Glass

While I was a postdoc at the University of Wisconsin, I was lucky enough to learn to blow glass. I'm still not a great glass blower, but I have a lot of fun.

Me with the two of the tools of the trade; jacks and paddle

The color drop. A hot gob of colored glass is overlaid over clear glass.

Shaping. Remarkably, the only thing separating my hand from the nearly 2,000 degree glass is 7 wet sheets of newspaper folded into a square.

More shaping.

Adding a little heat.

Nearly done.

Finished!

Some of the glass in my office: