Red trouble - Reichenbach strawberry all dark grey!

Mand · January 17, 2011, 09:34:02 AM

HI

What am i doing wrong? I used to be quite good at getting CIM Sangria to turn a lovely berry red. I got some Reichenbach Strawberry before Xmas and all it does is turn a dark grey - even when it comes out of the kiln. Pants! What am I doing wrong? It's not the gas as I've got a new cannister and it's exactly the same results as before I changed it and then it wasn't even empty.

Mand

Trudi · January 17, 2011, 09:36:18 AM

Grey sounds odd, but it could be to do with your oxy/propane mix.

I've had Sangria go murky before because of this - made beads the next day and they were fine.

Mand · January 17, 2011, 09:38:32 AM

What number should I have the oxycon at? I've been using it at between 4 and 5 bars - although closer to 5 usually?

Trudi · January 17, 2011, 09:50:55 AM

It just needs to be a good mix witht the propane, but you could try working it a little cooler between 3 and 4.

Redhotsal · January 17, 2011, 10:55:32 AM

As Trudi says - work it as cool as you can with a bit more oxygen than normal. It does sound as if it has reduced - wonder if you can etch the top layer of murk off with a few seconds of etch like you can with the dark turquoise? It could also possibly be the glass itself.

Mand · January 17, 2011, 11:05:09 AM

Off to the shed to give it ago at a cooler temp...

Trudi · January 17, 2011, 12:31:43 PM

Good luck, let us know how you get on!

JKC · January 17, 2011, 01:47:45 PM

That has happened to me with that glass in the past, some grey, some worked fine, I think I was overheating. Never tried the etching, might if I can find the old beads.

Yellow friend · January 17, 2011, 02:05:41 PM

I think a lot of the reds are prone to discolouration (pos their chemical content?) if worked too hot or with too much propane - took me a while to get this in my head when using rubino oro in particular. I now always shift a bit further away from the torch head when using reds.

Shelia

Mand · January 17, 2011, 07:02:23 PM

OK. Put the Reichenbach strawb. bead into etching solution for a couple of hours. Have managed to scrub most of the residue of grey off with a scourer, but the glass underneath is scorched-looking in places. It looks quite passable in a "distressed" kind of way! $:-\$

I got carried away playing with bluestone ribbon and then my new Kalypso rods

so I ran out of time to test more Strawberry in making beads today. I turned the oxy down to 3-4 bars, but my 3 attempts at Kalypso encased "a la Pegasus tutorial" beads are mainly beigish with a few streaks of pink? What does this mean? Izzit the torch or am I not heating the glass right?? I feel like I'm a frikkin newbie all over again even though I've been at this malarky 3 years +. (No offence to newbies intended, I'm just very frustrated!) I don't think I'll ever get the hang of more than basic effetre glass tbh.

Carol · January 17, 2011, 07:37:10 PM

Quote from: Mand on January 17, 2011, 07:02:23 PM
my 3 attempts at Kalypso encased "a la Pegasus tutorial" beads are mainly beigish with a few streaks of pink? What does this mean? Izzit the torch or am I not heating the glass right?? I feel like I'm a frikkin newbie all over again even though I've been at this malarky 3 years +.

I feel your pain - I'm just glad I only bought a few rods of the stuff......(and I've been at this malarkey 4 years plus

)

JKC · January 17, 2011, 07:52:55 PM

Mind elsewhere, all of my beads for the whole week rhyme with rap.

Sometimes, AAAAArgh, feels like you go backwards.