Does anyone here blow glass?

[Fragilityh14]

I'm just wondering if anyone here knows how to blow glass? Specifically pipes etc?

I put this in "self sufficiency" because selling glass art to friends and at festivals etc seems like a good way to be reasonably independent & live without a salary. I should mention that I am not like...looking for someone to buy something from, being as I am not there are dont need anything. But when I am there I will definitely be buying nice pipes, and would so much rather just know someone that does it vs. having to go through a business.

For the record, I essentially hope to be able to do that in general, it isnt just with this one thing. I am just wondering because I hear that glass on the east coast is generally bad & expensive, and I need something strong and beautiful

I would love to learn to blow glass though I am generally not good at art but I have good vision so I always want to find the art form I could be great at. Because I have an eye for them.

[Lloyd Danforth]

After we realized that coke bottles would melt in the fireplace we stuck pipes in the tops and blew into softened coke bottles.  Mostly we just blew out a side, but, sometimes we would get an interesting shape.  The fire wasn't hot enough to melt a glob on the end of the pipe, so we had to pass on playing Chihuly.  I find glass blowing fascinating, but, I don't think I have the artistic talent for it.  I'd love to try it at least once.
I have done some metal pounding and want to get better at it. I have a small forge, a couple of anvils and an array of tongs and hammers just waiting for me to land somewhere.

[Fragilityh14]

also blacksmithing seems extremely interesting...

there were some people in the town I'm from that were blowing glass but not paraphernalia at all just art, but they also stained glass and had a glass staining class as an art credit for HS kids..it just cost like $400 or so (but I think you were able to sell what you made)...

the thing is I have the vision for it, I dont know if I have the hands for it...I just have excellent taste in pieces and there are certain aesthetics which just do it for me...the thing is, I really think I potentially could be great at it...

I'm guessing Vermont and Maine both have way better headshops?

[KBCraig]

I don't know what blacksmiths could lend to the head shop merchandise, but I'm another erstwhile 'smith. I have anvil, forge (coal), blower, tongs, hammers... just waiting for time/space to set up shop again.

[Recumbent ReCycler]

I would like to try blowing glass.  I am planning to make a forge that runs on waste oil (vegetable and motor oils), but I need to get the money to buy the plans and materials, and I want to get some kind of storage shed or container so that I can store it outside my house without it being exposed to the elements.  I think I could use it for melting metal and glass.  I think it would make a fun hobby.  I have seen old glass balls that I think were used for fishing, like bobbers,  that would be fun to try to replicate.

[porcupine kate]

I soooo neeeed a work shop.

The list of hobbies I've done and need equipment for include:
pottery
gold smithing(jewelry)
silver smithing (Objects)
wood working

Then there are the things I want to learn:
Black smithing
welding ferris metals
making glass beads
I would love to do weaving

I'm sure I'll find a few other things I want to try.  For now in the apartment I'll have to settle for just a few not very messy hobbies:
Beading
sewing
crochet
knitting

I do need to find teachers for the last two.

I also need a garden and a shooting range.

[Raineyrocks]

 This is going to be pretty bad but I can't help it! 

If I started blowing glass my husband would get jealous!  Hee, hee!