Pyrex

When I started flameworking 12 years ago, one of the first things I tried to assemble was a jointed glass doll. I had small jointed porcelain dolls in mind, like ones that were made in England and Germany from the mid- 1800s to the early 1900s.

Pyrex is a trademarked name for borosilicate glass. "Boro" (from borosilicate) is also known as "hard glass" because it is more resistant to thermal and physical shock than "soft glass." Soft glass is usually of a soda lime composition, and it has a lower melting temperature than hard glass. Initially, it took me some time to adjust to the fact that some glass could be described as "soft" and, even if glass is 1600 degrees it might still be called "cold" (because it might not be hot enough to flow.)

Above and below are some things that I flameworked in Pyrex. My fingers are in the photo for scale, but mostly because these things wouldn't hold themselves up to be photographed. At the top is a small face that I want to frame with silver and colored soft glass. The other 2 photos are of a tiny jointed glass robot.

These are arms for a jointed glass action figure.

These are the head and torso for a jointed glass action figure.

When working in Pyrex, I use almost only colorless clear glass. I know that when a lot of people see my glass work they assume that it's plastic or painted clay, especially if the colors are bright. Also, some people do no believe me when I tell them at a sale(!) that I make the chains out of glass. I don't want (right now) to make brightly colored chains that look even more like plastic to some.

These are glass chains. I flameworked every link individually in 2 millimeter Pyrex.

This glass chain is a form study for a strap I want to attach to a glass chain maille dress.

This is a fake septum ring that I call "The Jack Frost." I think it's funny that this jewelry makes a nose look runny.
In white it's, "The Milk Snort," in red it's, "The Nosebleed," in green it's, "The Virus," in black it's, "The Chimney Sweep."