unlabelled clear

[Glassy Lou]

I decided to get the year off to a good start by having a glass audit.
It was going well until I discovered 50+ unlabelled rods of clear at the bottom of a drawer.
Does anyone know if there's a way of telling the different makes apart? My hunch is that it's 004 but I just wanted to know for sure...
cheers guys

Louise

[squirsygirl]

dunno, but if you want to sell it - I'm your gal!

Kirsty

[fosterfire]

If you have both ends cut evenly, neither end melted, there is a general way of telling various 104 clears apart.  Lauscha clears have a greenish end, Moretti-Effetre-Vetro clears have a more yellow end. You can actually use this information to your advantage when casing to make some colors look cooler or warmer depending on which clear you use.  

As for telling 104 apart from boro or 90 COE, you can use a pull test.  Take one rod you know to be a certain COE and another you're not sure about.  Heat the ends together and pull into a fat stringer.  I would suggest you don't do a huge amount, more like 8cm or so.  Is it bends when it cools then they are different COEs.  A small bend is not significant, if they are different COEs the bend will be easily noticeable.  I have been told the pull test is not 100% effective if the COEs are close, but it gives you a place to start.

[Glassy Lou]

Thanks for that - I know for sure it's 104 and the rods are more greenish than yellowish...

[Kalorlo]

It can vary, though: the Lauscha soft clear I have is slightly blue-tinged when you look down the end, the standard clear is clear.

(At least I think it's that way round... Am not at home right now!)

My Effetre crystal clear is clear.