Pulling stringers from frit chunks

[beadmonkey]

Please can somebody advise me?

I believe you can make stringers from chunks of frit by picking them up with melted end of a glass rod. If the frit is COE 89-96 then do have to use rods with the same COE or can you use rods with a COE of 104?

All the rods I have are 104 so want to know if I need to get some others.

Roy

[beadysam]

Hiya
I do it all the time and I use 104 glass rods to pick up the chunks.  I don't mix the 2 together if I can help it, but as its going to be used on a 104 bead anyway, I don't fuss too much. Sometimes I use a thick mandrel or chopstick too - just heat it to glowing and pick up your warm chunk with it (I warm my chunks on the torch mounted marver), I then use a second mandrel or chopstick to pull the stringer.  Hope that helps?

[beadmonkey]

Thanks for that Sam.

I've just ordered some Iris Gold Frit chunks from you . I decided to get your Reichenbach Sample Pack as well, so i will have some different COE glass to play with .

Added some Lead Crystal too!

And then I thought - I've just got to have some of those Pushy Pokey Proddy Tools 

Tempting websites like yours should be banned ; There again NO!!

Cheers
Roy

[beadysam]

 

You never know your luck, you may find a little extra something in your parcel!

[Dee]

I've just received some Lead Crystal from Sam and some gorgeous frits, Splash (which will be my new fave I think), Victorian Splendour and Raku Blue (thanks for that Sam  )

[fionaess]

Where's the Reichenback sample pack on your site Sam?

[beadmonkey]

You never know your luck, you may find a little extra something in your parcel!

I'm looking forward to this!

Roy

[beadmonkey]

Parcel came this morning .

Thanks Sam and thanks for the extras (I won't say on here what they were or the girls will be jealous )

Roy

[Trudi]

Ohh the brass tools are fab - I ahev a set of them too!

[Sulis (Hazel)]

Oooh me too on the brass tools - I use them all the time 

So, 'scuse the ignorance- what's he advantages with the lead crystal frit as opposed to normal clear? More sparkle? The word crystal is making me think sparkle...