A Musical Note Tutorial

Fine Folly Glassworks
Presents
.•:*:•. A Musical Note Tutorial .•:*:•.
Using Devardi Boro Glass
INTRODUCTION…
In this tutorial you will learn to make this black musical Note with Devardi Borosilicate Glass
(Boro) and attach it to a colored Boro bead for use as a pendant. If you like, make additional
colored beads to use as accent beads when you string it into a pendant. I used a thicker
mandrel so that I could string it over a chain with colored and silver spacer beads.
This is a beginning level tutorial, and will give you practice heating, bending, shaping, flame
polishing and cutting. It will also help you practice joining. Hold your work STILL as it
cools/loses it’s glow at each point of work. Boro needs to lose it’s glow while being held still, or it
can cause frost and cracks on the glass.
Boro glass is fun to use because you can take it out of the flame and put it right back in without
shattering. When you are joining two pieces of Boro, both pieces need to be glowing and at the
same temperature for a complete melt/seal. Ridges or edges can become cracks over time
unless you join smoothly.
Boro has to be annealed with different temperatures than soft glass, but it is much sturdier. You
can grip it with tools to hold it as you work on one end or the other. If you want a good beginning
book to introduce you to working with it, get “Flameworking” by Elizabeth R. Mears. You can
buy an inexpensive used copy on Amazon.com most of the time.
MATERIALS & TOOLS:
Mixed torch, not a Hothead or Generic Torch (Boro needs a hotter flame to be worked)
2 Black Boro Rods
Colored Boro Rods for Spacer Beads
Dipped Mandrels for Spacer Beads
Locking Hemostat Tweezer for gripping
Graphite or Tool to assist with bending and shaping
Mashers or something to squeeze and flatten with
1 TUTORIAL STEPS:
1. Heat the ends of both Boro rods, and begin to wind on a blob to make the bottom of your
Note shape. You want a pretty good sized blob.
2. Flame-cut one rod off, and then heat and shape your blob to smooth it out. Use a
graphite tool to smooth with if needed. Remove ridges and folds and droop to the side.
3. Squeeze/press your blob to flatten it. You want it just a little thinner than your
rod thickness. Flame-polish and shape it until you like the shape and angle.
3. Once again, heat the rod you used to wind on your blob AND the spot on the rod where
the wing-shape will attach. Both need to be well heated and glowing. Press on and then
gently pull and flame cut the ‘wing’ shape. Lift up a bit as you flame-cut. I like to slightly
roll the rod back and forth as I flame-cut - to help stretch the glass.
2 4. Heat the ‘wing’ and rod join and smooth it together. Shift the rod’s angle to help keep it
straight. Allow it to lose it’s glow, and then attach the locking Hemostat Tweezers to hold
the bottom of the Note. This helps you hold it as you flame-cut the rod just above the
‘wing’. You want a tip left on top to attach to the Spacer bead you will make next. If you
prefer, you can make the Spacer bead first and have it ready to go.
5. Make your Spacer Bead and create an oval donut about the width of the rod you used for
your Note.
Next, heat the top tip and the Spacer bead, and press them together. Once the glow is
gone turn your mandrel sideways to be sure you have the Note hanging straight down,
not cocked at an angle. Use heat to make any adjustments needed.
6. Turn your Note facing you and be sure it is aligned like you want. Anneal & enjoy
designing something with it! By the way, if you don’t anneal it, you can still use it.
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