What You Told Me About the Co-Learner Study Group (and What I’m Building)

Hello Lightning Tamers~!

Thank you for your input!

The Co-Learner Study Group survey closed on October 6, and every response helped shape what comes next. Some of you sent thoughtful, detailed answers about the problems you’re working through in your own practice, and I’ve taken a few notes. Here’s what I’ve learned:

🏆 The Topic: Vacuum Manifold Systems

This was the clear winner! Vacuum Manifold Systems was chosen by 9 of 11 respondents, and about half of those picked it as their only topic. Glass Solder Method had solid support too (6 votes). It’s a strong candidate for a future cohort, or as a standalone article/video guide.

What people want from a manifold cohort:

How to build one
Where to source parts
Understanding gauges and fill pressure
Gas transfer system for plasma pieces

⏱️ The Length: 4 Weeks Is the Sweet Spot

I put 4, 6, and 8 weeks on the table. 4 weeks led the pack, 6 weeks and “no preference” tied for second, and the full 8-week option got zero votes. Message received! A shorter format is easier to commit to, easier on the budget, and keeps the momentum going. Pricing for a 4-week cohort will be $180, and I’ll share final details soon.

The number of seats in each study group will depend on the demands of the project or subject. Because 4 weeks moves quickly, I’m limiting this cohort to 6 to 8 participants. A smaller group means more time for each person’s project and more personalized help.

🗓️ The Schedule: Weekends and Evenings

Weekend afternoons and evenings came out on top, with weekday evenings close behind. Sessions will stay at 2 hours, once a week, in Eastern Time, and I’ll work toward a day and time that fits as many of you as possible. I’m aiming to start in early 2027 (January–February). If you have suggestions for starting this year I’m all ears!

🎟️ What’s Included

4 weekly live sessions, 2 hours each: 3 led by me and 1 with a guest expert
Recordings of every session
Materials, such as handouts and a parts list
6 to 8 seats, filled first come, first served. The cohort needs at least 4 participants to run.

💡 What You Said Would Make It Genuinely Useful

Your open-ended answers were my favorite part. I appreciated this feedback because it helps shape this experience, like a set of guidelines. Here’s what stood out, and how I’m responding:

Real project problems. Powering large plasma sculptures, working with different noble gases, and getting fill pressures right for your power supply. Because the group is small, I can build sessions around the challenges you’re actually facing, from gas transfer to fill pressure, instead of teaching a generic curriculum.
A place to share. One of you asked for time set aside for everyone to show their work, including the failures and the plans. That’s the heart of what “co-learner” means to me, so the cohort will include show and tell and feedback time: a brief version as part of everyone’s introduction in the first session, and a big part of the final session.
Flexibility and accountability. One of you asked for recordings so you can follow along when life gets in the way, and another wanted a structure that keeps them moving. Every session will be recorded, and depending on the topic, accountability can look like project goals or homework between sessions.

🎥 About Recordings

Every session will be recorded, and the recordings are for enrolled participants. I’ll let you know up front that sessions are recorded, and you can opt out of having your own segments shared outside the cohort. I may offer the guest session later through paid access, such as Patreon, and I’ll ask participants how they feel about any access outside the cohort before anything is shared.

🔮 Topics for Future Cohorts

You also gave me a great list of topics for down the road:

Gas mixtures and their effects
Fill pressure and power supply matching
Plasma power supplies
Phosphors and additives for color
Electrodeless or external-electrode work, including how to make pieces stable and safe enough to be gallery-ready

Gas mixtures came up again and again, so expect to see it in an upcoming cohort.

🎓 The Guest Expert

The idea is that every cohort would feature a guest expert, and you had some great suggestions: Mundy Hepburn, Wayne Strattman, and Ed Kirshner. Each of them has been a mentor, friend, and contemporary of mine on this journey into plasma, and each is happy to share their knowledge in this format. I’m excited about this list.

The guest session will be one of the four weeks and scheduled ahead of time. Guest experts will be confirmed when registration opens, and I’ll always ask a guest’s permission before their session is recorded.

📬 What’s Next

Registration opens in November–December, and seats go first come, first served. Over the next few weeks I’ll be finalizing the details: dates, final pricing, and how to join. Watch your inbox, because I’ll email details as soon as registration opens.

Thank you again for helping build this with me. That’s what a co-learner study group is for.