Got My Glass Fix – Silver and Gold Fumed Hammer

I’ve been needing to get behind the torch, and decided to make a simple metalized pipe using silver and gold fume. The pipe took a little over an hour from start to finish, but time flew and it felt like only a few minutes.   

If you are interested in the specific steps it took to make the pipe, here is the sequence:  

Fumed a 33-mil heavy wall section of tube with silver followed by gold; Trapped the fume using clear 6mil stripes; Melted the stripes in and worked them smooth; split into 2 sections (2/3 + 1/3); Shaped a stem from the 2/3 section, shaped a bowl from the 1/3 section; Welded the two and kilned; Imploded a marble, stretched to a horn, welded to the piece; Shaped the horn, flattened the bowl (for stability);  Popped a hole, pushed the bowl, popped the carb; Fumed the bowl (Electrum), cooked it in; Detached the blowtube, picked and sized the hole (mouthpiece), kilned it.     

The top of the bowl could be a bit more level and the horn weld could be better, but glassblowing is incredibly satisfying and they are a good excuse to make another. Thanks for checking this out.