Gold and silver fuming

[Buzzybead]

Is it true that you can't fume beads with a Hothead? Any advice gratefully received.

[Isabelle]

I'm sure you could fume beads with a hothead - but you need a respirator!!

[Buzzybead]

Is that a mask? I have one which is suitable for using with silver/enamel etc. Would that do?

[Isabelle]

I'm not too sure - I only know that they say it's dangerous because the silver gets vapourised.

[Mary]

It needs to be more than a dust mask, it needs to stop smaller particles. Make sure you have proper ventilation, you need an extractor too! Someone on LE was posting how she fumed without proper ventilation and got really sick.

[Buzzybead]

My mask is a PS3, suitable for working with poisons etc. BUT, I work in a garage with no real ventilation system other than a door. It's too risky at the moment I think, but I am encouraged to know that I could use a HH to fume.

[GlassOcean]

Sorry, what is fuming?

[Buzzybead]

Not 100% sure, but everyone else seems to be doing it, so I want a piece of the action. It seems that you burn a piece of silver or gold and waft a bead through the fumes/vapours. Got a kit from Di Eat and I'm itching to give it a go.

[GlassOcean]

I am still confused, I am rubbish with silver, I tried using the silver frit I bought, it looked awful, I think I may be doing something wrong!

[Buzzybead]

I'm not good either - my silver frit tends to stain the glass it sits on and turns a manky goldish colour. Have you tried silvered ivory stringer? That's a cinch to make and looks very effective. Silver leaf or foil can look stunning too.

[Mary]

In boro, the colour is sometimes all from fuming clear glass! Gold fume looks pink, silver fume looks hazy blue.
In soft glass, on the surface, silver fume looks iridescent blue, like some of the effects you get from DH glass. Gold can look pink, or like gold metal. Some very cool effects!

I think it's quite tricky to do. I tried it once and got nothing much.

Anyway, here is some reading! Pics in the first one, tutorial in the second, and cutionary tale in the third.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39614&highlight=fuming
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11407&highlight=fuming
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55495&highlight=fuming

[Buzzybead]

Ooh thanks Mary. Especially the cautionary tale - it's all too easy to forget the health and safety issues attached to glass work.

[Sulis (Hazel)]

At £4 for 5 masks, (plus postage) we have no excuse!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5x-3M-8825-Valved-Dust-Mist-Metal-Mask-Fume-Respirator_W0QQitemZ190172993293QQihZ009QQcategoryZ141064QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

These are suitable for metal fuming.

That cautionary tale has really made me think. Thanks so much Mary. I've been using lots of silver leaf today and my chest a little tight. I'm off to buy some masks before I do any more work with silver.

[GlassOcean]

That cautionary tale scared me into Travis Perkins today to get a mask!!! 

Those you listed Hazel are a lot cheaper though, even with the 20% trade discount!