I started learning how to make neon in Maryland back in 1989 when I took a 12-week course. I then worked in neon sign shops for about 10 years before opening Evening Neon so I could focus on my own projects and artwork. My path was pretty traditional for getting into the field of neon, and I was fortunate to have been able to learn during a time when more neon shops existed and opportunities were readily available. After LED’s came into the market in the early 2000s, the neon industry really took a hit. Around that same time, the change over from lead to lead-free tubing happened and coupled with the diminishing availability of neon making supplies a lot of neon shops ended up closing. Fortunately with the advent of platforms like Instagram, neon has become popular again! This is creating a new generation seeking to journey into the wonderful world of neon making but aren’t quite sure how to begin. Although there are still neon shops out there willing to take on apprentices, those opportunities are still pretty scarce. There are workshops and classes available at a few glass facilities and some colleges offer courses in neon as part of their arts program which is a good starting point but really only gives a “taste” of the neon making process. Even the neon schools which were prevalent in the 1980s were meant to only provide the basics, with the idea that when you finished the program you would further hone your skills over thousands of hours working in a neon shop. The reality is that unless you are consistently getting bending time in the fires, it’s very difficult to improve your skills and develop into a competent neon craftsperson. Learning neon glass bending needs to be a constant, ongoing activity. There are no shortcuts. This leaves many who are dedicated to learning neon tube bending to resort to what has become the default approach: set up your own torches, buy some glass to start practicing and try to figure it out on your own. That is a really difficult way to learn neon!! Working with hot glass is difficult enough, and without the knowledge and guidance of a skilled tube bender to facilitate the learning, it can become self-defeating real quick.

This is why I’m so excited about the Neon Makers Guild, an organization whose time has come. We want to create a place where aspiring beginners can connect with experienced benders and gain access to all of their juicy neon knowledge. Neon Makers Guild is a space where folks who are dedicated to the craft of neon making can share information, learn things and generally support each other in the spirit of generosity so we can all be the best neon craftspeople we can be. Social media has been a place for some of this connection, but as someone looking to spend LESS time on social media I’m excited to have somewhere to gather that isn’t going to treat me like a product and sell my data! We have a lot of great things planned for the Neon Maker’s Guild and I’m really happy to be helping build this organization and community.

Let’s all help to keep those neon fires burning! 

As a neon bender and a music lover, my ears have always perked up at the mention of neon in song lyrics. It’s something I started to notice pretty much as soon as I began learning how to bend glass. I started keeping a list and whenever I would hear a neon song on the radio, I would jot it down with the intention that once I had enough, I would make a mix tape of them Yes, I am speaking about a cassette tape :) Well, the list grew but I never seemed to get around to making the tape, and then life happened and here we are 30 years later. But now, with the help of the internet and the advent of digital music, I have FINALLY gotten around to it. Behold the Evening Neon Mixtape!  Since the original intention was to be a cassette tape, I kept this mix about 90 minutes long (which was my tape length of choice back in the day) and it’s nicely bookended with the song Soul Kitchen.

I also made a much longer playlist of songs with neon lyrics, which can be found here. It’s currently almost 7 hours long. This is by no means an exhaustive list, as it is continually growing and a work in progress. The only rule I have is that I have to actually LIKE the song in order to add it (because, you know, I DO want to listen to it) so you won’t find Neon Moon by Brooks and Dunn. :)

 Do you have a favorite “neon” song? Is there one missing from my list that you think I should know about? Let me know in the comments.

Every neon bender should have some sort of bench weight in their toolbox. It comes in handy when you are splicing with your hand torch and you need to hold the piece that you are working on in place. It’s also helpful when you are tipping off mercury traps from processed units. There are all sorts of different things a bender might use for a weight. I have an assortment of metal pieces that I use, and until recently I was using a sandbag weight I made a long time ago using a piece of nonasbestos tied up with rubber band. It’s been leaking sand all over my bench for months now and starting to unravel beyond repair. Time for something new!

I thought it would be fun to make one using one of those heat-resistant gloves, like an Ove Glove (as seen on TV!) I already use an Ove Glove sometimes when I am bending glass, like when I am trying to make a bend that requires my hand be very close to the torch flame, or sometimes I’m just too impatient to wait for something to cool down if I need to hold it in order to keep working on the piece.

Everything I used to make this I already had around my house, the only thing I needed to buy was the glove. I found mine on eBay for 12.99 a pair. I just searched for “cotton, heat resistant oven glove”, and found several options.

There are lots of things you can use to fill your weight. Birdshot and sand are both popular options but I didn’t have either one of those and I wanted to use something I had on hand, so I rummaged through my kitchen cabinets and found some expired popcorn and long-grain white rice.

Using the popcorn, I just began by pouring it into the glove, pausing periodically to push the kernels down into the fingertips using a pencil. Once all the fingers were nicely packed the glove was just about full, I sewed the glove opening closed using a needle and thread. Because the glove material is so thick, you’ll need something heavy-duty. I used embroidery thread and a darning needle.

 That’s it! It is not super heavyweight (around 1 ¼ lbs) but it’s heavy enough for making splices on the bench. I think for tipping off mercury traps I’d prefer something a little heavier, so might use birdshot on the next one.

UPDATE: After using my popcorn-filled helping hand for a few weeks I decided that it really isn't heavy enough and doesn't serve me well. I refilled it using BBs and it's so much better now! I weighed each glove for comparison: popcorn-filled glove = 1.3 lbs vs. BB-filled glove = 4.1 lbs. 

What kind of bending weight to you use? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.