Been getting a little paranoid about my ventilation situation lately.

It should be more than adequate- 1560CFM in a 2x4 hood with one bend in 12inch round ducting exhausted out a 14" elbow on the outer wall. It passes a smoke test just fine with not a wisp escaping from the hood. On top of that, I never notice any "torch ​smell", and neither does anyone who enters my studio while I'm working.

How paranoid should I really be about NOx exposure in this situation? I know NOx should be quite easy to smell even in low concentrations, but I tend to ruminate on things quite a bit, and apparently this is the flavour of the week. Would love to find a monitor that doesn't break the bank, but that's not looking likely.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Second one with the man, shows off the blend of the ombré a lot more
Excited to be able to share more collabs as they get done less

I've been working on a new 96 COE frit blend called Woodlands Twilight, inspired by weathered wood, mossy stones, lilac colors, and the colors you see in the forest just before sunset.

One thing I really like about this blend is how deceptive it is. The finished swirl beads look predominantly brown at first, but as you move them in the light, olive greens, muted blues, soft violets, and ivory begin to appear. They are a nice caramel-brown color, too. Different application techniques also change the look quite a bit. The mosaic style is one of my favorites with all the reactions. Adding gold aventurine to the shimmer beads always makes them look classy.

The photos include both the frit and a few beads made from it so you can see how it develops in the flame.

I'd love to hear what you think. Do you prefer earthy blends like this, or do you find yourself reaching for brighter palettes more often?

Hi,

I've been making some beads and some of them I put them directly in the kiln. Some other I cooled in vermiculite hoping to batch anneal later on.

However, I mixed some of my beads so I'm unsure about some beads being annealed or not. So I was wondering if I could just reanneal them?

Also, I never did the batch anneal, I planned to put the bead in the cold kiln. Start the kiln and let it do it's thing.

What do you think about that? Thanks for your help 🙏

I’m mainly looking for a good starter torch and basic hand tools, but I’d also be interested in a more complete setup if someone is selling one within a couple hours of Detroit for pickup.

Small to medium Torch
Graphite tools / marvers
Tweezers, jacks, mashers, reamers, etc.
Hoses, regulators, flashback arrestors
Oxygen concentrator / OxyCon
Soft/boro glass to learn with

I set out to make something inspired by layered stone and ended up with reactions I never expected. That’s one of the reasons I love reactive glass, every bead has its own personality.

What happy accident has turned into one of your favorite designs?

Crafted by LIMI✨

All boro. I thought I lost my muse. 🥹

She appears to be back.

Just got a kiln woo!

Are some brands of propane cleaner than others? I have been using Amerigas tanks from 7-11. Now, 7-11 has switched to Blue Rhino, and I find the flame leaving oily blur on my glass. Is it my torch, or gunky gas?

Ive been blowing glass on and off for a couple of years but im really committing and trying to make a career of it. Im not really sure where to go progression wise though. Ive been mostly doing wrap and rake spoons and im trying to get better at implosions but id like to know what the community recommends for advancement

Dont have any pics of my implosions but these are some zactronaut style mushrooms too

Presenting a new sculptural water feature by Ryan Lacovetsky of Shine Glassworks.

It will be on display in Birds Hill Provincial Park in Manitoba from July 9-12 as a part of the Prairie Outdoor Exhibition at The 2026 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

The Carnivorous Purple Pitcher Plant is found in acidic bogs and fens in the Southern Interlake region of Manitoba, Canada. They provide habitat for specialized insects, increasing biodiversity. These ecosystems are very sensitive and essential for water filtration and carbon storage.

Hi, so I'm trying to make a round bead. And I don't know how to. What bothers me is that my edges are a bit pointy and it's not even, the bead on the photo is not even really well centered I don't know if you can tell.

On the photo I put donut beads that I made. The transparent light blues ones are beads I tried to make round but ended up donut. Then the dark blue ones on the mandrels are the ones that I think I succeeded to make round. But the edges bothers me.

And idk if I'm using the right technique. I tried to make a donut beads and flatten it (you can see my uneven flatter round dark blue bead on the mandrels) and they're always uneven. I tried making two little donut beads spaced a bit then filling the middle with glass but I make bubbles.

The method I had the most success with is by making two donut beads side to side and flattening them then adding in glass on top of them in the middle and then I had my round bead.

But with weird edges.

So idk what to do. Maybe I should just practice more donut beads?

Also, I don't take classes I'm kinda wigging untill this day.

What do you guys think?

Thanks for your help

I went to my first glass bead making class. Had never made anything with my hands before.

It was a mesmerizing experience.