Facilities Rental for Experienced Blowers

When Tembo Glassworks is not in production, our facility is available for rental to experienced glassblowers on a limited basis. We reserve the right to ask interested folks to demonstrate their abilities and provide references if not from the area. We pride ourselves on providing a safe and well-equipped working environment. Therefore, glass blowers may generally only rent the studio when authorized Tembo personnel are present. We want to be available to answer questions, help adjust equipment or assist in a pinch.  To inquire about scheduling a session, please contact owner, Dawn, at 210.218.5827 or send email to dawn@temboglassworks.com.

Hot Shop Equipment

200 lb. Canned Heat Furnace (melting Premium 2.0)

18” Canned Heat Glory Hole

16" Canned Heat Glory Hole

12” Canned Heat Frax Hole

2 Custom Benches

One large and one small marver

Large Canned Heat Garage

Torches:  Exact torch, Nortel Ranger hand torch, Red Max hand torch

Annealers:  2 large and one small

Color Box

Custom Pipe Cooler

Body Wrap station

Cold Shop Equipment (ONLY AVAILABLE TO HOT SHOP RENTERS)

Covington Double Arbor Lathe (engraving wheel, silicon carbide belt grinding, Spherical Miracle and Polpur Lapi T wheels)

Covington 18” Lap Grinder (100 diamond grit to Cerium Oxide Pad polishing)

10” and 7” Diamond Saw

Floor Standing Drill Press 

2022/2023 Hot Shop Rental Rates (4 HOUR MINIMUM)

12" Glory Hole - $55/hr  (plus 8.25% tax).  4 hour minimum.  Day rates can be negotiated.  Please contact studio owner at 210.218.5827 to discuss.

16" Glory Hole - $65/hr  (plus 8.25% tax).  4 hour minimum.  Day rates can be negotiated.  Please contact studio owner at 210.218.5827 to discuss.

18" Glory Hole - $75/hr (plus 8.25% tax).  4 hour minimum.  Day rates can be negotiated.  Please contact studio owner .

Tembo accepts as form of payment cash, good checks, money orders and most major credit cards.  A $50 fee will be assessed for all returned checks.

Generally, above rates include staff start up and shut off of studio equipment and annealer, use of standard bench tools and pipes/punties, light use of propane torches, standard amount of clear furnace glass**, one annealer (size dependent on output), color pick up box, pipe cooler, pipe warmer, blocks, optic molds, knock off table and body wrap station.  

**Renters are expected to use normal rates of furnace glass.  What is normal usage?  Well, up to 8 to 10 thin ornaments per hour is fine; 2 or 3 medium fluted and footed bowls per hour is cool with us; 2 to 3 small sculptures per hour is no sweat.  But if you are planning on slamming out as many paperweights as you can squeeze into a 2 hour slot or attempting your 5 gather commission piece, WE NEED TO CHAT!  We reserve the right to charge glassblowers for excessive use of furnace glass.  Be polite and talk to us before your slot if you're still not sure what "normal" glass usage means.

EXTRAS:

Tools - $5 to $10/hr

Garage - $10/hr

Heavy torch use - $10/studio rental hour (heating murrini plates, sculpture projects, etc)

Studio Assist Rates - $15 to $25/ hour (owner assist is $30/hr)

Extra annealer - $20 to $40 per session

Cold Shop Rental Rates

Cold Shop is available to glass blowers who would like to finish their pieces or add surface decoration to completed vessels and sculpture.  The average rate is $45/hour with a one hour minimum charge.  Please call and a rate can be set for your specific rental request.

NOTE:  ALL RENTERS ARE REQUIRED TO RECEIVE A SAFETY AND STUDIO OPERATION OVERVIEW AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANING UP THE STUDIO AND LEAVING IT AS THEY FOUND IT ONCE SESSION IS DONE.