Question for Lampworkers!

I wanted to ask all you lampworkers out there who read this blog - what do you do with all your shorts? For those who don't know, shorts are pieces of glass, usually ranging between 1 and 3 inches long, that you have leftover from a rod of glass. The length is determined by how hot you are willing to let your fingers get - kind of like torch chicken!

My kiln is a fuser, but I don't have any molds or anything that I can think of to use the shorts for. Does anyone have any ideas or resources? I'd be glad to sell them on ebay, but I don't know that there's a big market for them. I guess my other idea is to donate them to the glass center?

Comments

pam ferrari said…

Sue, I save in a big box and when I am bored I melt them back together. OK when I run out of a color I go back to the box and then melt shorts together. Go to my Web site ferrarioriginalbeads.com In the think out side the box You will see what I did with shorts on a picture frame.

September 15, 2009 at 3:40 PM

SueBeads said…

Thanks Pam! I did see your frame - it's great! I have been saving them and thought, well, I'll use them for twisties, but I have so many (probably 8 or 9 lbs) that I'll never make that many twisties!!!!

September 15, 2009 at 4:02 PM

Laura Sparling said…

Melt one end (holding the rod with pliers or something if needs be) and then pull it into a thick stringer. Let that cool and you'll find that you can use the stringer part of the short as a handle and you'll get a base bead out of the the other end of the rod. Or, pull it into stringer!

September 15, 2009 at 4:07 PM

SueBeads said…

Now that's a great idea - using the other end by pulling a thick stringer! I could spend the entire day just doing that!!!!!

September 15, 2009 at 4:11 PM

Marie Cramp said…

When I took my class the girl that was teaching me was turning hers into frit. I know you have lots of frit, but this way you could have your own custom stuff!

Marie

September 15, 2009 at 9:43 PM

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