Basically 2 questions...both for interest
1) Favourite Frits
Does everybody else like me have a favourite frit which you cant help yourself but use...In my case it is Winter Blues from Val Cox Frit. But also like Blue Chalcondy from beadbug (Sorry if spely it wrong). I find I almost have to physically restrain myself from using those two when I decide to use frit.
2) Imperfect beads.
Now this is a common issue I have. By imperfect I am meaning beads that dont match what you intended to make or those that arent right by the rule book. eg made a bead that I was initially very disappointed with....Used Effetre White, Val Cox Winter Blues #0 frit and then encased in Effetre 006 clear...then on a whim put it in a lentil bead press as was just wondering what happened. WHilst I loved most of the bead as there was too much glass it looked much like a flying saucer. But as I looked at it a kinda fell in love with it. It is currently sat in a kiln so am hoping it will survive as the excess glass that squished out of teh side of the lentil press is quite thin. I think it will make a nice pendant if put another smaller bead on the bottom to help prevent any cord pulling through....when it appears out of the kiln will try and get a piccy so you can see what I mean.
Look forward to seeing it, Richard.
Nick
If it happens again, you could reheat the excess bits of glass and pull them away with tweezers if you want just the lentil shape.
i have a round roller, I have worked out which round corresponds to the lentil glass requirements so I can make a round fritty bead and press in the lentil knowing there is going to be the right amount of glass. I must write down which round matches which lentil as I have to go through an eeny meeny miney mo each time when I start!
Hi,
Got to be Iris Orange for me, its not a blend but it just works on so many colours.
Cheers,
Martin
Tuffnell Glass
My favourite is the Gaffer glass Chalcedony, COE 96. See http://www.michaelhengler.com/educational/chalcedony/
Unsurprisingly my UFO bead died a beady death in the kiln. I did think about pulling the excess off when making it. Do seem to remember some advice from redhotsal about using bluetac to make a lentil or other shape in a press. And then ball it up on a mandrel to get the size bead needed for what shape. So suspect will be doing that soon. Will have to play with the iris orange some more.
In the world of 104, I have to agree with Martin - Iris Orange (aka "Raku" I think?) is a fantastically versatile glass and it works especially well in frit form. In the world of borosilicate my favourite frit by a long way is plain and simple clear - working outside in the garden with a protective face mask I make bucketloads of it, grade it into several sizes and use it all the time. You can get a whole range of fantastic effects, particularly with reactive colours, just rolling your base bead (or marble, or egg) in varying amounts and various grades...
(http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx215/aj-da/frit.jpg) (http://s757.photobucket.com/user/aj-da/media/frit.jpg.html)