(New Drug Rep offer at bottom of page) - The Making of a Body Wraped Platter

Here are some pictures that my wife Linda took while Micah and I made a body wrapped platter with a lip wrap. Some of the pictures were only so-so because it was at night and the lighting was bad and the camera didn't want to focus because there wasn't enough light. In spite of that Linda did a great job and some of the pictures were really good anyway.

The first photo is the finished product.


I tried to upload some pictures of the most fantastic pizzas in the world for Gnat but for some reason they wouldn't upload. I think they might be too big. I will try to get some sometime for you or maybe I might email you some.


Gather number 1.

I just blew the starter bubble and am letting it cool a little bit after I blocked it.



























Gather number 2.

Blocking the glass to a good shape after gather #2.



Gather number 3.



Micah has just picked up a color bit out of the annealer and is preparing to heat and marver it to the size and shape we need for the "body wrap".

You can see I have the blowpipe with the piece on the "threader wheel" and Micah eases the bit up to and touches the piece. He then expertly pulls back until the thread is the proper thickness and I start turning the piece. The thread of glass then encircles the piece round and round and round… all the way to the end.







We finish the threading process and cut off the thread. Micah will take what's left of the thread on the punty and reheat and reshape and keep in the warmer for another piece while I stay busy doing what comes next.

I am now getting a really good heat in the piece so I can get a really deep optic mold imprint.





Into the optic mold and blow!






Reheat! You can see the deep optic molded ridges in the piece!

I am marving the piece and getting ready to cut the jack line in the piece with the jacks.

As you can tell I have blown out the piece some and getting ready to "drop a foot". (I don't have a picture of us dong the foot.)

We have just attached the punty to foot on the piece and are starting the transfer process.

I am now "chilling" the "jack line" with a few drops of water from the file and geting ready to break the glass at the jack line and complete the transfer from the blowpipe to the punty.

I'm keeping the piece hot while Micah is heating up the chunk of color (the bit) that we are going to apply for the lip wrap.

I'm trimming the lip of the piece, getting it nice and smooth and even for the lip wrap.

Micah has heated up the "bit" of color and has presented it to me with the correct shape and heat for me to apply as the "lip wrap" which I am doing now.

I am using the "puffer" to round out the mouth end of the piece before I open it up all the way. Here I am using the parchoffi sticks to open the mouth.

I now have the mouth opened up as far as I want to before I spin it out and this is the final reheat before I spin out the platter

Here I am "spinning out" the platter and then on the "knock-off" table and getting ready to put in the annealler.

Thirty-six minutes from start to finish. Bam!

It took me longer to upload the pictures and write out the steps than it did to make the piece. I'm tired now.

It was good to talk to Andy today in Columbus Ohio. Wish you and Brent the best while you guys are there! Look forward to buying you lunch or dinner when you get back.

Are any pharmaceutical reps reading this? If so, the first one to call me on my cell and mention this, I will blow you a bud vase. Hurry, offer applies to the first one only! tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

Answer to Gnat

Sorry it took me so long to follow up on Scott's question. We (my family) own and operate Italian JIm's Pizzeria. We just had our 10 year anniversary on March 6th, 2006. Our pizza is great. I will hopefully be posting some photos - before & after - of our new space. Maybe just the "after" photos.

I hope to post some new photos of what we did last night before the weekend is over.

CM

Bowl with copper in the glass

Here is a really neat bowl/platter. It is a piece that I blew for a lady named Britton. She wanted a light blue with a "curry" lip wrap and copper foil up around the edge of the bowl. I was pleased with this one on a couple of different levels. I love the blue and shape and size of the bowl was what I wanted to make. The lip wrap came off well. Micah did a great job with the color bit! We took about 8 sheets of copper foil and folded them and folded them and folded them until they were only about 1/2" wide and put them in a line about 2 lengths long. We then rolled them onto the piece from the marver and heated it in via the glory hole, then we gathered a thin gather over the top to seal it. The copper on the inside of the bowl stayed "copper" colored but the copper that was exposed to the glory hole turned red! If you look close at the pictures you can even see how thick the copper was in spots. I have some pictures posted so you can see. Britton really liked it and we did too.
It was nice to meet Era the other day and look forward to working with her as well.

We are still really busy with the Italian Jim's Pizzeria remodel. We are on pace to break record sales 3 months in a row by a substantial amount each month! We haven't had time to blow much glass or post to the web site, but when things get caught up…

I may take Gnat's que and start making my artifacts other worldly.

See ya,
CM

Artifacts Photos

Picture #1 is the Opal Nile Green on the inside and G-50 Black on the outside with #3 Opal Nile Green Frit sprinkled on the outside also. The tallest one is about 8" and the shortest one is about 5 inches.

Picture #2 is the same series with the funky flower/leaf thing that coordinates with it.

Picture # 3 is 2 vases with the G-50 Black base and R-120 Curry body and lip wrap. I love the curry/black combination. I call it part of the "Tiger Stripe" Series. They are both about 12-13 inches tall. The bigger one is about 5 inches wide at the mouth.

Picture #4 is another artifacts series with G-103 Latte on the inside with G-50 Black on the outside with specks of #3 Frit sprinkled on. ( I may retake some of these pictures. After looking at them, I don't like the angle I shot them from. I think it would show them better from an angle not so high up.)

I want to do some more different things of the same color combos to add to each series.

Artifacts Again!

The last 2 nights, Linda, Micah, and I had some success with the artifact series again. When tonight's' work comes out of the annealer tomorrow @ about 3:30 - 4:00 pm I am hoping to see 2 sets of the "Artifacts Series". On one set I blew a Opal Nile Green on the inside and G-50 black solid with #3 Opal Nile Green Frit applied sparingly on the outside. The other set is "Latte" on the inside and Gaffer G-50 Black with #3 spots on the outside to coordinate with the Latte on the inside. If you can't picture it yet I will hopefully post pictures in a day or two or three or four.

The Gaffer G-50 Black vase with the "Diablo Red" body wrap and lip wrap that I posted recently was really liked by a few people. I have already sold it to someone and could have sold it about 4 more times. So tonight I made a G-50 Black vase with a "Curry" lip and body wrap. Did some more platters for the fancy wall at the restaurant. Blew my wife a pen holder for her desk. I can't wait to see them tomorrow. I can't wait to take their pictures and post them. Very Cool!

See ya,
CM

Some New Work

Picture #1
Here's a vase with different colors on outside and inside.


Picture #2
Here's a vase with a new technique Micah and I have learned. It's called "Threading".


Picture #3
Here's a red platter.

I'm getting ready to revive "The Artifacts" Series. Coming soon. Not much for words today. Really busy!
Thanks for reading.
CM

Bruce Ferguson!

I'm just now getting around to posting this, but about 3 weeks ago, Micah and I were honored to have Bruce Ferguson down from Virginia to our humble studio and show us some new techniques. Bruce is an accomplised glass blower and teacher. He assists Bill Gudenrath on occassion @ the Corning School of Glass.

Here are some pictures.

Update On What's Happening

Micah and I went over to Andy Boatman's Studio, "Blue Sage Studios" last week and saw his new furnace. A very fine piece of equipment! It was really good to be over a Blue Sage once again. That is the nicest studio! We got to meet Bruce Ferguson, an accomplished glassblower and glassblowing teacher from Virginia. Bruce works at the FAA and is in OKC for a week or two doing whatever it is the FAA people do to stay current. Bruce showed us some new techniques, some of which we have tried with a small measure of success already! Bruce is supposed to come over to Bella Forte Glass Studio and check out our place and do a little bit of glass blowing over here. We can't wait!

I have been so busy at the restaurant. I've been putting in about 85 - 90 hours each week. My workout time has gone to a big fat ZERO for the last 4 weeks. Looking forward to getting back in the gym and getting lean again! (Sometime soon I hope) March 6th was our 10 year anniversary! We just finished March and it was our biggest month in our 10 year history! A NEW RECORD! Who-aaah! As I have mentioned earlier, we have doubled the square footage of our restaurant and are in the process of doing the remodel. Micah and I have done all of the remodel ourselves with the exception of the electrical and some floor work. Most all of the kitchen part is complete and we have been working on the dining room area.

I am going to have a new retail area for Bella Forte Glass Studios in the restaurant. It is going to be really nice and attractive. We are going to do some innovative things to display the glass. I have taken a few "before" and "during" pictures so far and will take some "after" pictures when it's done and post them. But you really need to come see the progress when it gets done. Last night Micah and I did more drywall and we started painting. That new airless paint sprayer is worth the money!

I blew some commissioned light fixtures for some very nice folks in the "Rivendale" addition in Moore. I've sold some more things in the restaurant. Micah and I have been blowing glass to decorate the new retail space at Italian Jim's Pizzeria in between commission pieces. I just got some new dichroic glass in yesterday and will be doing some commission pieces with it. Can't hardly wait.

If you get a chance stop Italian Jim's at 342 S. Mustang Road @ Reno and Mustang Road in the Yukon area, have a look at the glass and eat a pizza or a sub or a pasta or a dessert or a etc…

See ya later.
CM

More Pictures! - Upload fixed

Hello,

Here's some of our newest work.

I told you that I was commissioned to blow some wall art for the new Bank 2 location in Yukon. Some of these platters are the ones that have made the cut. Some still made the cut but are going in our restaurant - Italian Jim's Pizzeria @ 342 S. Mustang Rd. in Yukon Ok.


This Cerulean Blue piece is about 19 inches x 17 inches and has a Diablo Red lip wrap and is optic molded with a twist in the optic mold pattern.


This piece is about 24 inches x 22 inches and is Cherry Red with a few chunks of yellow and a bright yellow lip wrap. It is one of my favorite.


This piece is about 17 inches x 18 inches with Brilliant Yellow, optic molded with a twist, and a Diablo Red lip wrap- Also a favorite.


Micah got me a kilo of Cerulean Blue for Christmas. This is the first piece we did with it. We love this color - we added a few chunks of #3 frit Canary Yellow to this. It's about 16 inches x 15 inches.


This is Opal White iwth #2 Frit of Cherry Red, #3 Frit of Canary Yellow, and maybe some #2 Frit of Lapis Blue. It's 24 inches x 17 inches.


This one is Adventurine Green in the center, with Bristol Green on the outside edges surrounded with a Diablo Red lip wrap. I wanted to do the whole thing heavy in Adventurine Green and tried to do so, but it was so stiff I had trouble working it. It's about 17 inches x 17 inches. The picture doesn't do the Adv. Green justtice. You ought to see it in the sunlight.


This Bowl is Cerulean Blue with an Adventurine swirl in it. It is about 14 inches across. That Cerulean Blue is very pretty.


This vase is Cerulean Blue with a Cherry Red lip wrap and a dropped foot. It stands about 14 inches tall.


This vase is what I blew for my wife, Linda for Valentines Day. It is about 15 inches tall and is cream with a garnet body wrap.


If you click on this picture and look close, you will see a very fine "thread" of light biege "threaded" around this piece. It is Gaffer 50 - Black in powder form with the biege thread and lip warp. You ought to see the "threading" process. It's awesome to watch. Micah and I made it look easy,.


This piece is part of the "Tiger Stripe" series. It is black with a Curry body wrap and a Curry lip wrap. The threads on this piece are a little thicker and you can easily feel the texture of the thread around the vase. It's about 12 inches tall.


These are our flowers, "one or two steps removed from nature." Have stems about 13' long on them. We think they are pretty cool. We are gonna practice doing these until we make some really, really, really good-looking ones. (DZ)


This little piece is kind've cute. It's Lapis Blue with a cream thread "noodled" on, spun out and swung to get that fluted look. It's about 10 inches tall.

Heap big thanks to wife, Linda and boy, Micah for being great helpers. Bye for now - keeping the furnace hot!
CM

Class in Wichita

Last month Linda and I went to Wichita Kansas and took a glass fusing class for a couple of days at Wichita Center for the Arts. Kim Hughes taught the class. We went, we learned, we fused, we had a great time. Here's a photo of Linda getting everything juuussst right.

2 Great Helpers - 2 Beautiful Platters

Glassblowing is so much easier with good help. There are plenty of guys that make going solo look easy. So far, I'm not one of those kinda guys. Maybe someday. In the mean time, the Lovely and Gracious Linda was highly instrumental in the effort tonight along with talented, handsome, and strong - Micah.

We're working on the Bank 2 platters - getting better on the new techniques. We did a Adventurine Green with Opal Nile green lip wrap - and a Cerulean Blue with a heavy optic mold and diablo red lip wrap.

They turned out beautiful thanks to Linda. Linda realizes there's more to life than being just really, really, really good-looking! She is showing her versatility. (Zoolander Flashback)

I am still working on taking and uploading the pictures. Waiting on that 2-3 hour block of time when I don't have anything to do. You know how that goes.

Later Gator.
CM

The Pressure!

Hello everyone!

Micah and I went out to Andy Boatman''s Blue Sage Studios the other day and saw him/them installing his new furnace. It sure is nice! Looking forward to blowing some glass out there soon and showing Andy and Brent how real glass blowers do it.

Micah is sure good help. He likes the glass blowing and, as Derek Zoolander would say, "He is getting really, really, really good!" Micah blew his first piece tonight and did really, really, really good on that also.

We made some funky flowers (one step removed from nature).

Commission pieces are nice but the added pressure can be intense on getting them done by the deadline.

Ross @ Bank 2 has commissioned us to blow 3 new pieces for their new Bank location @ SW 15th and Morgan Road that just opened this last Wednesday. I have banked with Ross for almost 9 years and have followed him from Canadian State Bank to when He started Bank 2. His customer service is the BEST! I would say that even if he wasn't paying me an obscene amount for these commission pieces. Ha! Ha!

To do Ross' pieces, Micah and I have had to learn some more new techniques and it has been a learning process. Finally we completed one Saturday night that is a keeper. We did another one today - we'll see how it comes out tomorrow morning at about 9 am.

At least 1 down and 2 to go in about 7 days before his big grand opening. Pressure!!!!

Well I better go get cleaned up - I will try to post some pictures soon.
CM

More Pictures

Here's some more pictures. The first photo is a red bud vase with green body wrap. It's beautiful! I haven't been able to get into photoshop and change the orientation of the photo yet (That's why it's sideways) I may do it or not. If you have a LCD flat screen monitor you can easily pick up the monitor and turn it counter clockwise and look at the vase correctly.

Picture #2 is a bowl with Opal Nile Green optic molded and a black lip wrap. I'm looking forward to exploiting this color combination. I think it will make some pretty light fixtures!

Picture #3 is awsome! It is a commission piece for Mike Stanley for his valentine. It is a fluted bowl with curry on the inside, black on the outside, and a curry body wrap! It's from the "Tiger Stripe" series. It rivals the black with cream body/lip wrap commission pieces for Lucia that were posted on this blog on Dec. 18th, 2005. I look forward to doing more with the Tiger Stripe Series!

Picture #4 is a valentines gift for my youngest daughter Krista. It matches the animal print theme in her room.

Picture #5 is a valentines gift for my oldest daughter Kim. She loves brown and pink. I think the color combo rocks!

Gonna be doing some more better stuff as time goes on. I've been blowing more light fixtures in for the restaurant. I have also been blowing matching bud vases and will be blowing matching oil lamps in time. Each booth will have a themed light fixture, vase, and oil lamp.

We're doubling the square footage of our restaurant and I am looking forward to more of a retail presence for the glass and doing more decorating and uping the atmosphere a notch or two.

Looking forward to Andy Boatman getting his new furnace this week. Micah and I will be making a trip to Blue Sage Studios to make sure he's on track! Ha! Ha! We will really be going to get him to help us stay on track.

I went to Bixby this last Friday and finally got me a piece of 304 stainless steel plate 1/2" thick that is 2' x 3' for my marving table. I will be upgrading my marver soon.

I have had 3 folks ask me about glass blowing lessons this week. Thanks for the interest! Possibly late spring or summer. We'll see.

Thanks for checking out my blog.
CM

Some Pictures

I figured out that I have to add pictures from another computer because I think something is wrong with my computer. Here are some photos - I will send more later.

Thanks
CM

Furnace Upgrade

Wow! I installed a new high pressure blower on my furnace and the glass is so hot that it's almost as thin a water. Big difference to what it used to be. The neat part about that is I can get thinner "gathers" and create more depth and I hope better effects. I was using the blower that came with my glory hole because it was more powerful than the other blower I had. Now I switched my glory blower back to the glory hole where it's supposed to be and its considerably hotter than before. It's almost like I have a new furnace and glory hole!

I took more pictures today. I am going to start trying to upload my pictures from a different computer and see it that works.

Andy suggested Picasa - but that's not set-up for mac use.

Looking forward to getting a mac G-5 one of these days.

Thanks to Mike Stanley, Lucia, Glenda, Rolene, and Lisa for the orders for commission pieces.

I have still been busy with the restaurant expansion and still finding time to work out and keep that weight that doesn't belong on me off.

Looking forward to seeing Andy and Brent @ Blue Sage Studios soon (I hope!)

See ya!
CM

Picture Upload still not working

Tried to upload pictures again a couple of different ways. Still not working.

Just a reminder... Glad to see Nathan still checks in on our progress.

Bye for now.
Chris

Expansion!

Hello everybody!

I've been really busy the last month. Our restaurant, Italian JIm's Pizzeria has been steadily increasing in business. (Up slightly over 30% in the last 3 months!) We have now acquired the space next door to us and doubled our square footage. Micah (my son) and I have been doing all the remodeling ourselves and still finding a little time to blow glass. Micah has become very adept as a glassblower's helper. He helps me with all my lip wraps and making transfers. I'm glad he's back home again.

Quite a bit of glass sold over Christmas and I've also had a number of commission pieces to make. Thanks to all who have ordered and bought. Things are going well and I am getting a pleasing amount of interest in the glass at Italian Jim's Pizzeria where I have some on display and for sale. I am blowing lampshades for the hanging light fixtures and will be decorating the new space at Italian Jim's with blown glass light and art.

I have a new green color that is metallic! It is awesome! The pictures of it do not do it justice. It's full glory is realized in the sunlight. I have a picture of it with a red lip wrap on this blog, I am putting other photos of some work that I have done.

Burning the candle on all three ends,
Chris McGahan

(I'VE TRIED OVER HALF A DOZEN TIMES TO UPLOAD THE NEW PHOTOS - IT WON'T FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON) I WILL TRY AGAIN LATER. I HAVE ALMOST A DOZEN PHOTOS TO POST. HOPE IT WORKS NEXT TIME.

THANKS
CM