Glassmaking Course

Lesson 1 • Studio Layout and Equipment Overview

Maps the functional zones of a glassmaking studio and identifies each major piece of equipment. Prepares students to navigate the workspace safely and efficiently.

Lesson 2 • Safety Protocols and Protective Gear

Defines mandatory safety practices, PPE requirements, and emergency procedures for hot glass environments. Directly enables safe participation in all subsequent hands-on work.

Lesson 3 • History and Chemistry of Glass

Covers silica-based chemistry, flux agents, and stabilizers that define glass properties. Grounds students in why glass behaves as it does during heating and cooling.

Lesson 4 • Furnace Operation and Temperature Control

Explains furnace startup, temperature monitoring, and shutdown sequences. Connects material chemistry to the working temperatures required for molten glass.

Lesson 1 • Gathering and Initial Shaping

Teaches controlled gathering from the furnace and early shaping on the marver. Students develop the muscle memory needed for repeatable gather sizes.

Lesson 2 • Annealing and Stress Relief

Explains the annealing process, temperature schedules, and the consequences of thermal shock. Students correctly place finished pieces in the annealer after every session.

Lesson 3 • Blowing and Inflation Control

Introduces breath control, bubble formation, and wall-thickness management. Connects inflation technique to the structural integrity of finished pieces.

Lesson 4 • Blowpipe and Punty Fundamentals

Covers blowpipe selection, preheating, and safe handling during gathering. Establishes the grip and rotation habits critical for all subsequent forming work.

Lesson 1 • Color Theory for Hot Glass

Applies color theory principles to the unique optical properties of glass. Establishes the conceptual framework for all color selection and layering decisions.

Lesson 2 • Reactive and Striking Colors

Covers chemically reactive glass types and the striking process for developing color. Students learn to control atmosphere and temperature to achieve target hues.

Lesson 3 • Murrine and Millefiori Basics

Introduces the construction of simple murrine canes and their use in finished work. Connects cane-making skills to decorative surface patterning techniques.

Lesson 4 • Frit, Powder, and Cane Application

Teaches pickup techniques for frit, powder, and pulled cane on a gather. Students control coverage density and placement for predictable color distribution.

Lesson 1 • Vase and Bottle Neck Formation

Covers constriction techniques for creating necks, shoulders, and lips on vases. Connects jacking and reheating sequences to controlled neck geometry.

Lesson 2 • Quality Control and Dimensional Consistency

Establishes measurement and inspection practices for evaluating finished vessels. Students use calipers and visual checks to meet production-level standards.

Lesson 3 • Cylinder and Tumbler Construction

Guides students through building straight-walled cylinders with even wall thickness. Establishes the baseline forming discipline required for all vessel work.

Lesson 4 • Bowl and Open-Form Shaping

Teaches centrifugal opening, rim flaring, and foot formation for bowls. Students control the transition from closed to open form without losing symmetry.

Lesson 1 • Sculptural Flamework Elements

Introduces pulling, shaping, and assembling small sculptural components at the torch. Students build compound forms by joining separately worked elements.

Lesson 2 • Bead Making on a Mandrel

Guides students through winding molten glass onto a mandrel to form beads. Connects color application and shaping skills to small-scale flamework production.

Lesson 3 • Borosilicate Rod and Tubing Work

Teaches heating, bending, and joining borosilicate rods and tubes. Students develop control over the narrow working window of borosilicate glass.

Lesson 4 • Torch Setup and Flame Chemistry

Covers torch types, gas-oxygen ratios, and flame zone identification. Establishes safe torch operation as the prerequisite for all flamework techniques.

Lesson 1 • Kiln Types and Firing Schedules

Explains kiln construction, element types, and programmable controller use. Students write and execute firing schedules appropriate for fusing and casting.

Lesson 2 • Lost-Wax Casting Process

Guides students through wax model creation, investment mold making, and glass casting. Students produce a solid cast glass object with surface detail.

Lesson 3 • Cold Working Cast and Fused Pieces

Introduces grinding, sandblasting, and polishing to refine kiln-formed surfaces. Students bring cast and fused pieces to a finished, gallery-ready state.

Lesson 4 • Glass Fusing Fundamentals

Covers tack fusing, full fusing, and fire polishing at different temperature ranges. Students produce layered fused panels with controlled surface texture.

Lesson 1 • Incalmo and Joined Sections

Covers the incalmo technique for joining two separately blown sections mid-form. Students align color zones and weld sections without visible seams.

Lesson 2 • Surface Etching and Sandblasting Design

Covers resist application, stencil cutting, and multi-stage sandblasting for layered designs. Students produce a carved panel with depth and tonal variation.

Lesson 3 • Filigrana Cane Construction

Teaches the preparation of latticino and reticello canes for filigrana work. Students pull consistent canes and arrange them for pickup onto a gather.

Lesson 4 • Overlay and Graal Technique

Introduces cased overlay construction and the Graal process of cold-working then re-blowing. Students produce a Graal vessel with an etched interior design.

Lesson 1 • Finishing, Signing, and Packaging

Covers cold finishing, artist signatures, and protective packaging for transport. Students prepare finished pieces to professional presentation standards.

Lesson 2 • Pricing, Costing, and Market Positioning

Introduces cost-of-goods calculation, labor costing, and retail pricing strategies. Students price their body of work using a consistent, defensible methodology.

Lesson 3 • Production Workflow and Time Management

Establishes batch production sequences, furnace scheduling, and kiln loading strategies. Students optimize studio time to maximize output without sacrificing quality.

Lesson 4 • Designing a Cohesive Body of Work

Guides students through concept development, material selection, and series planning. Connects artistic intent to technical execution across multiple related pieces.