Clio - GRRRR

[beads-on-toast]

Hi guys

I have been trying clio AGAIN

And no - poop - organic - grey murkyness

ARGH

Someone mentioned before i might have a rubbishy rod and to try again but i dont want to waste my money.

Im melting it on - quick flash through reduction flame and zilch!! i want the vibrant glow everyone else seems to achieve

What am i doing wrong here is the pic!!!

left to right in order of success!!


beadwrong 002 by beadsontoast, on Flickr

[helbels]

Are you encasing it?

If you want to get pinks with Clio, apply it over a light base, then super heat, rapidly cool, watch it turn to amber (striking it).  Then a very quick waft through a reduction flame (and I mean, really fast), then encase in clear.

[beads-on-toast]

OOHHHHH

Striking then reduction???

Is that it???

I was melting on just normal heat - not striking - reduction and then encase

BAH!!!

Im such a tool

[The Tartan Trout]

Bet i still get poo...shall we compare B on T?

[helbels]

It is still possible to get poo this way - the key is to get the reduction right.  If you reduce too much or too little it will effect your pinks.  Oh, and I think this only works if you garage your beads.  I've tried when batch annealing and not had a whiff of pink.

[hollergrafik]

heat the bejesus out of it, like its going to drip off of the mandrel

[beads-on-toast]

ok so heat heat heat til like honey

then firm

then strike

then reduce

then encase?

What does the bead look like reduced?

gold shine? blue? grey?

[suzielaws]

When you encase it can help to encase then cool the bead again before you melt the clear on and finish the bead.

[helbels]

When you reduce, you want to wait until you see the metallic shine, but don't go any further.  Once you have encased and melted in your clear, then if your bead looks vaguely blueish when it goes into the kiln, that's a good sign (or it has been so far for me!)

[MadelineBunyan]

what colour are the rods?

I have had three different ones, brownish ones were fab, pretty lilac ones were pants, and the other was sort of in between the two and was well behaved. the lilac one really did not like to strike at all. the others strike really easily.

(that's in fluorescent lighting, they look different in sunlight or incandescent)

[princess pink]

Hi Anna
You need to let the bead get supper cool before you reduce it. I turn propane up and look for a hint of a mirror finish, like a silver blue colour and then quickly encase. Rods do vary, greeny ones were my fav!

[Trudi]

And as you're melting in the clear, keep taking it out of the flame and let the glow go before continuing.