God it isn't a good thing when the top three posts in the "Common problems" thread belong to you is it? :P I was just having a problem with effetre turquoise- I don't know it's proper name but it reacts well with Ivory :)
The problem is that when I work with it it changes colour to a strange orangy colour! And it isn't nice either! I get these ugly orange marks in the glass and it can go into the rod too, making it useless! I'm working on a hothead if this explains anything?
Has anyone else had this problem?
Dean ;D x
sounds like you are reducing it a bit Dean :(
Since you are on a Hothead, I think the best thing to do is hold it out further in the flame, so it is working cooler with less propane.
Hope that helps? :)
Sounds like you've got too much propane and now I've said that I can't remember the remedy using a hothead. On my bobcat I'd turn the propane down a bit. I sometimes use a bit of turquoise to make sure I don't have my propane turned up too high. Having told you why you'll have to wait for someone to come along and tell you how to stop it doing it now. ;D ;D ;D About as useful as a chocolate teapot aren't I. ;D
Haha thanks both of you ;D Won't have it as near to that 'blue cone' thing then- it's reductive isn't it? :P
I'm using a HH and I love turquoise and ivory. I think you are getting too close to the head of the torch and it's bringing out the copper in the glass - at least that's what someone told me when I had the same problem. I now work about 2" back from the end of the blue cone and don't have problems; can make your arms ache if they are as short as mine but seems to work. But apparently it's something to do with the copper (and no I didn't do science at school, obviously).
you can remove the rust colour with cillet bang ....do a search and see what other solutions are out there ....
Didn't work for me, must have the wrong one. Also found one of my turquoise beads has gone black on the ends, and CB won't remove that either. Think the thread said it had to be the lime and grime loo cleaner, that's what I used. My loo is very clean though!
A very quick dip (literally 1 min) in etching fluid will do it, then scrub with a toothbrush, that gets it off!
Always have a problem with dark turquoise, always have, no matter what I do, the only time I managed to get a nice bead was in the early days at Manda's! I now use quite a bit of light turquoise (well not the dark one) and it is a lovely colour. :)
Nice to see you back here Dean, been a while, hope all is well with you. :)
I've gone right off it now I'm on dual fuel, just can't get it to play nicely with ivory any more.
Um Dean's post is from 2011... Tonksys just replied to it.
I miss Dean's posts, he's not around much these days :( Hope all is well with him.
Being a teenager, I should think he's probably moved on to something new by now... When I was that age I never used to stick at anything for more than 5 minutes...
I know what you mean, and I think he was in the middle of exams last time we heard from him too. It would be a shame if he's moved on to something new because he was making some smashing beads ;D
It's not that long ago he was on here again. He did cheer us up though ;D
Dean will be welcomed back any time with open arms and loads of smileys :) :) :)
I see his posts on FB and he has been doing his exams, but he's also got a boyfriend!!! Think he's fine though and the pics of his artwork look really fab.
He also said something about moving house last time he posted here so that may be taking his time up.
Quote from: helbels on June 10, 2012, 05:49:37 PM
Um Dean's post is from 2011... Tonksys just replied to it.
DOH! ::) ;D ;D ;D ;D
Aww you guys!
I'm so touched! You're all so sweet, I'd love to come back and rejoin in all of your glassy goodness. :D Everything's been up in the air lately: you're right, I had a boyfriend (not anymore, he cheated typical!), I've had my exams to worry about (but they're all done now! :D) and...we got a house!
We've been waiting for literally years to find somewhere to move to and the new place is brilliant. It's really nice (well, much much MUCH nicer than the one we're in now) and I can't wait to move in. Hopefully we'll be in within the next week or so!
AND.
Guess what ladies. ;)
It has a back garden! Well, a courtyard. And I've asked my mum if I can get a shed. Oh yes people, the time has come (well, when I can accumulate the funds) but (eventually) I will have my own shedio!!!! I twisted her arm because it's too unique (in NI anyway!) a skill not to better and would be a massive shame to not only waste what I've learned but also financially, I've spent a fortune on kit and glass! Hopefully I'd be able to set up this time with a dual-fuel torch, I'm getting lots of hours at my job and am getting better at saving so hopefully eh! That's the goal anyway!
You're all so sweet and kind, I've actually really missed you guys. I remember I'd come home and open a few tabs in the order FHF, FB, Email. The little dialogue box saying that you'd got a PM always made me so excited!!! :P
Take care folks, I'll try to get my shed up and running soon and fingers crossed I'll return in a glitzy explosion of beads and gossip!!
Ciao bella!
-Dean :D :D xxxxx
Hi again Dean, nice to hear how things are going for you, sorry re boyfriend, great re house and shed and exams. Janet ;D
Hi again Dean, we missed you :) :) :) :) :)
I hope you get your shedio :)
Hi Dean, brilliant that you are back and things are going well (on most fronts, anyway) :) :) :). The shedio will pay for itself in no time 8).
Yoo hoo Dean! ;D Lovely to hear from you again and so pleased that good things are happening for you re new house and SHED!!
Keep in touch and let us know how it all goes ... I've missed all your smiley posts! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Bee x
Hi Dean, welcome back. we are coming over to stay in the Mournes next month do you know of any good glassy places to go?
Just read over this...made me cry. Miss you guys. :'( x
Awww :(
I guarantee there were some other damp eyes when they read that, Dean ;)
Keep smiling :) :) :)
We'll all still be here for you whenever you want to look in .................... ! ;D ;D ;D
Back to topic and some exercises:
Reduction is one of the most common problems on a Hot Head torch for beginners. If you learn to see it while working you can either avoid it or use it as a design element.
Start your torch, please. Look for the color of the flame and see ig it has a pure bue (maybe with a slight purple hue) or it has a turquoise hue. If it has the turquoise hue try to turn it smaller, to the smallest setting it still burns stable. Take a rod of glass (just any will do) and hest the end in the flame untill it glows. Look at the flame without filter glasses and see the real size indicated by the yelow flare. All the other work is done WITH filter glasses.
Let's start with a small to medium sized bead from turquoise (sky blue, petrol green, ...) glass. Melt the glass about two thirds away from the bright blue cone towards the end of the yellow flare. Melting the glass might take longer, but we want a clean color for this exercise. Once the bead is at least in decent shape come out of the flame and look at it under good illumination. It should look uniform in color. Go back into the flame and move closer to the bright blue cone. Watch the glass surface and look for an oily shine. Take the bead out of the flame again and see the red spots. Go back into the very end of the yellow flare and watch the oily spots disappear. Control the result under good light and decide how to finish the bead.
By now you learned how to reduce tuequoise on purpouse and how to remove reduced spots while working. You can draw patterns with clear glass on your bead and reduce it or reduce the bead before drawing the patterns. These are two options to use this as a design element.
The black or pewter coloration, mostly on the bead ends, is the reduction of zinc. It comes out while working a longer time in not-so-hot conditions of a neutral to slightly reducing flame. You can avoid it by working slightly hotter and cooling the bead outside the flame before the next boost of heat. It's very tricky to do on purpouse, but comes whenever you fool too long with a semiheated bead.