Which Clear?

[ShinySnail]

Just making my list of stuff to buy at the end of the month... I have been saving up and almost have my workspace built wooo!

I'm not sure which is the best clear rod to order, I have heard good things about both Effetre 591006 and Vetrofond.

Please could somebody advise which I should go for?

[Veebee]

006 is my fave, though Double Helix Aether is supposed to be good for silver glass I think?

[MyPrecious]

Vetrofond has always been my favourite.

[Shirley]

Lauscha - still my favourite

[stuwaudby]

My experience with Vetrofond clear was not good. Too much oxygen and it fizzed, too little and it blackened. I find Effetre is OK but still has to be handled carefully.

Bullseye clear is great. Plowden and Thompsons 93 COE clear is excellent. Neither can be mixed with COE 104.

Stu

[Krysia@No98]

Lauscha - still my favourite

This I would agree with.

But if you are just starting to use clear for encasing I would recommend Effetre 006 and I know that Martin was doing it as stringer at one point, personally I found stringer was a good way to learn to encase without overloading the bead with clear glass.  Cim clear is nice to use too but I haven't studied it for clarity

[Trudi]

Vetrofond clear - I find you get Scum like bubbles with this, shame as it melts like butter

Lauscha is lovely - but expensive and has a tendency to crack with too much silver glass

My favourite is effetre 006 - great price and works great (don't touch the 004)

for Bullseye - I use the Schott glass - melts like butter and cheaper then BE

CIM - I really need to try again, last time I tried it I got a bad batch, and I haven't tried since.

Reichenbach do some too - not really tried much!

[Dizzy Di]

 Effetre Crystal clear

Its cheap and doesn't burn or scum easily, just pull the end off new rods to get rid of cut scum off rod.

Dianne

[AnnaSpanna]

I generally use Effetre 006 and find it to be the best kind of "all rounder". I have some reichenbach which I do like but tend to only use it when I make entirely reichenbach beads (just becasue I like to keep things in the family I guess) but it works well on other glasses too. I have just got some CIM clear and I actually really like it but haven't used it enough to say whether I would use in in preference to 006.

If you are just starting out then you simply cannot go wrong with effetre 006 TBH. There is no point investing in the expensive stuff like aether until you can get the basics - you won't ruin anything by using 006. Just avoid 004 like the plague - it is only any good for being used as a core for a larger bead with another colour on top! If you try and encase with it you are nigh on guaranteed to be disappointed with the result.

[MangoBeads]

Lausha for everything but silver glass which I use 006 for

[loribeads]

I love Lauscha, Reichenbach (not the soft clear - the other one), and Aether. 
I use the Lauscha for everyday stuff.
I use Reichenbach for encasing reduction glass.
I use Aether for encasing particularly brilliant beads, encasing striking silverglass beads and for any time I need a really soft clear.  It's amazing for encasing murrini.

[Les]

I cried, the day my lauscha stash, bought from our Sal, ran out ... I haven't managed to buy any since.
I've heard only good things about 006 crystal clear though
I'm stuck with a batch of 004 clear... and it's scummy as hell

[mariag]

I cried, the day my lauscha stash, bought from our Sal, ran out ... I haven't managed to buy any since.
I've heard only good things about 006 crystal clear though
I'm stuck with a batch of 004 clear... and it's scummy as hell

Les, Off Mandrell sell Lauscha clear

[beadysam]

I've just got the Reich Soft in stock.  I had heard it was scummy and bubbly so I didn't buy much, but I'm pleased to find out (today, I've been playing) that actually, its pretty good.  You only get bubbles if you cook it, and as its soft its easy to do that, just work a bit higher in the flame and you have got yourself a nice clear.  Reich ordinary clear is good too.  Lauscha has to be my fave but, after a few hours looking at my boxes of beads with a polarizing filter, I'm reluctant to use it now.  Shame because I really, really love it.  I'll just have to buy more Lauscha colours to use it up with eh?

I've still got about 4kg of Vetro clear that was heralded as being fab, but actually had scratch lines down the length of each rod that bubble and scum....  Still not impressed about that purchase.

[Trudi]

I really don't like vetro clear - it melts like butter but it scums a little every time you put the rod back in the flame!