
methods unchanged for hundreds of years.
Following
the continuing dominance of Venice in glass manufacturing and the pivotal
moment Angelo Barovier invented cristallo clear glass in 1450, we jump forward
to the early 17th century to find French, Germany and Italian glassworkers
using the flame of an oil lamp or spirit lamp to heat and manipulate small
quantities of glass. The glass workers would raise the temperature of the flame
tip by blowing air into it through a narrow pipe or tube. This would generate
sufficient heat to melt the softer types of lampwork glass rods available to
them. So this is where the lamp in lampwork originated from, providing the
first significant parallel between historical glass manufacturing and modern
lampworking today.
Working
in a hot environment this lampworking technique proved less than ideal as
workers were unable to blow into the pipe or tubing consistently for any length
of time without experiencing dizziness, or passing out through lack of oxygen!
The first much needed refinement to this process was a hand blower, or hand
bellows, as illustrated in the plate below. Although this was a significant
improvement it had two drawbacks – it required one hand to operate the bellows
and it lacked a mechanism to ensure a consistent flow of air to the flame.
Simply put the bellows had to be released in order to refill them with air for
the next pump.
This
plate depicts an early hand pumped lampworking device entitled Fletcher’s
Leather Hand Blower and Lamp (Source – Traditional Glassworking Techniques by
Paul N Hasluck)
The
next development introduced a foot operated bellows which freed up the workers
hands so that they could again be focused on shaping the glass, but it still
lacked a mechanism to drive a consistent flow of air through to the flame,
without which a uniform temperature could not be focused on the heated glass.
This
plate shows a foot bellow operated lampworking bench (Source – Traditional
Glassworking Techniques by Paul N Hasluck)
The
final refinement needed was an expandable bladder attached to the foot bellows
which meant air could be stored prior to being pushed through to the flame,
giving a more consistent flow of air to the flame. This would give the
lampworker the ability to selectively heat areas of the glass object being
worked on, bringing greater refinement and accuracy to the process. With the
bladder system in place this lampworking process proved more economical and
energy efficient, whilst allowing for greater intricacy and detail than could
ever be achieved by glassblowing. It essentially brought down prices for glass
objects and placed them within the reach of a far wider customer base.
It
is worth noting, in the plate below, that the lamp working industry employed both
men and women and that this was particularly evident in Venice at the peak of
production in the1800s. Women would be employed to add the decorative elements
to Venetian glass Trade Beads destined for Africa and the Americas. The bead
cores were still produced in an industrial, male dominated environment centred
around large hot glass furnaces, but the glass decoration and detail would be
added later. This task was undertaken by home workers, most of whom were women,
paid on a piecemeal basis to use an oil or spirit lamp to re-heat the beads
whilst adding strings or dots of coloured glass.
This
plate depicts a group of male and female 17th century lampworkers at their foot
bellow operated workstations. Complete with bladder system, a heat draw or
extractor above the table and a detail showing the lidded flame housing which
plugged into an air outlet in the table. It also shows the tongs used to shape
the beads (Source – The Corning Museum of Glass)
Following
the fall of the Venetian Republic to the Austrians in 1797, Venetian glass
production went in to sharp decline. With Austrian backing the region of
Bohemia started its rise as the new centre for glass making in Europe, a
subject which is covered in greater detail on our website in our History of Czech Glass Beads or on this blog.
That is until the mid 19th Century when Venice regained it’s independence and a
new breed of glass maker reinvigorated Venetian glass production. They took
their inspiration from Murano’s golden period and by rediscovering long
forgotten glass making techniques they brought new life to the furnaces of
Murano. This takes us neatly to the turn of the 20th Century when events takes
us across the Atlantic to America, albeit via Germany.
In
1893 borosilicate glass was invented by German chemist Otto Schott who founded
Schott AG in the same year. This revolutionary product was made from silica and
boron oxide which in combination formed a very stable glass with good
workability and high thermal shock resistance. It was manufactured under the
name Duran and for a time was very successful. However, during the First Word
War, the arrival of Pyrex from America provided a non German alternative for
patriotic English speaking consumers and Pyrex soon becaming a generic term for
this type of glass. Pyrex was derived from Nonex glass which was developed in
1908 by Eugene Sullivan, Director of Research at Corning Incorporated Glass
Works in New York. This was a borosilicate low-expansion glass initially used
to reduce breakages in shock-resistant lantern globes used on the railways as
well as battery jars. In 1913 Jessie Littleton, a scientist working at Corning
realised this glasses potential for cookware, when he gave his wife an oven
proof dish for cooking with. By removing the lead from the Nonex glassmaking
process Pyrex was born – some 20 years after Otto Schott first introduced the
world to borosilicate glass!
A
good 15% lighter by volume and much stronger than soda based glass, Pyrex
became an immediate success as a consumer bakeware product as well as for
laboratory ware and telescope lenses. However, its melting point was so high
that existing oil lamps could not melt the glass and so the material could not
be easily worked. With the glass industry having always been innovative it
looked to the welding trade for a solution. In time, by combining oxygen and
natural gas, new burners were designed that produced a flame of sufficient heat
to melt Pyrex glass rods. These flameworking torches quickly replaced
traditional oil lamps both in mainstream production and at the workstations of
glass artists and artisans who quickly adapted this new glass for artistic and
novelty lampwork glass pieces.
In
Europe, and in particular Czechoslovakia, Italy and Germany soda glass remained
the norm as did the old techniques that had ably supported this industry for
centuries. However, history has shown that they were not adverse to adopting
techniques and innovations when needed and they were quick to see the benefits
of the new gas burning torches in place of their now outdated oil lamps. So for
many years glass making skills remained squarely in the Old World whilst the
New World pushed forward with technological developments in glass production
and factory automation. That is until some 25 years ago when the playing field
was levelled somewhat by a group of American glasswork artists who, having
either visited the foundries in Murano or been influenced by European
glassworkers living in America, sought to recreate what they had seen. Although
hampered by the secrecy and fear of competition that still shrouded lampworking
production in Europe they used experimentation, documentation and collaboration
to progress from initially crude lamp work beads to the levels of art glass
lampwork that is evident today. Alongside the growth in their abilities came
new glass bead making tools, glass torches and other equipment and lampwork
supplies which were tested, developed and put into production. This
contemporary lampworking collective eventually formed the nucleus for the
International Society of Glass Beadmakers.
Lampwork
Bead Making Today
With
much credit afforded to the aforementioned group, lampworkers throughout the
world have become recognised in their own right as artists and many galleries
now exhibit lampwork glass – displaying the lampworkers individual creativity,
style, technique and understanding of colour. Their work is shown and sold
alongside the more traditional mediums of glass blowing and casting, as well as
painting and sculpture, in the art galleries of Europe, Japan, and the United
States. With the growth of the internet those with shallower pockets can also
buy artist made lampwork bead sets from independent bead making artists, often
sold through their own web sites, or through online market places such as Etsy
and Artfire. At the bottom end of the scale you can also buy lampwork beads
that are mass produced in India and China – just don’t expect to create one of
a kind jewellery with that unique focal point that artisan lampwork beads can
give to a jewellery design!
BigBeadLittleBead
offers a selection of over 250 one of a kind lampwork glass beads for you to
choose from, created by our own talented lampwork glass bead makers. For those
that are working to a tight budget we also stock a selection of Chinese lampwork beads and Indian lampwork beads.
Lampworking
Torches
As
touched on earlier the lampworking process today is almost unchanged from
centuries gone by, with a flame still the only method used to melt the glass
rods. The principal difference today lies in changes to the delivery of the
flame, with modern lampwork bead makers using single or dual fuelled torches
clamped to their workstations. Most lampwork artists use a bead making torch
that burns either propane or natural gas for the fuel, surface mixed with air or
pure oxygen (either from a tank or a lampwork oxygen concentrator) as the
oxidiser. This creates a cleaner and quieter flame. It is this change that has
seen lampwork sometimes referred to as flamework, and in turn lampworking as
glass flameworking. Some lampwork torches can also be run from portable gas
canisters but these are usually only used by hobbyists or for demonstration
purposes.
The
image above shows a very tidy lampworkers workstation or bench with everything
within easy reach
Lampworking
Glass
The
most common glass used today remains soda lime glass or soft glass and as a
basic material it is no different to the Cristallo glass developed by Angleo
Barovier in the mid 15th century and used by glassworkers from then onwards.
This glass melts at a relatively low temperature allowing the bead to be kept
warm whilst being manipulated reducing the possibility of cracking. The other
option is Borosilicate glass, also known as boro glass or hard glass, which as we
have seen originated as a laboratory glass, but is now also used for
lampworking. Both of these glass types have their own merits depending on their
application. The principal benefit of soft glass is its melting point, however
it does not react well to temperature changes in the way that boro glass does.
Because soft glass expands far more than hard glass when heated, and contracts
more when cooled, it is far more prone to cracking through thermal shock. If,
for example, a section of a bead cools too quickly that point will solidify faster
than the surrounding glass causing a radial crack. Hard glass, or borosilicate
glass, would be more resilient in this example. It is considered to be far more
forgiving to work with, but on the downside it has a narrower working
temperature range than soda-lime glass, fewer colour options, and borosilicate
glass rods are more expensive to buy. In addition, its higher working
temperature range means a larger and subsequently more expensive lampworking
torch is needed. Typically this will use oxygen rather than air to work the
glass because of its higher melting point, bringing added costs and some
additional safety factors.
Basic
Lampwork Bead Making Tools And Materials
There
are many lampwork bead tools and presses available for shaping hot glass to
produce a variety of complex shaped beads. These are commonly made from brass
or graphite to avoid the glass sticking to the tool face.
Although
now more sophisticated in their use of technology and materials, many of these
flameworking tools are simply re-workings of the tools that were used widely in
Murano and elsewhere in Europe for centuries. Time has shown them to be the
most effective way of manipulating and shaping glass. The following list
details a core set of tools for the lampwork beginner, which as you become more
experienced will open your eyes to additional lampwork tools and lampwork
supplies based around the designs you want to make.
- Torch – There are many models on the market with the innovative Nortel Mega Minor gaining good reviews with its useful torch mounted marver. Ultimately the choice depends on your budget, your skill level and the glass that you will be working with.
- Mandrels – These stainless steel rods are the base upon which glass is wound to form a bead. The diameter of the bead mandrels determines the size of the bead hole. Various sizes are available but for a beginner a 2.4mm mandrel is recommended. There are much larger mandrels for lampworking available but they get heavier as they get larger. As you improve you can reduce the mandrel size to create beads with smaller holes.
- Bead Release – A clay like substance which the lampwork mandrels are dipped into to prevent the glass sticking to the steel mandrel.
- Goggles – Protective eyewear. Didymium lens safety lampworking glasses are essential.
- Marver – A graphite or brass paddle originating from the French word marver which translates as marble. This heat resistant surface is used to roll, press and shape hot beads. Marvers can be flat or patterned.
- Glass Rods – Moretti Effetre glass, CIM glass, Bullseye glass and Lauscha glass are four of the more popular manufacturers of glass lampworking rods but there are many others brands of glass rods for bead making available. Their diameters vary but should not usually exceed a quarter of an inch for bead making glass.
You
should also make use of one of the following bead cooling products:
- Vermiculite – A natural mineral that expands when heated. A large bowl filled with vemiculite pieces can be used to gradually cool warm beads.
- Japanese Annealing Bubbles – Tiny, hollow micro spheres made from silica again place in a large bowl they can be used to gradually cool warm beads.
- Fibre Blanket – Made from insulating ceramic fibres these blankets are used to gradually cool warm glass beads.
- Temperature Ready Lampworking Kiln – This large kiln like container can be used to gradually cool warm beads.
If you intend to sell your lampwork beads it is important to anneal your pieces in a kiln to ensure strength & durability. Beads should be heated to between 940ยบ-1050°F (depending on the glass type), until the glass reaches its stress relief point. It should be held at this temperature for a short time before being slowly cooled to avoid thermal shock. The annealing process will result in a lampwork piece that will last for many years and be durable enough for everyday wear. Glass which has not been annealed may crack or shatter following seemingly minor temperature changes or shocks.
It
is also essential that you work in a well ventilated room and are safety
conscious.
Basic
Lampwork Glass Bead Making Tutorial
- Prepare a mandrel by dipping it into the bead release to a length of about 6cm and then leave it to dry. A 2.4mm mandrel is a good starting size for beginners
- Take a rod of glass in your right hand and gently warm the tip by slowly introducing the rod into the flame. Rotate the rod whilst you are warming it to ensure an even heat. When you have a glow at the end of the glass rod carry on until you have heated a pea sized molten ball of glass
- Take the prepared mandrel in your left hand and heat it in the flame to an orange glow. If the mandrel is not warm enough the glass will refuse to stick to the mandrel
- Place the tip of the molten glass rod on the mandrel and wrap the glass on to it, rather like winding thread onto a spool. Keep turning the mandrel away from your body
- The glass that has been wound onto the mandrel will be glowing orange so take the mandrel out of the flame, moving it away from you whilst keeping it level. Let the glow dim. To make the bead larger return it to the flame and heat it again until glowing then add another wrap of molten glass. This will form a disc like shape prior to the glass melting down into a round bead. Continue adding the glass in this way until you have the size of bead you require
- Take the bead out of the flame. It is best practice to just lower the mandrel towards the worktop remembering to keep the mandrel horizontal. Keep turning it and the glowing orange hot glass will shape itself by means of gravity. Don’t forget to keep the mandrel level otherwise the bead will become lopsided. When the bead has cooled slightly and lost its glow place it into your chosen cooling medium – the bead annealing kiln, annealing bubbles, fibre blanket, or vermiculite. Be patient and do not be tempted to examine the bead for at least 45 minutes as it will be very hot!
- When the bead is cold remove it from the mandrel, clean out the bead release, wash it, dry it and admire it!
As
you get more adept you can explore other lampwork flame techniques, for
example, layering different colours of glass to create depth and pattern,
adding inclusions into the beads such as silver, gold or copper leaf, melting
and racking lampwork frit across the surface of the beads, or creating hollow
lampwork beads. Adding enamels, imitation gemstones or small flowers called
millefiori are also popular. Lampworking can also be used to create other types
of artwork, including lampwork figurines, trinkets, curios, floral lampwork,
Christmas tree ornaments and much more. You will also find lampwork bead
classes, usually run by local lampwork bead artists, in most regions of the
country.
Lampwork Glass Bead Resources
Lampwork Glass Bead Resources
Corning Museum of Glass – Based in America
this glass museum houses 45,000 glass objects tracing the history of glass
across 3,500 years as well as being home to the Rakow Research Library
International Society of Glass Beadmakers –
An international organisation dedicated to promoting the growth and recognition
of glass bead making and lampwork artists
National Glass Centre – Based in
Sunderland, England this glass museum and information centre works alongside
the University of Sunderlands Glass & Ceramics Departments
Self Representing Artists – A global glass
artists group dedicated to the art of lampworking and lampwork beading
Glass Beadmakers UK – Information, lampwork
tutorials, links and pictures illustrating the skills of lampwork glass bead
artists in the UK
Lampwork Glass Bead Further Reading
Complete Book of Glass Beadmaking by Kimberley Adams – A superb guide to inspire bead and glassmakers of all levels with
detailed instructions and step by step imagery for successful lampwork beading
Creative Lampwork by Joan Gordon – History of
lampworking, safety and materials, bead shapes, how to make lampwork beads, and
decorative lampwork techniques
Glass Bead Jewelry Projects by Nelli Rees –
A resource for those who want to make glass beads and art glass jewellery from
lampwork focal beads, lampwork bracelets, lampwork necklaces to lampwork
pendants
Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jenkins – Step
by step glass bead making tutorials and lampworking instructions to help create
handmade glass jewellery
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