I haven't dared try anything with the few rods of Double Helix that I have in my stash (Triton and Gaia, I think).
I wondered - all you experienced lampers out there - which everyone's favourite was and which you would recommend for a newbie to try first?
Any advice gladly taken!
Liza
Try the triton - it's easier, and you can leave it on the surface or encase it, whichever you prefer. Gaia is very difficult to keep a sheen under encasement, so it's better for surface use only.
Pull stringers, it will make your expensive glass go a lot further.
I'm not the best at using DH, but Aurae seems to be my 'safe' glass! Very satisfying to use after a bad session :D
I'd start with Triton for reducing (shiny) or psyche, ekho or aurae for encasing and getting nice colours. You could ask to have a mix of the two in one bundle instead of buying two bundles.
Hiya
Ok first of all what torch are you on? If HH stick to pysche, auras, triton and Helios. You need reducing glasses on a hot head as others that need striking need more heat. I'd also reccommend ekho as it's really pretty and if you work it over White it looks beautiful.
Xx
Firstly - thanks for all the advice so far! I should've said I use a HH torch - but I know it's possible to reduce using a foil sleeve.
You'll also find on a HH that the glass might reduce all by itself as the flame is already slightly reducing. Be careful with the foil sleeve as it'll get very hot!! After burning myself on that method I swapped to covering the holes with a big towel.
I don't play with DH much but have some foil collar advice.
You will need a fairly stupidly large length of foil. Fold it over until you have about an inch strip which is quite thick.
Make sure you have a cold torch for this, it's a permanent way to make sure your collar is always handy and so you don't have to hold it on.
Get some gaffer tape and tape one end of the foil strip to the thin neck of the torch (you will be below the holes.)
Then coil the foil around that bit tightly (you will end up with a foil cylinder that is the same thickness as the base of the head of the torch.
Keep it in that position when you want a normal HH flame but when you want a more reducing flame slide the foil spiral up to the holes (use tweezers or similar if the foil has picked up a fair bit of heat.)
The collar should then happily sit over the holes, when you're done with it just slide it down again.
When I was on my hothead I got lovely results from triton and Aurae from memory....stringers are a good way to play until you get the hang of how the glass reacts.. ;)
I bought some welders gauntlets after watching a Youtube where they held the foil collar over the Hot Head holes.
Didn't need them though. Tonight, I tried out some Terranova 2 and made a collar to slide up under my Hot Head mounted marver and over the holes. I managed to pull the collar quite tightly (by leaving a 'tag' to grip it), and I got some nice results.
I've done the same - used little pliers to hold the folded end of the foil. Got some nice colours out of some triton on a black base - and then the blasted thing broke in the kiln. Boohoo!