About us
Tom Arnold
I was born in Louisville, Kentucky and from a young age I was fascinated with all things mechanical. After working in several tool and die stamping facilities, I developed a background as a precision machinist and learned the trade of metal forming.
In 1985 I moved to California and worked for a company that made glass view ports used in the laser industry. While working there I was introduced to the world of melting glass and adhering it to metal, as well as how easily it cracks if everything is not precise or perfect.
I moved back to Louisville, and I found an interest in computers, venturing for a time into the IT world. In 1995 Dee and I met through a BBS (Bulletin Board Service) called The Louisville Connection and quickly discovered that we had many things in common, including a love of travel.
I often thought about how much I had enjoyed working with glass and how interesting it was to work with, so as the internet was developed, I was able to research what was going on in the glass world and I bought a small bench burner and a bead making kit. As time progressed, I bought a larger two-stage, stainless steel, surface-mix torch that can produce 800 BTUs per minute that would allow me to melt Borosilicate glass (also known as Pyrex) which has a much clearer viewpoint than soft soda lime glass. Borosilicate is referred to as "hard glass" and has a higher melting point (approximately 3,000 °F). This glass is created by combining and melting boric oxide, silica sand, soda ash.
In 2022 I added an addition to my garage, and this now houses our studio and machine shop.
Because of my background in metal work and machining, I have several lathes and milling machines and hope to advance into the metalsmithing and jewelry business.
Dee French
I'm the new one to glass work, but I have been involved with all areas of artistic creation since I was very, very young. I make my pieces by assembling, molding, painting and fusing the glass in a kiln at temperatures around 1400 degrees.
Besides my glass work, I have also created custom cakes for over 40 years, and I love to dabble in photography, paint and sew.
I have a background in marketing and sales from 25 years working for an engineering firm here in Louisville, KY. I have extensive experience with Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator.