28-31 May 2015 - Vitrigraph Cane & Murrini DropOuts with Nathan Sandberg

Vitrigraph Cane & Murrini DropOuts with Nathan Sandberg - USA

28-31 May 2015  (Thurs-Sun)

The Vitrigraph – also described as a Stringer Oven, is a tiny kiln with an opening in its base, mainly used for making your own hand-pulled stringers. Nathan Sandberg has further developed this concept to pull intricate glass canes and murrini, a process which is usually only possible in a full scale hotshop.

In the first part of the class, students will learn how to select strong colours and master the technique of arranging them inside a crucible, to pull multi-coloured, decorative canes and complex murrini.  Subsequently, these components will be cut to create repetitive patterns and fused into a blank.

Nathan will then teach you how to monitor a drop-out firing. This involves a very precise temperature development, to allow the glass to stretch and pull, without getting too soft. The desired result is a thin walled deep vessel.

To complete the process, Nathan will introduce students to the very important step of cold-working, both by hand and machine.  This final stage will give the piece a professional finish with a distinctive and elegant look.

Skill Level
Some experience in glass fusing would be advantageous but not essential.

Visit www.nathansandberg.com for more information on this artist.