Basically, I bought some thin fine silver wire, gave it a go the other day and it just balls up and get so hot I cant hold it (got a nice ball of silver imbedded in my plastic table!!!! :-[)
Any tips would be most helpful,
thank you in advance xxx
I have found it takes a bit of practice to get the wire to wrap around a bead. I had to experiment where in the flame to hold it. I use a straight piece of wire about 2-3 inches long. I hold the bead on the mandrel away from the top of the flame but as if you were applying stringer as if to make a pattern, and melt wire onto the glass (turning the mandrel as you go) and the fine silver wire should melt without balling up or melting into blobby bits. You have to wind the mandrel fairly quickly as you do this and space the wire accordingly. Then, if you want it melted in a bit to "bond" the wire to the bead, you can gently melt the wire into the glass a bit lower down in the flame.
Sorry I'm no expert at this, but this is what works for me in my HH flame :P, although :-[I guess an oxycon will be different as it's so much hotter.
I don't know if this is of any help... :P Good luck.
Here's my method.
I use the wire straight from the roll or the longer piece. First make sure your end is straight. Then when you're happy with your bead and you know where you want it to go, spot heat a place on the bead so it is quite runny. Bring the bead out of the flame and poke the end of the wire into the runny bit of the bead. Wait a couple of seconds for it to harden round the end of the wire and then wrap the wire round the bead (outside of the flame) quite quickly. Go back into the flame to flame cut the wire and then melt in as much or as little as you like. Personally I find if I don't melt it in it can ping off after the bead has cooked or leave sharp edges (which can sometimes be filed). Sometimes if I melt it in too much it can start to "eat into" the glass and create lots of bubbles just below the surface.
Good luck!
Kazx
Aw fab!!! thank you both of you, gunna go have a go now!!! Cheers guys !!! xxx
Hi just thought you may like to know also, if you decide to encase any of the wire make sure you reduce it a bit before you add the glass on top. If you do not sometimes the wire can go yellow instead of staying silver.
Suzie
Quote from: suzielaws on December 17, 2009, 11:05:30 PM
Hi just thought you may like to know also, if you decide to encase any of the wire make sure you reduce it a bit before you add the glass on top. If you do not sometimes the wire can go yellow instead of staying silver.
Suzie
I didn't know that - but then I don't tend to encase mine - but good to know!
I did not know that either, I sometimes get silver and it sometimes goes gold, but I didn't know why!
You get different colours from silver encased depending on what clear glass you use.
Great tip there Suzie.
I knew about the different clears having an effect, as the effetre 006 is quite good for keeping it silver, and vetro is not good at all for that - but it's still not always worked for me.
I tried the reducing trick - it seems to work, thank you Suzie!
fab tip suzie..i thought it was like silver foil..depends on which clear u use that makes it turn yellow...will defo reduce it now..
Tracy xx