making leaves, petals and flames

[AlaskaBarb]

Several people have asked about leaf mashers in the past couple of weeks. I'm working on an architectual installation with about a thousand leaves in it, so it wasn't much trouble to put together a mini-tutorial today!

There are many different ways to make leaves. These are mandrel-wound, though the techniques and tools could be used to make them off the mandrel, as well.

The following pictures will show you several types of leaves, and the tools used for each.

The first picture shows the various tools I use for making leaves, petals and flames:

Barb
( I will use a separate reply for each pic, so I can caption them.)

[AlaskaBarb]

The next three pictures show each tool and some of the leaves that can easily be made with them. The size of the leaf is governed mainly by 1) the size of the gather, and 2) the amount of stretching one does with the needle-nosed pliers after the 'squish.'

This pic shows the 'small realistic curved leaf masher':



(By the way, there will be about six pics, so please wait until I'm done posting all of them before replying -- thanks
Barb

[AlaskaBarb]

This one shows the 'fine-veined flat masher,' and leaves made with it:

[AlaskaBarb]

This tool is called a 'curved masher,' and the insides are smooth. I use it to make flames, petals, and custom leaves that need to have a particular veining pattern made with another tool, like needle-nosed pliers:

[AlaskaBarb]

This picture shows what I would call 'tweaking the leaves.'

Using the various aforementioned mashers, one can then use the nippers and clip the leaf edges, before fire polishing them in the flame.

You must get the leaf edge extra-hot, because it will snap the leaf in half if it's not really gooey. Also, snipping leaves can make a pretty nasty mess on your graphite marver, if it sits below the torch, so remember to brush it off before marvering anything.

There are some bifurcated leaves, made by adding two longish gobs of glass on either side of the main gather, under the mandrel. They must form a 'V' shape, or they will melt into one another before the squish. Takes a little finesse to heat one without hitting the other, but it makes nice holly earrings and maple seedpods.

I just included the berries because I made them today, and they were cute.

So there.

[AlaskaBarb]

Okay, here's the last one -- some pics of the leaves during production, from the first gather to the finished leaf.

I hope this is helpful to all those wanting to make leaves, petals and flames.

The mashers were purchased at various suppliers including Wale Apparatus, Arrow Springs, CR Loo and/or Frantz. I'm sure other fine suppliers carry them, as well.

Barb

Oh, PS: Yes, there is another masher there: the fine-veined angled masher. It makes a leaf identical to the fine-veined flat masher, except it has a fold in it. After I manipulate the leaves, they look so similar that I rarely use it. But if you like to just squish and go, it's a good masher, if you like a stiff, formal-looking leaf.


The second-to-last picture in the tutorial shows how to pull off waste glass at the base of the leaf while keeping the flame focused at the point of departure. I do this because I think it makes a more elegant-looking finish than leaving a big fat plier mark at the bottom of the leaf. Just my own style.

okay, I'm done!

[AlaskaBarb]

Okay, I fibbed, I'm not done. I start with 1/2" disk, but I usually adds some more glass with stringer or other decoration to it as I'm melting. I probably use about 2" of regular-sized rod for an average leaf, give or take. Mostly I add it to the bottom, but the glass above the mandrel has a way of thinning out just from radiant heat, so I usually add a dab just before reheating the glass near the mandrel.

If the bead is going to crack, it will probably be at the mandrel, from glass that is either too thin, or got too cold, which is why I have a goodly amount up at the top.


Barb

[jbriz]

This is absolutely fabulous! Thank you so much for taking such effort to put together this wonderful tutorial and set of examples. Very impressive!!! Excuse me now, I think I want to order new "toys"! This looks like so much fun!!!

[G&S Lampwork]

Hi Barb,
Thank you so much for all the info, it was wonderful timing as I just received my fine veined flat masher! Great tutorial! I'm definitely rating this thread.

[CharleneN]

Barb,

What an awesome tutorial. Thanks so much for sharing your technics with us!!

[Geneva]

The tutorial was great. Explained very well. So nice to get details. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks,
Geneva

[llglassdesigns]

Barb,
I just got one of these mashers, so this is timely for me. The vendors who sell these tools should hire you! LOL. They never post pictures of what their tools can do. Thanks so much for the tutorial.

Deb

[Dream Fire]

WOW Great tutorial.
The architectural installation sound exciting. If you don't mind I'd love to here more about that. There is so much more that we can do with our talent and glass.I've done some work for a friend who makes custom lighting. So I am imagining this fabulous chandelier. Glistening with a 1000 leaves.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Sam

[Orca]

A super tutorial! Thanks so much!

[Paula D]

WOW!!! Thanks so much for sharing all of your information. I have been looking at my leaf mashers for a while trying to figure out just what to do with them!!! Paula