Just making my list of stuff to buy at the end of the month... I have been saving up and almost have my workspace built wooo!
I'm not sure which is the best clear rod to order, I have heard good things about both Effetre 591006 and Vetrofond.
Please could somebody advise which I should go for?
006 is my fave, though Double Helix Aether is supposed to be good for silver glass I think?
Vetrofond has always been my favourite. :)
Lauscha - still my favourite :)
My experience with Vetrofond clear was not good. Too much oxygen and it fizzed, too little and it blackened. I find Effetre is OK but still has to be handled carefully.
Bullseye clear is great. Plowden and Thompsons 93 COE clear is excellent. Neither can be mixed with COE 104.
Stu
Quote from: Shirley on June 03, 2010, 08:43:25 PM
Lauscha - still my favourite :)
This I would agree with.
But if you are just starting to use clear for encasing I would recommend Effetre 006 and I know that Martin was doing it as stringer at one point, personally I found stringer was a good way to learn to encase without overloading the bead with clear glass. Cim clear is nice to use too but I haven't studied it for clarity
Vetrofond clear - I find you get Scum like bubbles with this, shame as it melts like butter
Lauscha is lovely - but expensive and has a tendency to crack with too much silver glass
My favourite is effetre 006 - great price and works great (don't touch the 004)
for Bullseye - I use the Schott glass - melts like butter and cheaper then BE
CIM - I really need to try again, last time I tried it I got a bad batch, and I haven't tried since.
Reichenbach do some too - not really tried much!
Effetre Crystal clear
Its cheap and doesn't burn or scum easily, just pull the end off new rods to get rid of cut scum off rod.
Dianne
I generally use Effetre 006 and find it to be the best kind of "all rounder". I have some reichenbach which I do like but tend to only use it when I make entirely reichenbach beads (just becasue I like to keep things in the family I guess) but it works well on other glasses too. I have just got some CIM clear and I actually really like it but haven't used it enough to say whether I would use in in preference to 006.
If you are just starting out then you simply cannot go wrong with effetre 006 TBH. There is no point investing in the expensive stuff like aether until you can get the basics - you won't ruin anything by using 006. Just avoid 004 like the plague - it is only any good for being used as a core for a larger bead with another colour on top! If you try and encase with it you are nigh on guaranteed to be disappointed with the result.
Lausha for everything but silver glass which I use 006 for ;)
I love Lauscha, Reichenbach (not the soft clear - the other one), and Aether.
I use the Lauscha for everyday stuff.
I use Reichenbach for encasing reduction glass.
I use Aether for encasing particularly brilliant beads, encasing striking silverglass beads and for any time I need a really soft clear. It's amazing for encasing murrini.
I cried, the day my lauscha stash, bought from our Sal, ran out ... I haven't managed to buy any since.
I've heard only good things about 006 crystal clear though :)
I'm stuck with a batch of 004 clear... and it's scummy as hell :(
Quote from: Lesley Jane on September 15, 2010, 08:06:04 PM
I cried, the day my lauscha stash, bought from our Sal, ran out ... I haven't managed to buy any since.
I've heard only good things about 006 crystal clear though :)
I'm stuck with a batch of 004 clear... and it's scummy as hell :(
Les, Off Mandrell sell Lauscha clear ;D
I've just got the Reich Soft in stock. I had heard it was scummy and bubbly so I didn't buy much, but I'm pleased to find out (today, I've been playing) that actually, its pretty good. You only get bubbles if you cook it, and as its soft its easy to do that, just work a bit higher in the flame and you have got yourself a nice clear. Reich ordinary clear is good too. Lauscha has to be my fave but, after a few hours looking at my boxes of beads with a polarizing filter, I'm reluctant to use it now. Shame because I really, really love it. I'll just have to buy more Lauscha colours to use it up with eh?
I've still got about 4kg of Vetro clear that was heralded as being fab, but actually had scratch lines down the length of each rod that bubble and scum.... :'( Still not impressed about that purchase.
I really don't like vetro clear - it melts like butter but it scums a little every time you put the rod back in the flame!
Trudi I am so sorry, I just remembered something. I need to PM you... :-[
Update (following buying Laucha from Ray Skene):
Vetrofond not good, prone to surface bubbles and easily blackens, could have been a bad batch.
I find Effetre is OK but still has to be handled carefully in neutral flame. Easily blackens in reducing flame, some surface bubbles / scum.
Bullseye (90 COE) clear is less prone to scum and carbon than effetre.
Plowden and Thompsons (93 COE) clear is better than bullseye.
Laucha (104) is the best soft glass by a long way. I cannot get it to bubble or scum under intense heat.
Boroscilicate cannot be beaten for clarity, but cant be mixed with anything else.
Stu
I have to agree about the surface bubbles with vetrofond, and I've tried a couple of batches!
Effetre - depends on which one you use. 004 I don't touch with a barge pole, but I really like 006 - it's fab!
Lauscha is great, and melts like butter. Superb if you need to suoer heat something (if you're not using it with silver glass - mind you, it's ok with some silver glass or if you use very small amounts).
I've not used BE clear, but I do use the schott glass that Off-Mandrel sell and it's beautiful. I really should remember to use it more when I'm doing fritty beads - esp as 006 is out of stock!
As far as my experience goes effetre 006 and Lauscha are the best, i can literally throw absolutely anything at both of them and not have any problems with scum, boiling or burning and believe me when i say im not nice to them at all!
I sometimes use the very pale colour transparents for encasing and they never seem to scum.
I can't find 006 effetre clear in stock at off mandrel or tuffnells at the moment....i guess it's just too popular. I have got vetrofond, lauscha. and effetre004 none any good with silver glass :(
Ive asked both tuffnells and off mandrel and both say the 006 due in in the next couple of weeks.
Quote from: shaz on October 11, 2010, 05:52:39 PM
Ive asked both tuffnells and off mandrel and both say the 006 due in in the next couple of weeks.
I think (but could be wrong) that Sean gets his stock from Martin anyway...
effetre 006... I've tried most of them - and currently this is the best clear at the best price.
why aren't more people saying reichenbach?
its gorgeous!! its all I use for encasing, silver glass colours, all of it. its more expensive, but nowhere near aether prices, and what's worse, spending more on clear? or ruining perfectly good beads with clear that's not good enough?
also I heard that with some of the silver glasses, clio for example, aether can go yellowy.
I had one of those duff batches of 006 and I have been reluctant to use it much since, but when it was a good batch it was very nice.
I confess that I will be running down my stocks of 004 and 006.
I do like the Lauscha, but I will have another look at that reichenbach clear that I have at home.
Madeline, I use Reichenbach for encasement all the time. Love the stuff. (when I was torching that is)
I use my duff clear like effetre or rods of 104 that I have no idea what it is, for making base beads then putting good stuff ontop.
The only clear I would use is that and gaffer clear. Mind you I have bought some Lauhsa (sp?) from Ray ready to try out.
Denise
I have some reichenbach clear that I got from Beady Sam eons ago. Not sure which one it is though. Must give it another go!
I like Reichenbach clear but find it a bit yellowy.
Other than that one bad batch I think 006 is the best of the bunch specially for silver glass. CIM is also nice but not reliable with silver glass.
Kazx
Quote from: Kaz on October 12, 2010, 09:11:08 PM
CIM is also nice but not reliable with silver glass.
It's lovely and stiff
I have had bad batches of Vetrofond and 006 crystal clear, but good batches are both excellent. Love Lauscha but not good encasing frits, silver rich glass or reds in my experience.