After my problems with Efetre white rods, I swapped to CIM peace white. Tonight I made on my hot head a couple of beads mainly to test out some of Lushs techniques, well she will be pleased to know I am of absolutely no threat to her beads, mainly because I have managed to produce virtually brown beads out of white glass, how has that happened????
did you use silver wire on them? Silver fumes white glass a sort of beige colour.....
over heating or working and/ or an gas rich flame (i think :-\) ..... you could try working further up the flame so its cooler and less gas rich ....but i am no expert on the hot head only lasting three weeks on mine before i gave up and up graded :P
Is it just the white beads or all? And is it a new tank of propane? I've had two 'dirty' tanks in nearly four years, but the first of those was the second tank I ever bought, I thought I was going nuts!
I am on my first tank of propane and up until now its been fine. I did have a problem with the knob (ooo er I'm so technical!!) which fell off, Its the regulator knob, so It was replaced at Flame off. These were the first beads made after that change. I have made red beads tonight and they seem fine. The grey clear is ok as well, but the white is absolutely brown!!
Looking at the finished bead it is smokey so perhaps I am working too low down for white glass, I thought I had found the spot that worked for me. Back to the drawing board!!
I had the same with my peace that I bought from FO and yes it is being to low in the flame, I moved up and had white glass again. Though if you sit just below the right point you can get some lovely reactions.
Thank you for that I will try it higher up.
Scarlet the regulator knob how do you have yours set? I used to have it on full but now I'm a bit worried that if I do the knob will come off again, so I am wondering if that is having an effect as well. (I know you are a hothead gal!!)
I had a problem a couple of weeks ago when all my colours when brown/streaky brown or just plain sooty. I found a tiny shard of glass in the nozzle of the hot head. Gave it a nice clean and everything has been fine since. Also some glasses do darken or reduce more readily if you have them too low down in the flame - greens and blues in particular in my experience.
My regulator is fully down (on the gas) On the torch I open it fully after lighting then turn it back just a little.
I've taken to air blasting my torch head once a week at least to keep it clean.
When I get this with white it's because it's too low in the flame, :) I've a hot head too.
Thanks for all the advice, I have moved up the flame and its making white beads, its also taking an age to melt them, hey ho!!!!
I have spent the whole day beading and I think I may have made some that look similar to each other!!
I have checked out the hot head and its all clear,
The regulator is is a bit of a mystery to me, what does it do?? I am not sure what position it should be at, I had assumed that it was something to be switched off as a safety valve of some sort.
Your gas regulator once set shouldn't be touched.
It regulates the pressure the gas comes out the bottle and down the pipe. As I said mine is fully down (full pressure) some people use it 1/4 turn back from fully down for a little less pressure.
Something that you need to have a little play with in the beginning to set it right for you and your torch.
ooh I always turn mine off after I have turned off the gas, thought it was an extra safely thing too!
Just shows you doesn't it?? There was no explanation with my kit, so I really thought it was an extra safety device.
It seemed to take a while to heat some of the glass yesterday and I thought that was down to the moving it higher in the flame, but perhaps I have the regulator set wrong.
I have now examined it and it has very small bar settings on the side, what bar indicates full pressure???
Sorry for all the questions!
Don't get technical with me, I hadn't even noticed any markings on mine.
But since the regulator is 0-4 bar look for a number 4?
I had our local gas supplier put my bulk kit together and connect everything up. My regulator was at half pressure the first time I lit it then I just kept turning it until it wouldn't go any more. (watching the torch the whole time to see if I was going too far.)
This is a highly technical business, play with the thingymebob until the whatsajig is about right :)
Scarlett you do make me laugh!!! I'll go and look and see if I need to adjust it!!!ats all bars to me!!
My regulator is set to 4 as well. (hothead bulk propane)
I light my torch and then turn it down quite low almost to going out, then turn it back up a bit, about a quarted of a turn on the hothead knob.
I dont know if thats correct but it works for me :)
I get nice white beads with peace by holding about 3" from the nozzle, if I hold too close it burns.
Quote from: lyzzydee on April 17, 2011, 10:37:36 AM
Just shows you doesn't it?? There was no explanation with my kit, so I really thought it was an extra safety device.
It seemed to take a while to heat some of the glass yesterday and I thought that was down to the moving it higher in the flame, but perhaps I have the regulator set wrong.
I have now examined it and it has very small bar settings on the side, what bar indicates full pressure???
Sorry for all the questions!
I thought it was an extra safety device too. Instructions would have been really helpful with the kit.