I've read a couple of threads and followed a link to lampwork etc., but the best results on there seemed to be from 96, mine is 104 and all I've got so far is poo! :-\ :-\ :-\
I'd love to see any piccies of your successes and clues as to how to achieve them.
Thanks x
No piccies, and mixed success, but you need to heat it really really really hot (almost dripping off the mandrel hot), then cool by blowing on it and marvering it. You should see brown tones appear. Then waft it in/out of the flame to bring back (hopefully) some nice purple tones.
Frit is much easier to use than the rod form though.
Ooh, I like iris orange 104! Like Helen says, heat and cool, pressing is good cos the brass helps to cool it down.
Its great in twisties - use with things like periwinkle, effetre violet (the horrid one that reduces really easily), opal yellow, copper green, black ....
;D ;D ;D Will not give up on it just yet - thanks for the tips! ;D ;D ;D
yeah, bin it along with the ill-named "Magic" and the overly-optimistic "Multicolour" variants! ;)
Quote from: Redhotsal on January 17, 2011, 09:30:54 PM
yeah, bin it along with the ill-named "Magic" and the overly-optimistic "Multicolour" variants! ;)
:D :D :D
I'm a big fan (and I love the multicolour variants too - especially the dark one!) Also had good success with Magic in twisties and murrini!
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5196643588_3487db2f3b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekycherubdesigns/5196643588/)
IMG_9612 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekycherubdesigns/5196643588/) by Kaz ~ CheekyCherubDesigns (http://www.flickr.com/people/cheekycherubdesigns/), on Flickr
This set was done with iris orange frit on black and the disc spacers were iris orange 104 from the rod!
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/5287770304_ffae30df73.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekycherubdesigns/5287770304/)
Anne's (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekycherubdesigns/5287770304/) by Kaz ~ CheekyCherubDesigns (http://www.flickr.com/people/cheekycherubdesigns/), on Flickr
Lots of heating and cooling usually works to bring the colours out. If you start getting a dark tan colour then keep going as that's usually a sign that the colours will start coming!
Kazx
Ooh, it's a long time since I read up on raku 104, but a couple of things spring to mind in addition to the superheating-cooling cycle already mentioned:
1. Spread it thinly - the colours will pop easier then.
2. Used with certain other glasses will help the colours pop as well. Effetre Nero intense is one of them. I don't know whether cim hades or the effetre intense black that Martin sells will have the same effect (have only recently discovered that one on his site).
Here's a couple of old twistie bead pics where I have encased the nero intense black with raku and then applied nero intense stringer before pulling out to a twistie:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3434092265_c4a22469dc.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliehb/3434092265/)
Raku twist on ivory crunches (http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliehb/3434092265/) by JulieHB (http://www.flickr.com/people/juliehb/), on Flickr
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/3434900762_649e5638b5.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliehb/3434900762/)
Raku twists on dark amber (http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliehb/3434900762/) by JulieHB (http://www.flickr.com/people/juliehb/), on Flickr
They are maybe not the most exciting beads, but it shows the colours :D
Okay, looking at Julie's gorgeous successes maybe you shouldn't bin it.....(but I still have!) ;)
Trust me I bought loads of the stuff! Thanks for the tips will persevere, but maybe not fot long! ;D
I think for once I have found that ignorance is bliss. Being a newbie, most glass rods are a mystery to me and this one was no exception. I melted and wound and cooled and heated and I have a lovely set of beads all looking like they belong together, very similar to the spacers in Kaz's first pic. If you decide you don't want it I will happily buy it from you. :) I can't put a pic up as I havn't got a flicker page yet.
Hope it starts to play nice for you :)
Sarah
Good luck Gay, look forward to seeing pics! Julie, the colours really pop in that top set, they are lovely! :)
This is 104 raku on tuxedo:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/5340387413_f3f3cc47e6_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalorlo/5340387413/)
Got it really really hot when I was putting it on, gravity swirled the whole bead a bit. Pressed, then repeatedly heated some areas and pressed more. Remains to be seen if I can do it again!
These are also raku on tuxedo, but obviously not pressed and they kept more brown. I did try rolling them in my doming block, but I'm not sure it made much difference.
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5009/5341000740_d5a3a72de4_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalorlo/5341000740/)
Had no luck whatsoever with it on my hothead - this was one of the first things I tried when my minor was ready for use ;D
I've only really tried it once got nearly what you have Heather.
Thought I was doing something wrong... guess it's time to have another go.
You can get really stunning purples & blues from Dark Multi - I use it a lot when pulled into thin stringers and used in poked dots. Def a keeper me thinks. In general though I think raku is best used when thinly spread or mixed in with other things.
Had to post and run this morning, some lovely beadies by you talented lot have given me a little hope, will have another play on Wednesday, if my nose will stop running for a minute. I bought the beady calendar that was on 'Cafe Press' someone flagged it up on here, they're all made with 96 and look so pretty, the 104 seems like a totally different creature.
Has anyone played with the 96? I've thought about buying some but then I'd need a base bead colour too and I don't want to start mixing my glass up. I always have good intentions about labelling glass, but that usually how they remain - intentions! ::)
I used to have a love affair with this glass. I agree with the tips before me, spread thinly and MEGA heat it, until it nearly drops off the mandrel, then cool quickly, blowing or marvering, but switch sides on your paddle if marvering if the surface heats up. If you keep repeating the process you can lose the nice colours so shape swiftly without too much backwards and forwards.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3446/3231355073_ffd8cd5718_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughinglass/3231355073/)
rakugravity (http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughinglass/3231355073/) by melanie.ingledew (http://www.flickr.com/people/laughinglass/), on Flickr
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3232204266_13da743274_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughinglass/3232204266/)
rakuswirl2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughinglass/3232204266/) by melanie.ingledew (http://www.flickr.com/people/laughinglass/), on Flickr
Mel, those are lovely!
Fabulous rakuness, Mel!
Oh Yeh! ;D Beautiful Mel ;D
Those are gorgeous, Mel!!!