Hi all,
I have been busy unpacking recently after moving house. My sister bought a bottle of bubbly to celebrate and I decided I'd like to remember the occasion by using the glass to make her some beads for her (if I can manage to melt it).
Does anyone know if a hothead would be sufficient and what type of frit or other glass I can use to decorate them with and any suggestions for the annealing temperatures?
Geraldine :)
its fine to use but only decorate it with itself, frit wont be compatible, just pull stringers and have raised decoration
Tan, does that mean that frit won't be compatible AT ALL or is it one of those only use 5% / 10% rules as with Beadysams frit?
I wouldn't risk it at all, bottle glass is a waaaaayyy different coe from what we use but if you make frit and pull stringers out of the same bottle you still get great textured beads
mmmmmmmmmmm - i think i may have to give that a go.. thank T!
Or use silver leaf or gold leaf too!
Gold sounds great!! Any ideas on annealing schedule?
I use bottle glass quite alot, the only problem is you can only make plain beads unless you can find a compatible bottle, ill go into that further down. There is alot of variation in COE between bottles.
Messing with broken bottles is dangerous, wear eye protection and strong clothes. You try the following at your own risk.
Step 1: The fun bit (eye protection essential)
Smash the bottle! In a couple of strong bags, with a hammer. Dont pussy about - hit it.
Then carefully pour the broken shards into a metal container and dispose of the shredded bag.
Dont worry if the bits are too big, see below.
Step 2: Make your rods (eye protection even more essential)
Get a piece of borsilicate at least 4 inches long and a different colour to the bottle. boro has a much higher melting point than bottle glass so it can be gathered without the handle melting. Melt the tip of the boro. Attache the tip to a piece of broken glass (in the metal container). The glass will probably shatter so take care. Keep trying until you have a good blob on the end of the boro. Use the blob to pick up more pieces of glass and melt them in. To break down a large piece of glass touch it with the hot blob. Once your blob (gather) is all molten and big enough heat the tip of another boro rod, touch it to the gather and pull into a rod. You may need to keep the gather warmed to draw the rod out. Melt off the rod and place on a cooing rack. The other piece of boro will probably pop off as it cools.Trim the rod down until no boro is present.
I use a nortel midrange and a couple of oxycons to make rods of about 12 inches. It can be done with a minor but will be fustratingly slow.
Step 3:
Use the rod to make beads! Again - a Nortel midrange makes this process much faster.
Compatibility:
A rough way to check the compatibility of glass is a stringer test. Get two rods, melt the ends and touch them side by side. Pull a stringer so that half is one glass and half the other. If the COE's are different then the stringer will curl as it cools. No guarantees!
Annealing:
A bottle will slump and flatten on the same fusing program as bullseye. I therefore use a standard effetre / bullseye anneal at 512 DegC. It's probably safe to go a bit hotter, try placing a bead on some kiln paper (so it doesnt stick) and run a hotter program. Should try myself sometime...
I will try to get some pictures and do a tutorial.
i think there have been a few tutorials in back issues of making jewellery/ beads and beyond about this? looks like fun though, let us know how you get on! :)
Ray did a tut on Beads & Beyond plus has a video on Facebook for making bottle beads :)
I made some using Beadysam's frit for a college project on jewellery from recycled items. Made them on my minor, cooled in vermiculite & then batch annealed.
They seem to have survived so far!!
Never done this - but sounds like it's going to be lot of fun trying ;D
Tan's raised stringer sounds good, also Mary's gold and silver - you can do most things on a HH if you're patient and don't go too big - dreaming of fuming now...........could be very interesting?! Also slumping maybe?
(I've only used gold just recently (too bloody expensive - but succumbed at FO!), with no problems so far, but I garage at the usual 520C/1.5 hr soak/ramp 50C down to 250C and then breathe!)
Have fun :) Show us how you get on?
Hi, I do a lot of recycled glass, but only use the same glass but use preety jewellery findings to pep them up.
I sell the jewellery and the customers really like that echo / recyled idea. Bombay Saphaire Blue Gin is a lovely colour and a good excuse to have a tipple!! (after bead making of course)I agree with the others, you do need to be aware that it does spit and splintered if you introduce it to the heat to quickly.
Rita
Pop your broken glass in the kiln and use from there, less breakage as the glass is hot, just be careful out there!
Jeannie
At last!! I now have a good excuse for buying the odd bottle of wine!! ;D Just need to get some boro then I can have a go.
The odd bottle of wine, hmmmm ::)
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5297/5456746358_da4ddc54ef_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/helenpetersbeads/5456746358/)
'Studio' (http://www.flickr.com/photos/helenpetersbeads/5456746358/) by HelenPetersBeads (http://www.flickr.com/people/helenpetersbeads/), on Flickr
And that was a few months ago, the stringer has been dsiplaced by more bottle, must get round to cutting some up.
I've started hoarding bottles now... What do you all do about the labels? I've soaked some off but others have left a horrible sticky residue - how much of this will burn off or scum?
Quote from: aercraft on June 30, 2011, 04:08:22 PM
I've started hoarding bottles now... What do you all do about the labels? I've soaked some off but others have left a horrible sticky residue - how much of this will burn off or scum?
Lakelands do a sticky mark remover which is what I use, but you need to wash well again afterwards
Or a brillo pad and some elbow grease.
I try nail varnish remover, methylated spirit then cellulose thinners in that order. If you use the thinners, (Car Plan Paint Thinners) use in the open air. It also takes the markings of the white tubes used for storing glass rods.
Plenty to go at there - thanks!
WD40 will get the labels off, but wash well afterwards!
Anything oily will get rid of sticky residue very easily, even peanut butter works if you have no oil. I use Skin So Soft by Avon - smells nice! - but any oil, cooking or otherwise, will do. Put a little on a piece of kitchen roll and rub gently. Wash well to get rid of oil. :)