Glassblowing Lampworking

Is my son ready for glassblowing/lampworking?

My son is 13 years old turning 14 in may. He has been bugging me for a whole month about getting him his own lampworking kit. He has this all planned out and has almost all the money he needs for it. He mentioned that he would work in the back yard with a fan blowing the fumes away and the propane tank far away. He has also told me about flashback arrestors which stop the flow of fire of it flashes back into the gas line. Now Is he too young for this hobby or is it fine? I think this isnt a safe hobby and if it is tell me why.

glass———hot enough to melt————-flame———–explosive fuel.
this is not an activity I would recommend for an un attended person under 18. I work with glass, I have a torch and do lamp work. I have burned myself, I have had glass shatter and i know I am careful. I work inside because I can control the temperature of the glass and clean up any broken bits after I am done. It must be done in a flame proof area—the great outdoors is not a good idea for this.

a better option might be to look into stained glass work it is slightly less dangerous but you are not dealing with a flame and all the ramifications of that.
glass fusing is also very cool and gives a lot of opportunities for experimentation and creative expression.
I don’t want to discourage any one from being creative but he is too young to do this unless you are already a lamp worker and will be able to coach him along and be right there while he does it.
The soda flare created while working with molten glass also causes retina damage if you are not wearing the correct glasses.
AND———I saved up for over a year before I added the lampworking kit to my crafting arsenal, so a month doesn’t seem like long to be wanting something.

IF there is a class that he would be able to take locally, that might be an option. It is not easy to learn and can be frustrating if you have no one nearby that is experienced.

flameworking : glassblowing : lampworking

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