Encasing

[beadammed]

What glass do you think is best for encasing.  I've noticed some beads look very clear and don't know if it's due to skill (most probably), type of glass (hopefully) or a mixture of the two.  I particularly appreciate Kathy's ( My Precious) encased beads.
Mine never look as shiney as others'

[Les]

I think I'm using vetro clear at the mo..... it's all unlabelled, but I'm 99.99% sure I ran out of Effetre clear aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagessssss back....

It goes lovely and soft and is ever so clear

xxx

[MyPrecious]

Vetrofond clear is great for encasing! 

[GlassOcean]

I love encasing but I am not very good at it!!  I use Vetro Crystal Clear but manage to burn it quite often.  I am on a hothead.

[turnedlight]

I use vetro clear too.. when you start a rod it's a good idea to pull off the very end, also I find it helps to heat the rod by holding the tip pointing up until the very small pointy end or sharp edges are 'absorbed' into the gather, so it doesn't boil. I do sometimes get sooty streaks though.. still haven't worked out why, because it's only sometimes.. (I'm on a hothead too).

[Diane]

The last lot of Vetrofond I had was excellent but I had one batch which will be returned to Martin at Nantwich - that was full of black bits.  Martin was great about replacement I have to say - sent package by next post.

Diane x

[Caroline]

i use Lauscha clear or if i'm encasing silvered glass then i use dimond clear

[Redhotsal]

All the Vetrofond Clear I have is really not good at all. I have seen and used good batches but it seems to me to be a bit hit and miss. Mine looks a bit cloudy and I get very very fine air bubbles which convert to a white scummy trail on the bead. I'm sick of having to peel the wretched stuff off.
I currently use CIM clear which is lovely but expensive.
I'm ordering in a load of Lauscha Clear which is one of the best (and cheaper) options in my opinion although you can have some compatibility issues.

[GlassOcean]

Sorry to hijack, is the lauscha a different CoE Sal?

[littlegiggles]

its the same CoE but sometime different glass brands misbehave together... sometimes glasses in the same range misbehave

[Shirley]

Isn't Lauscha 105? Don't know how much of a difference that is in the scheme of things.

[TiaraHelen]

Ooh, loads of tips here on why my encasing is so rubbish (or maybe it's just a lack of PPP?). Please keep them coming....

[fionaess]

I use Vetro clear having had no luck at all with Effetre clear... nasty stuff, hard to melt and easy to burn.  I have tried Lauscha clear which is lush, but more expensive than Vetro and because Im a newbie a bit of a waste on my efforts.

[mindy23]

Just a quick note about the lauscha clear, I saw on QUintons Glasworks site that Lauscha have brought out a new clear with less compatability issues and I think it works a bit softer too.  Lauscha seems to sparkle more to me.  I've found vetrofond a hit or miss too, I'm sick of the rods having bubbles in them, you can see it in the rods before you start, I cant tell you how much glass I've consigned to the bottom drawer.... Drives you crazy picking it all out and if you've been trying to encase then its just a nightmare.
THe last lot of vetro clear I got though was fab.