Black Nebula

[Hil]

Its very very different to intense black and my golly it is stunning! Its a reducing glass and does funky things like this:

WOW!!!  I love these!  Would a newbie like me be able to make them go this colour?  Would I have to melt the glass in a neutral flame.  Let the bead cool a bit, then turn up propane and flick it through top of yellow flame?  Would the blues come then or in the kiln?

Soz if I'm being a bit derrrrr about this!!

Hil x

[Soo]

Yes, come on give us a clue!!!!! 

My black nebula frit arrived yesterday ThankQ Glassworks!

So, I've had two days at it, I've only made 8-10 beads with it (some are in the kiln now cooling off) and all I've succeeded in doing (with my hothead)  is making beads with black bits on them. Not unattractive in itself but nothing like the ones posted here.

I have managed to get some frits to reduce in the past but nothing I try on black nebula works. So far I have superheated it to the point of the glass gravity drooping so I've got lines not dots, cooling and reheating gently. Then I tried the same superheating, cooling and reheating fast. Heating normally, cooling down and reheating very gently (ditto and superheating at the end). Repeated heating, cooling, heating, cooling. I also made a bead melted the frit in and then flattened it and reheated; that's usually a sure-fire way for me to get some kind of reducing reaction but zero!!! How do you do it guys??

[Kaz]

Are you OK Soo - sounds  like you went into a bit of a meltdown there
Kaz

[Soo]

  I must admit it I was in a melting frenzy this morning for half an hour but I'm fine now!

I don't seem to have the knack of reduction at all - it's normally an accident if it happens for me! I have read so many times that it's easy to do with a Hothead because all you've got is a reduction flame when using Propane, it's mildly irritating when it isn't easy! 

It's probably one of those things that will just 'click' like stringers did.

[Sulis (Hazel)]

Hi Soo,

I haven't yet had the joy of trying Black Nebula, but on my trusty hot head I used to have a tin-foil collar that I used to cover the air intake holes on the side of the torch. I made it with a tin foil handle on the side so I could slide it up and down to make a stronger reduction flame whenever needed. I think this is quite a common modification that I probably picked up from the lovely people on this forum at the time!  I don't know if this would work on your Black Nebula, but it may be worth a try? Just be careful not to overdo holding it in a very reducing flame as you tend to get a very sooty bead that way 

Hope that helps.  x

[Soo]

That sounds very interesting and a very useful tip, thanks!

I saw a photograph of a Hothead recently hereabouts - might have been yours! - and I nearly asked what was going on with the tinfoil. I want to try this NOW (I am a very impatient person!) but the kiln is cooling off from this morning's attempts. I'll give it another go tomorrow and report back.

[Sulis (Hazel)]

Lol! Good for you Soo! I don't know if it'll be any good for your black nebula, but you could try the same tip on any reducing glass. Just watch out that you don't accidently touch the torch when you are fiddling with the foil for the last few flashes through!

[Soo]

Indeed! I have made my foil cover with a handle (excellent idea) so it's easy to pull on and off so I'm all set. (sigh) Why does a watched kiln never cool?!

[Sarah]

Hi Soo - It sounds like you're trying to strike it rather than reduce it 

If you're on a hothead then follow Hazel's advice with a tin foil collar  Shape the bead first then just waft it in & out of the flame to get the colours.

If you're on a minor you can just turn up the propane (or turn down the oxygen) to get the yellow flame.

Sarah

[Shirley]

The other way to get a reduction on a hothead is to put the bead in exactly the wrong place - the dark cone near the bottom of the flame. Works really well

[Soo]

Gosh, I haven't put a bead there in months! Something else to try tomorrow, thanks all, watch this space!

[Sulis (Hazel)]

Oooh, can't wait to see the results of your experiments! 

[Soo]

I have achieved intentional reduction! I'm amazed how quick it happens! Either method is working for me (tin foil or putting the bead directly in the Hot head cone). I now have a variety of different shiny beads using black nebula frit on different coloured backgrounds. The amount of flashing (oo-er!) you do through the flame affects the colour? (or am I imagining it?) They're not quite as exciting as Hil's beads but who knows with more playing? I will take some photographs and post the evidence soon!

Off topic but a related query I have is that I quite often get an accidental unwanted reduction on my orange blossom frit (which I love unreduced) usually when I squish the bead for lentils/tabs and then reheat to get rid of the tool marks. Apparently (I read in the Kimberley Adams book) you can reverse the reaction a limited number of times by reheating in a neutral flame. I haven't managed to do that using my Hot head, I assume I will be able to when I move to dual fuel? Or is it the case that when I am using dual fuel, I won't get accidental reduction at all?

[Hil]

......They're not quite as exciting as Hil's beads but who knows with more playing? I will take some photographs and post the evidence soon!

Wish they were my beads, but alas they're Claire's (Rowanberry's)!!!!

It's been an interesting read and I must get some of this glass soon.

Hil x

[Les]

Soo... I can't really remember too much about working with a HH, but, yeh.... on a duel fuel torch you can 'clean' the bead by wacking up the oxygen for a bit and bathing the bead in the flame for a mo

xxx