Help - Northstar Amber Purple wont strike!

[stuwaudby]

I got some Northstar amber purple from creativeglass at the weekend (they have a decent stock) and just cant get it to strike. Northstar say use a very oxygen rich flame to develop the purple and back off to neutral to get the yellow. However much I cook it using oxy rich or neutral the best I can get is a smudge of yellow. Frustratingly the end of the rod goes a lovely purple!

I am using twin oxycons, propane and a Nortel midrange plus.

Any suggestions welcome.

Stu

[garishglobes]

Ahhh, the end of the rod syndrome...I know it well  

Amber purple is less saturated than double amber purple so may not go quite the same deep rich colours, but it will still strike. Have you tried, just as a test, making a small spacer on a mandrel? Get the glass really hot, so hot that it goes clear and any visible haze is burnt right off. Then add a bit more heat just for fun. The haze can also be nice but it stops the really clear funky bright colours.
Then cool it right down till it stops glowing (without your dark glasses on, not glowing!), turn the flame down a smidge (you don't have to but it helps at first) and waft it around right at the end. You'll know when you've got it because that clear gradually darkens. Get it too hot and the strike'll go. You are aiming to grow silver crystals at the right rate here, and they need just the right temperature to work best.
If you can do that, try doing the same but encased... and then try using it as decoration... and so on. Boro works differently depending on what it is with and what you are doing, when you are heating and how much....and to me the fun is working all that out.

And I'm really sorry if you've read all that and now want to shout at me and tell me you've tried all that....its just what I used to do if I had trouble.

And....finally... I used NS Aurora as a base for Amber Purple yesterday for the first time in well over a year (having thrown Aurora firmly into my Never Touch pile!) and it was stunning!! So I guess a lot of it just comes with practice...

[Steampunkglass]

I've had the same problem too, GA Triple purple and Northstar Silver creek is slightly darker as they are more concentrated, but even these I have days when they don't strike!  

The one thing I did find was I wasn't always heating them enough to get all the fume out, try a more agressive heating. Then let it cool really well, at least 20 seconds, until it's stopped glowing, then reheat to get the strike. I've read to heat in the coolest part of the flame, but sometimes I've found a fast reheat in the normal flame works best - it's really trial and error to find the best part of the flame to heat it in.

Once it's started to strike if you take it out, let it cool a little, then pop it back in a cool part of the flame sometimes you can get the strike to carry on, and turns much, much darker.

Hope thats some help, although I too am open to any hints too!

[Steampunkglass]

Doh, I seem to have crossed posted! Wot Emma said!  Also try amber purple over a base to opaque cherry red, makes a great purple even when it doesn't strike fully 

[Mary]

Brent Graber recommends kiln striking only, he doesn't flame strike at all, and he gets some spectacular colours.

[garishglobes]

Wonder what annealing schedule he uses?
I used to always flame strike, though recently I've started putting in a higher temperature part for the kiln schedule to strike reds and some purples in the kiln. I like flame striking because I can see what I've got before I've finished, and I think it is useful to know how to do it because of the glass knowledge it provides, but I do wonder if kiln striking offers a deeper strike because it allows a more even heat control.

[beadysam]

Oh boy, I'm just about to get another oxycon so I can play with boro properly.  This is going to be a huge learning curve isn't it...?  I've only played with un named shorts and clear so far, although I have plenty of colours waiting to be studied - looks like there are going to be a few fuglies on the route to boro splendor!  I can't wait!

[stuwaudby]

Thanks all -

Right - Kylie's on the CD player, one glass of wine down - here we go again. Picture to follow in 30 mins....

[garishglobes]

Ahhhh, I forgot to mention....boro likes wine

Sam, it is a learning curve but a really good one

[stuwaudby]

Ahh - 5 Stock Aitken &Waterman tracks later and here is the results:

Here are the attempts in order:

(Excuse the vermiculite, they are still hot.)




A stright striked amber purple bead - note still no purple!


Here is one with a red inner tube (is that purple?) - red seems to help get the reaction going !


And finally here is one with red dots, covered in amber purple dots.


Cant say I'm satisifed yet - but getting there.


Wine and Kylie definatly helps

[beadysam]

SA&W aren't a requirement if you play with boro are they?   If so I may have to have a serious rethink!!!!

[garishglobes]

Ahhhh, you should be so lucky 

Red under the amber purple may well help, just don't use Elvis.... it is a fabulous colour, but it tends to make the amber purple go stringy.

[stuwaudby]

After much playing I have finally sussed it:

Flame strike the gold purple a couple of time to get the milky / yellow colour (sometimes a bit of purple).

Pop it in the kiln.

Give it a good hard cooking for a couple of hours!

I have found that 680 DegC gives a mix of colours. 700 DegC gives a strong purple.