Punty Talk
October 4, 2009
The egg punty.
By Blaise Campbell
One of the first, big issues is making sure you have the right size punty for the right size piece. The most common problem people have when beginning is using a standard punty for really small pieces. It’s a good idea to have really small punties for really small, one or two gather pieces. A lot of people just starting out don’t have small enough punties, so it’s really good to have a little cup punty for doing tiny things. The same goes with bigger pieces. The standard pipe/punty combination found in most shops is good for medium range work. Every good glass blower has a whole range of punties and pipes to match the occasion, which not only depends on the size but also the weight of the work being attempted.
Ok, what’s next… gathering right. What I often do when teaching beginners is to emphasize really good gathering to make a punty, to barely, or if possible not, touch the glass. I like to call this the egg punty. It’s a simple version of a standard punty also called a dome punty. You should be able to make a reasonably good punty just by gathering. Shaping, either at the marver or at the bench, can help you tailor the punty to specific kinds of needs.
Blaise Campbell is a self described “itinerant journeyman glassblower and raconteur”. His glassblowing journey began as a student at what was then called Sheridan College School of Craft and Design in 1987. Between then and now he has travelled throughout North America and abroad as an instructor, visiting artist, or glassblower for hire. He has been a glass studio resident at the Harbourfront Center, a Fellow of the Creative Glass Center of America and an Emerging Artist in Residence at the Pilchuck Glass School and glass blowing instructor at Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.
.
