CIM Cirrus Woes

[♥♥Tan♥♥]

ooo any plans on where your going to get a glass crusher from???

[Trudi]

Tuffnells sell them!
There are so many other things I need to spend my pennies on first though!

[*rowanberry*]

the tempramental batch all depends on what batch I think, how long ago did you buy that cirrus?

[Trudi]

Crikey - I think just after Q started stocking it!

[glassworks]

i have had 4 batches in total - three from mike and the restock from martin.. we're trying to figure out which of the batches the rowanberry glass came from - we have had no reports from mike of kathy about any dodgy batches at all in the states - so we are a little perplexed.. we ask that if there is any at all of the dodgy rods left to please get them posted to us so we can forward them to kathy..

[Trudi]

Hi

If I'm careful I am managing to use it - just so you can check it out can i send you craked shards??
And what address do I use?

Thanks
Trudi

[glassworks]

either...

[*rowanberry*]

I cant send you mine Q as I cant work out what came from what batch as I used 2 batches in that session.

My first batch that worked nice, that was bought just after you got it I think Q.

Of course the second batch problem could have just been me being crap of course...

[Kathy Seamands]

I just want to jump in here to clarify.  Cirrus is a very temperamental glass - that is nothing out of the ordinary.

I have reviewed my testing records and, with the exception of Claire's discovery about the batch that turned opaque (which is Tuffnell's shipment), there is not a bad batch.

Our testers for the most part describe Cirrus as "testy," "shocky," "sensitive," etc.  Unfortunately this happens to be the working properties of a glass that will not turn opaque even if you work it for a long time and anneal it properly. 

We formulated Cirrus to respond to requests for moonstones, and many of those who were hoping for just such a milk glass have been very happy with it.  However, it is tricky.

I've posted feedback and quotes from our testers here so you can get a feel for the working properties: http://www.creationismessy.com/Color/08Neutral/Cirrus.aspx.

As with any glass, I understand that some people will avoid Cirrus because of its working properties.  I wish I could say we could make every color easy to use but unfortunately that is unrealistic. 

I hope if any of you have suggestions or ideas that would be helpful to contribute to our Web site about working with Cirrus, that you will e-mail me at Kathy@creationismessy.com.

Thanks,
Kathy

[glassworks]

thanks for that kathy

[Kathy Seamands]

I thought you might all want to know that the air shipment of Cirrus replacements has arrived at Tuffnell.  This batch of Cirrus will not turn opaque like Claire's batch.

Thanks again, Claire, for discovering the batch mix up!

[*rowanberry*]

No probs

Also i thought i'd point out that I have been playing with Cirrus again yesterday - and both batches from Q and directly from Kathy were fine, not shocky and cracking like when I had originally posted about it here. It seemed to behave very well.

The only time I got a crack was when I made a massive tree bead focal - I think with Cirrus unless you have to have a big or powerful torch for very large focals, or working on tanked oxy (I dont, I work with a minor and 1 oxycon) as this cirrus baby likes to be kept hot! But i did pressed beads with it up to 23mm across and it was fine with them and no cracks in any of them.

In essence I think with Cirrus you have to develop a relationship with it, learn what it will do and wont do and come to an understanding with it. Once you do that, you can get some LOVELY effects that are worth the hassle.

[misspixie]

Sorry to dig up an old topic - but I just wanted to double check something...

I've read through all the bits on here, and the link to the CIM webpage as well, and from what I can work out, Cirrus likes to go straight into the kiln - would that explain why the 3 beads I had cooling in my vermiculite have all cracked in half? Is there much chance of me getting it to cool so that I can batch anneal?
Out of the beads I've made, anything that has Cirrus as the base, or as an encasement, has cracked - the onle ones that have survived are the ones that have tiny bits of it as detail.

It's just so pretty, I really want to make it work!

Lucy x

[Jolene]

Everything I have managed to find out about Cirrus says it is not really a glass that copes at all well with batch annealing. Perhaps if you worked on a very small scale? I wonder if anyone else has had successes though?

Jo x

[flowerjasper]

i was asked to make some beads with silver in blue, encasing with lauscha would have turned the silver goldish,
long and dull story  i ended up making them with palladium and encasing with cirrus, lost loads! not only in the vermiculite but during batch annealing
thats why there are only 3 beads on the bracelet 
sandy