Creative Glass Blowing: Scientific and Ornamental [Paperback]

James E. Hammesfahr (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Times Books (February 15, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0716700883
• ISBN-13: 978-0716700883
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #336,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overall reference to glass blowing and glass history, February 7, 2005

By 

Nahatz (Utah) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creative Glass Blowing: Scientific and Ornamental (Paperback)

Wonderfull introduction to the art and science of glass blowing, and also the best introduction to the history of glass and glass technology that I've seen.

It covers the tools and techniques to get started, down to the experiment of making your own glass.

It covers the chemestry of not only the traditional glasses, but also borosilicates, lead glasses, and others.

Well worth having, with many clean "How to" illistrations.
(And some very nice pictures of glasswork.)

5.0 out of 5 stars No better to get started, May 19, 2011

By 

Michael Ansnes "certified computer geek" (Blue Jay, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creative Glass Blowing: Scientific and Ornamental (Hardcover)

This book is the best book to get started with lampwork - blowing glass using a torch with your hands and a blow tube. It starts off with trinkets and the like, making novelties for the first half of the book. This way it gets you acquainted with the various methods of working glass. Once you have gotten that part down, it then takes you to scientific glass blowing techniques. Since the latter utilizes more expensive glass, you learn first inexpensively. It covers everything you need to know, including making your own tools and even how to make your own annealing oven and pyrometer! If you want to learn lampwork, this is THE place to start. I cannot recommend this book enough.

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Classic!, July 17, 2007

By 

Leslie H. Jones - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Glass Blowing: Scientific and Ornamental (Hardcover)

Of all the books I have seen, this one is the classic that I compare others to. One of the authors (Strong) was a long time editor of the Scientific American Amateur Scientist column, and really knows his business. Some of the information is a little dated, but overall the older techniques are very practical for those who cannot afford the more expensive tools of todays glass blowing and lampworking gurus. The scientific glass working information is priceless. This book is a little hard to find, but worth it.