Flux capacitor? Nope! This is a processing manifold for working with neon and making plasma.

Teaching “Plasma, Neon, and Beyond” in the Penland glass studio this past week, Wayne Strattman and David Wilson put this new, permanent Penland equipment to excellent use.

The manifold was made to spec for this class and future Penland classes by Morgan Crook and studio coordinator Nick Fruin over a period of several years. It’s got valves, gases, gauges, and a kiln for baking out any moisture before glass tubes are evacuated and then filled with inert gasses (neon, argon, xenon, and krypton) that make them glow so beautifully when in their plasma state.

With this sweet setup, you can expect neon classes at Penland for years to come.

David and Wayne have taught at Penland countless times and have been instrumental in growing our neon program. Indeed, David was the studio assistant for Penland’s very first neon workshop in 1993 with Jacob Fishman!