Shoutout to the guy who told me my punties were too thick

I was at a studio in Austin last month, working on a small vase. Another glassblower, this older guy named Carl, watched me for a minute. He just said, 'Kid, your punties look like tree trunks. You're fighting the piece.' I was using punties about the size of a pencil. He told me to try ones half that thick, like a coffee stirrer. I switched over, and wow. The piece balanced way easier. I wasn't wrestling it so much. It felt lighter on the pipe. My control got better almost right away. Has anyone else had a simple tool change make that big a difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninas709d ago

That "fighting the piece" feeling is the best description.

anthony_fox909d ago

Pencil thick punties are pretty standard for a lot of work. Is a coffee stirrer really strong enough to hold a small vase without it just snapping off? That seems like you'd be trading control for a huge risk of losing the piece.