What is an Annealer & How Will it Function in the Upcoming Mobile Shop!

Annealer Kiln

with a Marver plate placed on top of kiln!

An Annealer is a Kiln. A hot oven that is used to store your glasswork after you’re finished making it in the glass shop. The type of glass I work with is sensitive and can be shocked easily. So in order to temper the glass and prevent it from breaking or exploding, we slowly cool it down over an 8 to 12 hour period of time. I mean imagine if you cooled something down from like 1000 degrees and in 10 minutes to room temperature. That’s too fast and sounds like a disaster! I don’t think any sort of material would like that! Unless you’re metal I guess! But glass is a delicate material and needs to be eased into its next phase.

When I am done working with a glass vessel, I knock it off the metal rod it is attached to and put it away into the kiln. It sits at around 900 degrees Fahrenheit or 515 degrees Celsius and slowly cools down to room temperature overnight. Now that’s more like it right!

Normal Marver Table

The annealer kiln I have ordered from Canned Heat Glass, (Pictured above and to the left) is going to be so fun because it will have two main functions. It will be a cute small kiln that sits on a metal stand with wheels and on top of the kiln it will have a marver. A Marver table is a stainless steel thick metal sheeted table. It normally functions as its own piece of equipment in a glass studio. Glassblowers use this to shape their glass, pick up color, etc. But in my studio it will be combined with the annealer kiln. The stainless steel metal sheet will be laid across the top of the annealer. Acting as an all in one multi functional piece of equipment! That way I will have less things to haul around and it will be much more versatile. Click the pictures to check out more of Canned Heat Glass equipment!

Once I have all of this equipment finished being made and in hand, I will show you with more detail what all of this will look like. I can’t wait!!!

In the meantime check out my new workshop listing just posted last week! It’s all about you! Take a solo private beginner workshop for 1 with me. I would love to teach you glassblowing!

Thanks so much for reading this months more technical blog. I hope you have a wonderful last weekend of May. Cheers!

New Things Brewing - A Mobile Glass Shop - Whats That?!

Things are stirring at RachelEscoeGlass. A really exciting journey is coming into play that I have been dreaming about for years now. I am in the middle of getting my own mobile glassblowing studio together!

As my love, Chris Byers would say, “Hell Yeah.” Let’s do this!

For a long time it was a mere pipe dream, mostly because in reality I knew how much it would cost to build my own glass shop, but through many years of working my buns off at various day jobs, putting a little savings away at a time and realizing that life is short; I decided to do it. As my love, Chris Byers would say, “Hell Yeah.” Let’s do this!

What also helped me to get here, is being able to teach you all how to blow glass! My beginner glassblowing workshops have given me some much needed consistency in my career as an artist. I am currently teaching my classes in the evenings at a community glass shop here in town. Once I have my own little mobile shop together, I will be able to make these even more accessible by holding workshops in the mornings and afternoons on weekends.

Once the glass shop is HOT, I will be continuing to teach my beginner glassblowing workshops in various locations including the possibility of bringing the shop to your home and taking your workshop in the comfort of your own driveway! If dimensions and logistics allow it. Intermediate classes will be set in motion as well for those of you that have expressed interest in taking more workshops with me!

Having this shop will allow me to continue to make my own body of artwork from my home and have potential opportunities to showcase glassmaking at various events, festivals and markets in the area. I will be offering opportunities to book private events with me for weddings, bat/bar mitzvahs, birthdays, etc. 

Further down the line, if all of this takes off, I would like to eventually take the studio to Portland Public School events and showcase/introduce glassblowing to underserved youths. Show them something that is naturally a very expensive medium to experience and give them an opportunity to make some glasswork!

While the plans are already in motion and certain pieces of equipment are being made for me as we speak, I do need some help from you to make this studio complete.

That is to make it mobile!

In order for me to bring my glass shop to you, I need to purchase a truck or trailer and some other essential things to bring my wild glass shop experience to life! I will be starting a kickstarter with further details very soon here.

So please please stay tuned in to RachelEscoeGlass. Sign-up below for my newsletter to stay informed, follow me on Instagram @RachelEscoeGlass and help spread the word!!

I hope you are all in good health and enjoying the seasons changing right meow! Talk soon

Having a Baby & Running Your Small Business

Women in business and starting a family. Now that is a whole big topic isn’t it! I am going through a huge new and exciting adventure. Which is becoming a parent, a new mom to my sweet baby boy and navigating how to run my glass art business at the same time. Thankfully I’m a big planner. I put most of my ducks in a row to be able to go on maternity leave. Although, when you are running your own business, especially a small business, it isn’t like you get any paid leave benefits! At least for me, that is a straight up, “hell no,” when it comes to that! Unless I sell some of my currently made work online and in stores. Factor in the fact that I am the only person on staff at Rachel Escoe Glass. If I had other employees, well then that would be another story.

I literally do all of it. I plan my projects out, make the work, photograph my work, apply for submissions, market my artwork all over the place, design, update and run my own website, social medias and customer support. I also do all of the sales and shipping at my humble abode here in Portland, Oregon. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing all of this. Being my own boss is wonderful! And of course, as an artist I obviously always want to be solely making work. In reality running your own business requires much more than just making work. For now, I have lots of new ideas brewing up inside my brain. Drawing and sketching those out is a great way to pass time when the babe is sleeping! I will be posting pictures of those on my Instagram through out my maternity leave. Check it out @RachelEscoeGlass.

My main reasoning for wanting to write this little spiel is to let everyone know that I am still here, I can’t wait to get back into the glass shop and make you all some fun glasswork. I am very excited to re-open my glassblowing workshops too! Hopefully this summer of 2021 if covid numbers start to get better. I really do enjoy teaching all of you fine folks the art of glassblowing. I intend to be back in the glass shop by April 2021. So if you have any questions or ideas about projects you want made , please feel free to e-mail me. I would love to talk shop and plan some projects with you. You can also pre-book workshops with me anytime. Just check out my website and click on workshops info. I currently have an array of in-stock glass art available right now at Rachel Escoe Glass. Please take a look at my online shop and info on where to find my work in person.

This subject will be an ongoing blog theme for me. Please, if you feel the need to share your stories with me, I would love to hear from other women in business; who are navigating family life as well. In the meantime I will be here spending quality time with my lovely bundle of joy, healing from my delivery and enjoying the little things!

Toodles for now my friends! Stay safe and healthy out there.

Rachel Escoe Glass Testimonials

Through out all of the craziness of 2020, one thing that I am most grateful for are my clients. Thank you so much for supporting my small business this year and helping me to see through to it’s ever evolving rotation. I look forward to your continued support.

I always love hearing feedback from my customers too! Constructive critiques help any business grow, evolve and learn. Take a look below at some of my tesimonials!

To write a comment/review about my business/products please go to my google business link HERE!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Bring it on 2021!!!!!!

Monday Spotlight : CITYSHOPPE : Online Shopping in support of small businesses in the US

My work along with many other makers here in the US have joined CityShoppe in order to make it easier for you folks to find us! Especially, because most of us have been unable to show our work in markets due to Covid.

CityShoppe is a great way to find a huge variety of small businesses in the USA online and there is free shipping! What what!!!! Now Way!!!!!!!

If you are looking for better ways to help keep our local economy alive during these tough times, then check CityShoppe out. Simply click the link button below and find your best holiday gifts made right here in the USA! You can find my work listed under Portland, OR GIFTS or simply search Rachel Escoe Glass.

Thank you for your continued support. Stay healthy and safe out there folks!

The holidays are almost here! Find things you’ll love while supporting local businesses.