Many questions of a newbie nature

[k00m]

Okay, I have tons of questions that I've been meaning to ask, so rather than asking them one at a time I've saved them all up to ask in one big chunk!

Umm, if it's relevant to any of my questions, I'm on a Hot Head (bulk fuel), using a fibre blanket with no kiln of my own.

• Is there a way to stop Dark Turquoise turning mucky grey? (And petrol green, and some random purples  )
• Is there a way to remove the mucky gray afterwards?
• Can you encase 96 CoE frit? Do I just have to stick to the 5%/10% rule?
• Is it possible to use the posh silver glasses with a hot head and no kiln?
• How do you get that textured effect with ivory glass (the sort of curdled one)? Is it possible on a hot head?
• Is there a red that doesn't turn brown when stretched? My grandmother loves gravity beads and the colour red, so I wanted to make her a set, but none of the reds I have stay red when I stretch them.
• Whereabouts do fellow hot head users do stringer work (in relation to the flame)? I can't find that magic spot where I actually have control of the stringer. It's either no movement or complete lack of control.
• Etching beads: do they need to be annealed and cleaned before you etch them?
• Where can I get murrini from (UK supplier preferably)? I don't want a lot, just some to try out to see if I like them or not.

Thank you for being bombarded by all those questions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 

[princess pink]

hello!

Right

1. yes it's turning mucky because the propane is too high, difficult to turn down on a hot head but work further away from flame
2. yes coke or cillit bang will get rid of murkiness or light etching
3. yes but stick to 5% rule
4. YUP! stick to reducing glasses such as triton, aurae, ekho, helios, kalypso, clio etc
5. try cim sangre
6. i find the sweet spot to be a little to the right and a little below cone of flame but every torch is different and i'm on a minor
7. yes anneal and clean before etching
8. speak to kaz about murrini, she might even be able to do you a little sample pack of different ones. In fact pm me your address and i'll send you some as i've got murrini coming out of my ears!

hope that helps! x

[SilverGems89]

i'll do these in the order you asked

1. Work higher in the flame, the mucky/murky colours are caused by either reduction or burning/scorching, work higher and a bit cooler and all your problems should be solved!
2. Coke or Cillit bang will remove surface reduction (but not scorching).
3. Yes you can encase 96 coe frit, yes stick to the 5-10% rule.
4. Absolutely, most of the reduction silver glasses work beautifully with the hot head.
5. The curdled ivory look is achieved with silver, rolling ivory in silver leaf/foil, burnishing and then melting the silver achieves the look, very easy to do on a hot head.
6. Try CIM Sangre and working cool, should work fine!
7. I do my stringer work off to the right hand side of the flame up near the top, never directly in the flame, far too uncontrollable!
8. Beads need to be annealed before etching otherwise they go smooth again, and yes cleaned before.
9. Tuffnells sell cheapy effetre murrini but for something much nicer i would recommend our very own Kaz - Cheeky Cherub found here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/kazkebab

HTH  

[SilverGems89]

Cross posted with Shahlaa 

[The Tartan Trout]

Or Jolene has some new murrini for sale

http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=29570.0;topicseen

[Veebee]

Reichenbach Garnet Red is wonderful and works fine on a Hot Head, keep it a little further out in the flame. As for silver glasses, I agree with what has been mentioned, but why not give Reichenbach Silver Brown a try first, it's way cheaper for practising silver glass and can give some stunning results! 

[ScarletLeonard]

I'm on a hot head and seems everyone has already given you the answers.

As for the stringers I've only just found my torches sweet spot but I found mine eventually by tacking the end of the stringer onto the bead then come in at the side just above the blue cone tip then slowly move towards the flame. You will get a point where the stringer will melt just enough to wrap around. Dependant on the thickness of the stringer the distance changes. For thin stringers it doesn't look like you are even in the flame. 

Eventually you will be able to go right to the spot.

[Lotti]

I like effetre mid red, am using it alot at the moment.  This oganic bead is made with (amongst other things) the mid red.



Lightly etching turquoise beads can help to get rid of the black marks, you only need about a second.  Make sure of course that you thoroughly rinse the beads in a solution of bicarb of soda and then water afterwards.

[sarah t]

http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=353.0

silvered ivory tutorial for the marble /dry stone wall  effect 

[k00m]

Wow, thank you everyone for your answers! Awesomely helpful. 
I shall try out everything you've suggested this week.

[fionaess]

Just to bust an urban myth - beads can be etched before they are annealed - the annealing temperature for 104 glass is not high enough to turn the outer surface of the bead smooth again.