Flame-working is a process in which glass is melted over a torch fueled by oxygen and propane gasses. Starting with clear rods of glass of different diameters, colored glass is melted on to the clear and shaped in the flame.

This borosilicate or hard glass melts at 2800 degrees. The temperature of the flame is actually controlled by the ratio of oxygen to propane gasses used. Using more oxygen than propane will result in an "oxygenated" flame which is typically cooler, while more propane is "reducing" and is typically hotter.

Different colors are used with different flame control as the colors are easily affected by the temperature changes. The same color can look different with different use of flame control.

After the piece is made, it goes directly into a kiln at around 1000 degrees farenhieght. It will stay at that temperature for a short period of time before cooling down slowly for about 8-12 hours. This process is called annealing.

VIDEO: Here is a short documentary on how I create a Sea Horse. Put together by Ian Lucero, it is about 3 minutes and 30 seconds long. Enjoy!

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