Hi Everyone,
I've just been looking at some pictures of beads that have been fumed with gold/silver. What is this and how would I (or could I) do it?
Pixiedebs
I haven't done it mainly because you need really good ventilation so that you don't breath in the fumes which are very bad for you. Basically you get a little piece of gold or silver, put it on the end of a rod of boro, hold it between the flame and your bead and blast it with heat so that the metal vaporises and sticks to your bead.
Thanks Josephine, and thanks for the warning....I'm pregnant so will wait until baby is born!
Pixiedebs
Just to keep you entertained while you wait for baby and improved ventilation, a very good vid. about gold fuming. Makes it look very easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmQGSLT3JuQ
Yes, the video does make it look far too easy! I sacrificed a few sheets of gold leaf, bundled it up, stuck a bead in there, fumed away, and ended up with a normal bead. I tried with a lump of silver from an old broken ring as I saw another vid of a chap using silver to fum with, and narrowly missed getting splattered by hot silver as it melted faster than I expected! I decided when I started lampworking not to be affraid to try every technique, but I might give this one a miss!
I'm off to bed right now....but a fast note: you can't fume with silver from a ring or similar.....you need fine silver, 999 silver. It's a marvelous technique, but it needs to be done properly, with the correct materials, and respect for safety.
Diana East sells a very good little kit for fuming with and its not expensive ;D
Wise thinking Pixiedebs,
Just a safety note to anyone who is or may be pregnant. Anything involving fumes - silver, gold or otherwise is really a bad idea at any point in your pregnancy - so too are enamels or other exotic glass techniques. I'd even go as far as to say that I wouldn't even want to be using silver-rich glass like Double Helix or Northstar whilst pregnant.
If in any doubt at all talk to your doctor before embarking on anything like this. Many doctors are aware of the process of glass working but not too many of them are as aware of the newer more "fumi-er" techniques. So be sure to tell them exactly what you're planning on doing and follow their advice.
I only fume with an organic respirator (that's a proper respirator - not a dust mask) and even then I turn the extractor up to full.
AH! So that's why it didn't work! Thanks for the info, although I think with all these safety issues I might give it a wide bearth for now
After seeing that video I tried silver fuming with a bit of scrunched up silver leaf (from Martin). I did it on a black bead holding my breath and there was a little bit of a sparkle to it, but not as controllable as rolling in the foil and burning it off, and certainly not worth the messing and cost of a proper mask. As far as gold's concerned, I am pretty happy for the time being with the gold effect from just reducing squiggles and dots of rubino oro, though I imagine fuming's much more subtle and beautiful.
I think I'll return to fuming when I'm better at the basics.