Venetian Glass Goblet

Twist, melt and shape glass into a decorative Venetian goblet.

That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-256 -- More Projects »
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Project by Steve Sizelove from Richmond, Ind.
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Figure A
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Figure B
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Figure C
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Figure D
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Figure E
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Figure F
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Figure G
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Figure H
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Figure I
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Figure J
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Figure K
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Figure L
Steve Sizelove lives life to the fullest. He loves outdoor sports, especially snowboarding and mountain climbing, but he also loves glasswork, like this goblet he makes with bright, contrasting colors. While attending a prestigious art school in Richmond, Ind., he met his future wife, who just recently gave birth to twin baby girls. He can’t wait until his girls are old enough to snowboard with him!

Materials:

40mm clear borosilicate glass tube
12.7mm clear glass tube
cadmium yellow glass rods
black glass rods
opaque blue glass rods
5mm clear glass rods
15mm clear glass rods
graphite reamer
pre-made (by me) dichroic glass medallion
large oxygen/propane torch
miscellaneous glass working hand tools
small kiln
large kiln
rubber bands
didymium safety glasses

Steps:

1. Heat a piece of 40mm clear glass tube with a large torch in the center of the tube, stretching the glass, then cutting it in half. One side will hold the ends of the yellow rods and the other side will be opened so the yellow rods will slide inside (figure A).

2. Cut the cadmium yellow glass rods into 4-inch lengths. Wrap the rods around the graphite reamer and secure them with two rubber bands (figure B).

3. Heat the ends of the yellow rods with the torch and trim them with glass working scissors (figure C).

4. Heat the end of one half of the clear glass tube and stick it to the end of the yellow rods (figure D). Remove the rubber bands.

5. Heat the end of the other half of the clear glass tube and open up the end using jacks.

6. Slide the yellow rods into the clear glass tube (figure E).

7. Heat the piece, pulling the center apart into a thin tube.

  • One part will become the base of the goblet.
  • The other will become the cup (figure F).

8. Blow a bubble out of a section of the yellow tube to be used as the foot of the goblet (figure G).

9. Add black glass for the lip wrap of the foot (figure H).

10. Create an opaque, soft blue tube for the stem (figure I).

11. Next, the foot bubble is flared open into the flat, final shape (figure J).

12. Another section of the yellow tube in melted, twisted, and then blown into the shape of the goblet cup (figure K).

13. Black glass is then added for the cup’s lip wrap (figure L).

14. Next the unopened cup is attached to the foot/stem assembly.

15. Holding on to the cool stem, cut off the handle of the unopened cup and use the flame and the jacks to flare the goblet into its final shape.

16. The finished Venetian glass goblet is placed into the kiln to cool in a process called "annealing."

Website: www.stevesizelove.com