Well, my order came on Wednesday, but tonight is the first time that I have had an opportunity to try it out.
It comes packaged IMMACULATELY.... wrapped in paper... absolutely not touched by human hands... until mine got hold of it! ;D
Anyways....... with 006, despite me cleaning each rod within an inch of its life... I always had to swipe the end of it onto the end of my mandrel before encasing.... even if I had used the rod 10 minutes before, to get rid of bubbles/scum etc.
Zephyr is a glass beyond all class....
It is immaculate in every way.
You don't have to clean it at all
It is crystal clear.... from the moment you introduce it into the bead.
No bubbles... no scum... nothing...
Yes - it is very expensive...
I paid £30 from Tuffers and I got approximately 17 rods.... nowhere near the amount of 006 that you would get for the same price... but I am going to completely honest here....
If I can afford it in the future, and if it is available, then I will buy this every time.
it is a clear beyone all clears....
I had a play with mine on Wednesday too, and it is gorgeous! I'm a disaster at encasing, but it was so clear, and I am very happy with the results, its beautiful ;D we should start a Zephyr show and tell! X
I love it too. I don't really do much encasing but do like to put some clear over dots sometimes - so this should not prove too expensive for me as I don't use much.
Also it's great to feel confident that after spending time making a bead the risk of ruining it with scummy clear at the last hurdle has now gone.
It's a YES from me!!!
Sarah
I've had a first play this morning - everything's still in the kiln, so haven't seen the results yet, but it's a dream to work with - no scumming, no bubbles, no need to nip the end off the rod.
The only thing that caught me out initially is that it's much soupier than Reichenbach clear. I also want to see how it does over frit, as there have been a few minor cracking issues reported on LE.
Agree though so far, it's scrummy.
Could somebody tell me this glass is awful? Please! I'm sitting on my hands from here on in, and not going near Tuffers :P
Sorry Sue, no can do..... but there are a couple of rods of it in the little package that is coming your way from me on Monday ;D
You know that means I'll have to buy some ;D Ta hun x
*la-la-la-la with fingers in my ears* I use far too much clear to buy this!! Sounds awfully nice, though! ::) :D
:D :D
Quote from: julieHB on October 22, 2011, 03:19:08 PM
*la-la-la-la with fingers in my ears* I use far too much clear to buy this!! Sounds awfully nice, though! ::) :D
my thoughts too :-\
think of all the beads you can make with no scum etc if it is that good. I have got some to try so I do hope after I have made a few sacrifices to the kiln fairies this glass will work
Oh dear... I use like 6 rods of clear in a 3 hour lampworking session so this could get very expensive for me! :D
Ok, I've been trying to take a photo that gives an impression of Zephyr in the flesh.
These are a set of implosions I made yesterday - they are unedited in Photoshop, but hopefully it gives some sense of how optically clear this glass is (the bead to the left of the photo shows it to its best effect).
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6227/6272039020_03bc0b390e.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/helbels/6272039020/)
001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/helbels/6272039020/) by Alchemy Lampwork (http://www.flickr.com/people/helbels/), on Flickr
If you can't afford it, I'd really recommend that you don't try it at all, because once you have, it will ruin any other clear for you going forward!
I have ordered some, so look forward to trying it.
Oh NO after seeing that photo I am dreading trying this glass 006 might start to gather dust !!
My 006 is gathering dust because I bought a lot of Reichenbach crystal!
I really, really wish I hadn't read this thread . . . . .
just gone and ordered some ;)
We are so pleased you like it! It's always nice to hear positive feedback ;D
Em xx
oooer I'm just about to place an order with Martin, I didn't need to see this!!!
Jeannie x
as i am still playing and not doing any serious work - anyone want to get rid of their 006 at a knock down price ?? ;D ;D
*LALALALALALALALA* -wanders off with fingers in ears- *LALALALALALALALALA*
Well it arrived this morning and my.....it looks so clear, can't wait to use it.
Quote from: tomcat on October 24, 2011, 02:54:00 PM
as i am still playing and not doing any serious work - anyone want to get rid of their 006 at a knock down price ?? ;D ;D
Nice try, TC ;)
Well I've had a play with Zephyr too and I agree with what everybody is saying, it is gorgeous! Clear and clean and no scum.
But I noticed something verrrry interesting 8)
It doesn't want to etch!
Here's a bead I etched for ages, 006 on the left and Zephyr on the right
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6223/6280361756_9d9fcc0d55.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lushlampwork/6280361756/)
Testing Zephyr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lushlampwork/6280361756/) by LushLampwork (http://www.flickr.com/people/lushlampwork/), on Flickr
So I tried another experiment. I encased a lentil in 006, then covered a murrini in Zephyr, and etched it. Result is a frosty lentil with a clear lens on top, ace!
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6222/6279844865_c5bb19dd73.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lushlampwork/6279844865/)
Testing Zephyr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lushlampwork/6279844865/) by LushLampwork (http://www.flickr.com/people/lushlampwork/), on Flickr
Oh really???? That's very interesting. Hmmm I wonder why that is? Not that I'm complaining! Sounds perfect ;D you could just put the clear anywhere on the bead without having to worry about masking YAY! lol
I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons, Emma ;D
Now that is a veeery interesting find, Lush, and it's extremely good of you to share!!! :)
That's such a useful bonus. Thanks Julie!
Kazx
Wow!! Julie.....Coool!!
Glad to be of use, y'all :D :D
That's just about the coolest bit of glassy info I've ever seen! And there was me thinking I could live without Zephyr, thanks for sharing Julie :D
I got some today - this stuff is just lovely. And I wish I'd got it before I started masking and etching a whole series of beads :(
Great tip Julie, glad you experimented.
Some selectively etched floral beads made with with Zephyr and 006 after seeing Julies top tip :D
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6232/6289065189_80ce18420c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitzbitz/6289065189/)
etched blue florals 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitzbitz/6289065189/) by kitzbitz art glass by Jolene (http://www.flickr.com/people/kitzbitz/), on Flickr
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6019/6289071309_70df408b74.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitzbitz/6289071309/)
partially etched green florals 4 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitzbitz/6289071309/) by kitzbitz art glass by Jolene (http://www.flickr.com/people/kitzbitz/), on Flickr
Love those Jo!
I must stop reading these threads. I need clear having run out but my encasing just wouldn't justify it yet. Plus No money for glass having just ordered a press. Bit chicken and egg that :-)
I think I like the partially etched green florals best Jo, but both sets look good.
I bought some Zephyr last Saturday at Harrogate bead fair but as yet haven't had time to torch >:( Hopefully I will get some much needed (therapy) torch time this weekend.
It doesn't etch? That's very interesting! Looks like I need some Zephyr as well as my Reich Crystal then ;D
My lovely sis sent me some of this as an early Christmas present, and there was no way it was going away until Christmas!!!
I tried it yesterday and it was a delight to work with.
However....today I've found that a few of the beads that I encased with it, that had silver foil in them, have hairline cracks in ???
Not had a problem with cracking beads before (I garage as I go), so I'm a little wary of the glass now.
Any tips?
I don't know. I encased quite a few beads with silver foil and haven't had that problem? And loads of silver glass too. I wonder what's happened there ???
Quote from: awrylemming on October 31, 2011, 08:37:22 PM
I don't know. I encased quite a few beads with silver foil and haven't had that problem? And loads of silver glass too. I wonder what's happened there ???
Me neither... and I never make a bead without tons of silver glass and usually leaf too....
Maybe wait slightly less time before putting them in the kiln... perhaps they're getting just a wee bit too cold.
Thanks for the feedback. Will try again this weekend. Maybe I was gazing at the lovely clarity of the glass for too long before popping in the kiln :D
I was teaching this weekend and we had a go at Zephyr stringer on transparent beads, then we etched them.
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/P1160194.jpg)
Cool 8) There are a few glasses that don't etch eg cirrus, see here: http://frantznewsletter.com/cirrus-and-the-other-cloudy-glass-colors-from-cim :)
It looks beautiful - I love the non etching element - but I'm being good - I can't afford to fall in love with it! ::)
I'm assuming that it will, of course, tumble to get the etched effect?
I've just got some, and I love it! ;D
I know this is an old thread but Zephyr does etch with Etchall - I made a set of beads with partial encasement which were in the fluid for an hour - the encasement etched :( It was definately Zephyr I used.
That might be because you left them in for an hour! If the fluid is fresh, you only need leave beads in for around 5 minutes or so, up to 15 minutes if the etching fluid is looking old and brown, like coke (which mine is!).
Crikey! An hour!!! ::)
I was busy melting! I have left beads that long before - it's no issue ordinarily or with nail varnish etc - but just a heads up, that if you go off and do something else and forget about it that Zephyr does etch!! ;D
Quote from: Lush! on March 12, 2012, 02:26:23 PM
That might be because you left them in for an hour! If the fluid is fresh, you only need leave beads in for around 5 minutes or so, up to 15 minutes if the etching fluid is looking old and brown, like coke (which mine is!).
Mine is like that, it's okay to use?
Yep, it's fine, keep using it till it's gone - it just takes longer, that's all :)
Mine looks like blood which has been left in the sun then been chewed on and spat out, all gloopy. I did some etching yesterday and it did take ages.
I thought Zephyr doesn't etch? Going to now have to change some of my ideas now ::)
Read further up the page, Denise - if you leave the beads in long enough, they probably will etch eventually, but probably not completely. If your fluid is really old though, you might have to leave them in a whole day for it to work!! :D :D
Ah, will have a read ta. So my ideas are not totally wasted then :D Those beads are great Kay, not sure if I said that already.