Day 2 - the demos

On the day the students arrived, the Pilchuck staff, TAs and instructors did a series of demonstrations. The big project was a giant hot glass light bulb.

I worked with Ken Rinaldo and two flameworkers to realize the Steam Organ.

The Steam Organ is a flameworked tube with fluted tubes off to the sides. Each tube is positioned beside a tiny hole and a tiny plate strung on a nickle-chrome wire being heated red-hot but 110 current. Water is dripped through the holes onto the plates which hold the water beside the hot wires and creates steam. The sound echos through the horns to the listener.


An un expected result was the stretch the heat and current introduced to the wire. Cycling the current to keep it low enough not to blow the wire and overheat the piece created a rhythmic click on the interior of the organ.