ECU GlasStation: Glassblowing Demonstration - Christmas Candy

It's the best time of the year! So let's have some candy!

This piece was made in multiple parts and assembled in the "cold shop". This particular piece could have easily been done completely in the hot shop with a hot bit brought by an assistant. It would have been faster and might have even looked better . . . but I really wanted to show off coldworking.

Coldworking is the catch-all term for grinding & polishing, but also includes gluing, sandblasting, and pretty much anything else you might do to glass at room temperature. Coldworking isn't as exciting as the hot work, so it doesn't get seen as much. In reality, all but the simplest glass items will be coldworked in some way and is an integral part of the process. It's a little hyperbolic, but I like to say, "Glass is made in the Hot Shop. Art is made in the Cold Shop."

Technical notes about this demo:
The glue I used was Loctite 349. It's a UV curing glue that sets in about 30 seconds under a strong UV lamp. Normally, I'd hand-hold the piece, but I couldn't keep it still so 'clamped' it in place temporarily.

I prefer to use an epoxy called HxTal. Optically, it's extremely clear and when done properly, it makes a joint that is at least as strong as the glass. It can also fill gaps without losing strength - the UV glue requires perfectly fitted, and ideally polished, surfaces. The catch is HxTal takes a day or two to set up and about a week to fully cure. I was impatient and the UV glue is plenty strong for this purpose.


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The East Carolina University's GlasStation is part of ECU's School of Art and Design. It is located off campus in the city of Farmville, NC and offers students the opportunity to learn Glassblowing and the Contemporary use of glass as an artist's material.

In addition to the college classes, we also offer classes for the community and do scheduled public demonstrations so everyone can have the opportunity to try and experience glass.