The idea is to get the glass hot and molten, then bunch or gather the glass to gain glass strength. Once I have acquired the desired shape, I blow just enough air into the neon sign tube to keep the glass diameter consistent in size with the rest of the tube. The tube is held in its position for seconds while it cools and hardens. Electrodes, the electrical connectors, are welded on to the end of the neon sign tube and the tube is now ready for the evacuation, bombardment, and gas filling process. more... See more text