Hi
This is a very basic question and Im probably not using the right 'language' :D But when I do what I call 'encase' my clear goes kind of brownish... I am using a pack of effetre from Martin (the multi beginner pack - what else ;D) I am obviously doing something wrong, because sometimes it is clear.. but I have no idea what. Im afraid my 'which part of the flame do I stick it in' is a bit (no, be honest, verrry) hit and miss.
Thank you if anyone can suggest what I should do. The answer is probably 'learn to walk before you run' ;D ;D ;D ;D
Fiona
Hi Fiona - are you sure you're actually using clear, and not one of the striking colours? The striking colours look clear, or maybe have slight yellow hue, but change to another colour once the bead has cooled and then been re-heated. Are all of your rods labelled?
Fiona, what torch do you use?
Hot Head torch here on bulk propane.. sorry I should have said.
No,none of my rods are labelled - they just came from Tuffnells - mixed lot of transparent - they look clear though.
I have had that on and off since going bulk - I think the propane might be sootier than mapp. I don't know what to do about it though..
I wonder - maybe another sort of clear - im using effetre.
Oh your hearts on etsy are really lovely - is it a mould you use?
Yes, this is common with effetre clear, a HH and propane. Try another clear, maybe vetro or lauscha. You can still use your effetre clear for basebeads which you encase in opaque colours.
Thank you - I will get some lauscha or vetro when I get some more glass ;D
Fiona
You're burning the glass - Effetre is quite tricky to use with a HH. To prove this you might want to turn the torch down quite a bit when you encase and work as high in the flame as you can manage. It will be dreadfully slow but you should end up with clear glass. Keep the glass moving around - don't concentrate the heat in one specific place for any amount of time.
Frankly, it's worth sticking with the Effetre - even though some of the other glasses - like Lauscha or Vetrofond are more forgiving, it's always better to learn with discipline and patience rather than looking for an easier route. This will make you a better and more patient lampworker.
Thanks Sal - ok - right at the end of the yellow flame - and slow and steady. I think today Im going to do some transparent beads - no decoration or other colours - just spacers - to get them uniform. Its so easy as a newbie to get carried away with adding bits and bobs of colour and stuff. I have found that in my 2 days of torching ;D that the transparents I have used are stiffer than the opaques - and I find them harder to use. Are all the effetre transparents like the clear - do they go brown if you over heat them?
Fiona
No glass really likes being over heated, but some colours are more forgiving than others. Some opaques (like my orange and red ones) also turn irk-brown when over heated.
And yes, the transparent ones usually are stiffer than the opaques. I therefore use transparent colours for the base of triangle beads, striped beads and pleat beads.
Thanks Afina
Its too easy for me to get impatient and just put it in the hottest part of the flame and twirl and leave it in the flame until everything has melted ;D So today will be a 'controlled playtime' The only problem with the flame is that when I wear my special glasses I can't see the end of the flame. So I kind of peer over the tops every so often ;D
Fiona
Sounds like you are having exactly the same problem as I did-Sal put me right then too (thanks Sal!). I was burning all my clear. Now I have my HH turned down as low as possible without it going out and work higher in the flame-it works. Takes an age but keeps your clear nice! They say patience is a virtue.....
Sal - when you say 'higher in the flame' do you mean higher in the blue flame or higher in the yellow flame - sorry for the dumb questions - but I am so wet behind the ears I need to wear a towel over my shoulders ;D
Fiona
Further away from the torch where the flame will be cooler. Sorry! I got really confused with that bit when I first started too! ;D
You need to be in the yellow flame, never in the blue flame unless your glass is incredibly forgiving or you are trying to reduce something. If you hear a sound a bit like when you waft your fingers over the end pipe of a hoover (:S) - a kind of "fluttering" sound you are probably too far down into the blue cone.
If I said you probably need to be about 5 inches about the surface of the torch it would be about the right place for normal working. You may even have to go up further than this for clear work.
Yes, I agree, the rod is much stiffer - transparents and clears generally are - so encasing can be a very frustrating occupation, especially if you are trying to encase something soft - like ivory or white, which will melt much quicker than clear.
Other colours will burn very easily in the HH flame - such as rubino or dark turquoise, the latter will actually turn a reddy brown colour if the heat is too intense and you are too low in the flame.
As an exercise you can try putting different rods into the flame at various positions and flame sizes to see if you can deliberately burn them or keep their colours true. It's probably worth spending an hour doing this so you can see how different glasses react and what different size flames will do. If you have the patience, that is!
Going from Mapp to propane does make a difference. You will need to work slower and slightly less hot with bulk propane and the gas does not make as efficient use of the oxygen pulled into the torch. But you will soon get used to it.
As a guide it used to take me around 45 minutes to make a plunged floral bead (lots of clear encasing) of around 23mm diameter. Awful long time but you'll ruin the bead if you try to rush it.
Thanks Sal - beautifully described.. and I understand totally... I've been going in and out of the blue flame willynilly.. ;D
Fiona
Well, I did what I said I would do - made 6 transparent beads, concentrating on keeping them out of the flame and gently melting, yes it took time and I had to restrain myself from sticking them in the really hot part to hurry them along..But it did give me time to make sure that they were of an even size with the hole in the middle of the bead :( I didnt burn any of them, including the one I made in clear effetre - so in a small way I am pleased with myself. I also learned to keep my work suface clean - I picked up a small bit of crap on my little dark blue transparent bead which I am not pleased about. If you ask anyone who knows me really well, they would say, Fiona, perfectionist, never! However I am finding that doing this, I am turning into one... eeek :D
Once again - thank you everyone for the excellent help and advice - I really do appreciate it.
Fiona
I would like to say thank too as there were lots of things in there I wasn't sure about either.
Something else I'm never sure about and you'll think this is mad but, when I melt a blob of glas and put it onto the mandrel it ends up lop sided and I take the rod away and add more glass having melted the rod again then I sort of keep twisting the mandrel in the flame once I have repeated the melting and adding glass thing to get a round shape.
Is this right what I am doing and if so, where should the mandrel with the bead be whilst I'm melting more glass. At the moment I am holding and twisting it in the flame above the glass I'm melting. So.me times I catch myself waving it around in the air and it's gone a different colour as it cools a bit, havn't had one crack yet since the very begining. If one does crack when you put it back in the flame can you re melt it in the flame and save it.
Think thats all I can remember to ask at the moment.
I would like to thank you too. I was having the same problem, kinda bunging it on high and melting it too quickly, nearly all my beads had brown stripes, now they are more true colours, PPP x
hi, have just read this, i took some beads to the bead fair to show martin today,
my clear was turning out all mucky, i am on a hot head,
i got some vetro clear... same trouble,
but when i encased with the CIM Cirrus, a cloudy almost moonstone looking rod, fab, really lovely,
am soooo pleased, :D :D
OOOOh that cim cirrus is gorgeous isnt' it, I was playing with that yesterday.
its fab to encase with ,
sad that it loses that lovely cloudy look, :(
am more than likely doing something wrong!! ::) again!