As with many art forms, the quality of your tools reflects the eventual quality of your finished projects. Regardless of whether you’re making a series of colorful paperweights or a batch of test tubes, you simply can’t create at your best if your glass blowing tool inventory isn’t complete. Here are a few things to consider when browsing for supplies.

First and foremost, it’s important to inspect your budget. Even tight budgeted artists, however, can attest to the fact that it’s typically not a good idea to pinch pennies when it comes to getting necessary supplies. Doing so may result in a blow pipe or a rod breaking down on you when you need it the most, and with a hands-on, painstaking art form such as glass blowing, that is not something you want to have happen. At best, you’ll have to scrap your project and start over again. At worst, you could end up seriously hurting yourself. Besides, when you buy an expensive glass blowing tool, it’s likely that you’ll actually end up saving money in the long run, as you have a much better chance of it lasting for years to come.

The next step in revamping your glass blowing tool inventory is to figure out what you really need. It’s all too easy to splurge on supplies that are convenient or interesting, but in the long run are expensive purchases indeed. Start by building a solid foundation for your supplies: make absolutely sure that your basic supplies are of the best quality you can find.

Your heating stations, for example, are some of the most important tools you’ll use in the process of blowing glass. The furnace melts the glass into a shapeable form, while the glory hole is important for keeping the glass at the correct temperature for manipulation. The annealer, finally, is used to gradually cool your project, thus preventing cracking or breaking. With this in mind it’s easy to see why having dependable heating stations is essential to any glass artist. After all, they are part of the three most important steps of the process. Nothing is worse than having a crucial piece of equipment break down when you need it the most.

These are only a few things to consider when restocking your glass blowing tool inventory. Other supplies to look for include shaping tools such as tweezers or shears, safety goggles, and, of course, your glass and coloring. Learn more today about how having the right glass blowing tool can transform how you work with glass!