I love effetre Aqua, but it seems to frazzle easily, especially where it meets an opaque glass. Any suggestions?
My 'seconds' box is full of this problem!
Try working a bit higher up in the flame, its getting too hot, if an area is bubbly hold it in the flame a bit longer and it should get rid of the worst of it
okay, I'll try to be more disciplined about where I work it in the flame. Sometimes the bubbles don't burn off, they get worse, then I try to encase instead...more trouble!
Would you reject a bead because of a bit of pitting? I think I have become super-critical of my efforts. Lots of my beads are just fine and I wouldn't have judged them this harshly if they had been made by someone else, I'd have strung them and put them on...
I was having the same problem, then I wasn't. I think it was the teal opaque I was having trouble with.
Do you get a bright sizzling effect? I thought I had managed to stop it, but yesterday I made a black bead with white spots and it happened on that one. As you say it doesn't seem to dissappear once it's happened and I would put those beads out as seconds.
Working further up the flame does seem to help, but the glass takes longer to melt and form the bead.
Maybe I am being too impatient. ::)
yes, teal too, now that I think of it. It's so unfair! The ratio of 'good' beads versus 'seconds' is too low for all that effort, but I think I am trying to run before I can really walk and I have to be patient in more ways than one.
Pitting isnt a bad thing as long as its what your aiming for, you cant cover up a crappy bead as a happy accident though,
Dont be impatient, you've only just started, you cant expect to turn out perfect beads right away, you have to practice
yes, I feel like an ancient bead maker, but I don't even have a year of actual bead making under my belt. I must remember that!
Try an organic bead and make the pitting work in your favour
I've had this problem with certain colours that I didn't have previously, I've tried every torch setting & melting the glass in slow motion, but no joy at all...I've even had to take turquoise spacers of my website because of this....I have no idea whats different to before :( maybe if we knew the answer it would help both of us...unfortunatly I haven't a clue!
Thanks Tan, for trying to help, & Vicki for me not being the Only One : )
Min
I find it is really obvious with certain frits. I've got some copper blue frit and every time I so much as look at it it starts to fry. Just made a really nice focal and it's got some pitting where the silver leaf I used has played silly B's. Looks effective though, so I'll take Tan's advice and call it organic :D
its just odd though as I never had any problem a few months back, its not the propane either as I changed recently :-\ & no Min your rarely alone in a crisis ;) :D
Quote from: Shirley on April 12, 2008, 04:58:25 PM
I find it is really obvious with certain frits. I've got some copper blue frit and every time I so much as look at it it starts to fry. Just made a really nice focal and it's got some pitting where the silver leaf I used has played silly B's. Looks effective though, so I'll take Tan's advice and call it organic :D
your 'Blossom Tree' bead is lovely : )
aw, thanks, Min :)
Quote from: Vicki on April 12, 2008, 03:10:48 PM
I've had this problem with certain colours that I didn't have previously, I've tried every torch setting & melting the glass in slow motion, but no joy at all...I've even had to take turquoise spacers of my website because of this....I have no idea whats different to before :( maybe if we knew the answer it would help both of us...unfortunatly I haven't a clue!
I am having terrible problems with my Effetre dark turquoise, burning, pitting and it seems to reduce just by looking at the flame.. it's so bad that I'm not using the stuff.. and I have 1/2 kilo., I know for certain that my last dark turquoise from Tuffnells was fine, this batch is terrible. My light turquoise is ok though.
For what it's worth, my last batch of the pale transparent aqua was nasty, nasty stuff. So many bubbles, it could have been sold as that "seeded glass". For an added bonus, it was really scummy, too.
Quote from: fionaess on April 15, 2008, 06:48:07 PM
Quote from: Vicki on April 12, 2008, 03:10:48 PM
I've had this problem with certain colours that I didn't have previously, I've tried every torch setting & melting the glass in slow motion, but no joy at all...I've even had to take turquoise spacers of my website because of this....I have no idea whats different to before :( maybe if we knew the answer it would help both of us...unfortunatly I haven't a clue!
I am having terrible problems with my Effetre dark turquoise, burning, pitting and it seems to reduce just by looking at the flame.. it's so bad that I'm not using the stuff.. and I have 1/2 kilo., I know for certain that my last dark turquoise from Tuffnells was fine, this batch is terrible. My light turquoise is ok though.
snap, thats exactly like it is with me too fiona :(
Why do we just accept stuff like this? What should we do about it? Case in point.. I bought a packet of biscuits from M&S last week, I buy them fairly regularly so I know what they should be like, these were hard, almost to the point of being like biscotti, so I took them back, complained, got a replacement and my money back... Surely someone has an answer to this..
I thought my problems with the transparent aqua & teal must be because I haven't been doing this for very long! I also get scum and big frazzly bubbles, I tried cleaning the rods extra well before use, but it made no difference.