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Recommended Setup (in addition to or in place of items in basic setup)
This setup will run around $400+ (the kiln is not included in this cost)

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About Art Glass and Compatibility

All glass is not created equal.  When you purchase glass, you’ll see a notation regarding the "COE" of the glass.  If you are wondering what COE means, it is the Coefficient of Expansion.  Glass expands when it gets hot and contracts when it cools. The rate of this expansion is called the COE.  For example, a one inch piece of Bullseye brand glass will expand 0.0000090 inches for each 1 degree Centigrade (about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) increase in temperature. This rate, which is commonly known as the Coefficient of Expansion (COE), is usually expressed as a whole number. Most Bullseye glass, for example, is said to have a COE of 90, and is often referred to as COE90 glass.  Effetre (Moretti) glass, commonly used for lampworking, has a 104 COE, while Corning’s Pyrex glassware has a 32 COE.  By the way, standard window glass (also called "float" glass) has a COE that is usually around 84-87, while.

What this COE means is that two glasses with considerably different COEs are said to be incompatible. They cannot be fused together and should be kept in separate areas of the glass studio to prevent their accidentally becoming intermingled.  You can sometimes get away with using two different glasses where the COE is only one or two apart (say, a 90 with a 91), but not always.

source: www.warmglass.com/Glass_compatibility.htm

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Rods, Frits and Powders

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Lampworking Health and Safety Guidelines

In addition to the common hazards expected when working with glass and heat, namely cuts and burns, there are a few other safety considerations. These considerations include, but are not limited to:

1.    Eye Protection - Glass can sometimes shatter when placed directly in the flame so you must protect your eyes from flying glass fragments. You must also protect your eyes from potentially damaging Ultraviolet and Infrared rays, which are emitted when you melt glass in a flame. The standard eye protection for many lampworkers is "didymium" glasses, which have the additional feature of filtering out the sidetracting yellow glare given off molten glass.

2.    Respiratory Hazards - Lampworking produces a number of gasses and vapors which can affect your health.  So, ventilation in your work area is important.  Windows at opposite ends of your work area or a fan to move air away from you can help.  If you find that you feel slight short of breath or that you have a headache at the end of a work session, it may be a sign that your ventilation is inadequate.
Dust particles also pose a health threat, so be sure to wet down any questionable areas or spills with a spray bottle before wiping with a wet rag to reduce the chances of inhaling particles.
 
3.    Cuts and Burns - I take it for granted that at some time I will burn myself (I am a natural klutz).  There are a few ways, though, to help reduce the chances of burns.  Laying the hot end of a rod away from you can help you remember which end to grab, reducing chances of burns.  Another tip is to arrange your work area so that you never have to reach in front of your torch to get anything.  Choose your work clothes carefully, avoiding synthetic fibers, long loose sleeves, shirts with open pockets or pants with folded cuffs.  Of course, you should never wear sandals or work barefoot.  And, if you have long hair, you should tie it back to reduce the chance of it catching on fire. 

4.    Tanks and Torch - Potential hazards also exist any time you work with compressed gasses. Carefully follow any manufacturer's instructions that come with your regulators or gas tanks. Check with your suppliers or local welding shops for safe operating procedures.

Never move oxygen tanks without their protective cap in place.  Always store oxygen tanks either on their side and secured to prevent rolling, or chained securely to a wall so they don't fall over. 

Make sure that your torch is secured to the work surface so that it doesn't move if hose is yanked, or the torch is bumped while working. Keep all flammable and combustible materials well away from your torch. At the end of each work/play day, shut off your tanks and bleed the pressure out of the lines by opening your torch valves.

5.    Other Hazards - These can include muscle strains or other injuries from maneuvering heavy oxygen tanks or repetitive movements (such as making hundreds of beads). Take frequent breaks and pay attention to your body's signals to minimize these types of injuries.

source: http://www.sundanceglass.com/safetylg.html

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. If I can work with just the hothead and MAPP gas, why should I upgrade to a torch outfit?
With the MAPP gas, the gas is premixed, so you don’t have any control over the oxygen flow.  It is necessary to control oxygen flow with certain colors (white and reds immediately come to mind here).  If these colors do not have enough oxygen in the mix, then they will lose their color and will become gray.  The torch also provides a hotter and steadier flame in which to work in.

2. Which glass is better to work with – Moretti or Bullseye? 
I work with both – but not at the same time - because each has a few certain colors that the other doesn’t have. And, since I use Bullseye sheet glass, stringer and frit for fusing, I am able to combine these with the Bullseye rods for beadmaking.  Generally, though, the Moretti glass is less expensive than the Bullseye so I tend to use it a bit more. 

3. What is a stringer and how is it used? 
A stringer is a thin rod of glass.  You can either buy them or, as I usually do, make them yourself by slowly pulling the glass rod out with your pliers.  The stringer is then used for decorating the beads.

4. How do you come up with ideas for beads? 
Browse through some bead magazines, such as Bead and Button, and look at the variety of beads in the ads.  Look through catalogs – my tophat penguin bead is the result of seeing a stuffed toy in a Christmas ad.  Take a walk – nature offers a plethora of ideas for free.

5. This sounds like fun, where can I find out more information about Lampworking? 
Go to bead shows and craft shows – there are usually several lampworkers vending who will share information with you.  Take a class in lampworking.  In addition to Artistic Escapades, Inc. which offers private/semiprivate lessons, the Sawtooth Center regularly offers lampworking classes.  There are also several excellent books out there for lampworking. 

Recommended Reading:

• Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jenkins
• Passing the Torch A Beadmakers Guide to Detail and Design by Corina Tettinger (this has some awesome instructions and tips for more advanced beadmaking)
• Beads of Glass by Cindy Jenkins
• Contemporary Lampworking by Bandhu Dunham (two volume set)