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I made some lampwork cabochons and buttons, off mandrel style recently. I happened to mention it online and several folks asked for photos. What the deuce, thought I, photos indeed. But being the obliging type that I am, when I was next at the torch I endeavored to take some snaps of the process. I had no ready cameraman so please forgive the blur as I was attempting to shoot and warm the glass simultaneously. Anyway, here is a very quickly assembled pictorial lesson on how to make a very basic lampwork cabochon off mandrel style using soft glass (104 coe in this case).

What you need:
1) large mm borosilicate rod for a punte (12-14mm diameter)
2) glass to create your cabochon
3) a tool to pick up the finished hot cabochon for fire polish and garaging in a hot kiln

Step 1: Melt a good sized gather and let it form a slight teardrop or Q-tip shape.


Once the gather skins up a bit press into a rough maria shape on a graphite marver


Attach a boro punty to the flattened face of the maria using a cold seal (boro is hot, soft glass is cold when you attach). Once seated and firm, melt off the remaining soft glass rod and smooth the new face of the maria.


Decorate at will. I'm making a flower so first I add white dots.


Then I put a transparent color on top of those.


I crease each petal.


Then pull them to the shape I want.


Add leaves and center stamen accent and voila, it's all decorated.


Next knock off the cabochon from the punty. A proper cold seal punte will knock off easily and cleanly with just a tap on your table.


Pick up the cabochon to fire polish the back using hemostats, hot fingers or some other favorite tool. Then pop the cabochon right into the hot kiln and you are finished! Or add a button loop at this point and then garage the button.


Here's a few cabs/buttons I made the other day.