Tungsten Question

[Stacy]

Now we have these new boards are we putting questions specific to those into the boards or the original boards....

Feel free to move this one if it should be in the tips on the main board.

Q: I have a Tungsten pick which I use to make pendant loops but its going a bit 'manky'... also its leaving residue inside the loop once it does make its way through.

I'm putting the tungsten on the edge of the flame so its just getting hot enough to go through but am wondering if I'm still overheating it?
If I move any further out of the flame it doesn't want to go through the glass?

Any ideas?

[garishglobes]

I don't know, I think that while some people might use tungsten for soft glass pendants, it is particularly relevant to boro ones, so I'm leaving this here!

The yellow crud on the pick is sulphur, get a piece of steel wool and just scrape it off. I've always found you need to get the pick a bit hot to go through the glass, the trick is to get it just glowing while having the glass also just glowing (but not moving!!) so that it will go through. For this, I've always needed it right at the edge of the flame - so as far as I can see you can't avoid getting sulphur on it, but it will sand off, and apparently you can also resharpen the pick too if you have the right tool.

[Ian Pearson]

I have used pointed Tungsten rod to make holes in borosilicate. Top of flame and twisting Tungsetn very fast. Fierce flame just licking Tungsten, glass out of flame. Residue can be burnt off. Easier to do I think than describe.

Ian