I've been using vetrofond clear (which I usually love) to encase beads this morning, and it looked like I was getting bubbley scummy bits in the bead. I've just recently moved from a hothead to a minor so am wondering if it's something that I'm doing to cause it? Or is it just a dodgy batch?
I've stopped using it since I got my minor, for the same reason :( Too hot? Although I tried working it cool and got the same problem :-\
While it melts like a dream I found that every time I picked the rod up I had the nip the ends off. Drove me nuts so I stopped using it.
My vetrofond clear scums every time ??? It now makes a great cheap base for underneath posh opaque glass! And I'm on a minor too.
I don't have that problem with eff 006/lauscha or cim clears. :-\
I have the same with CIM (I'm also on a minor). But it's fine with 006 effetre, reichenbach and lauscha!
Aaargh! Looks like I'd better go glass shopping. What a shame ;). Thanks everyone!
Some batches of Vetro clear are great - but some are awful. Sounds like you've got a duff batch. The scum is probably caused by air bubbles trapped in the glass itself - if you look at a rod sometimes you can see fine lines running through the glass - this can be trapped air bubbles which have been drawn out. When you melt the rod they'll bubble out of the end of the rod - which is really frustrating. This can also happen with fine scratches on the surface of the glass.