Batch annealing silver glass

[Blue Box Studio]

Last evening I was having a whoohoo moment when suddenly I was getting decent colours from DH glass on the new torch.   For once I was getting blues, purples, all sort of colours;  I struggled to get anything on my HH other than a tantalising wisp of blue if I was lucky.  Pandora phased me a bit, it didn't seem to strike at all, but I thought I'd bung it in with everything else anyway.  So this morning I rather hoped I might have some lovely coloured beads?  Pride comes before a fall.  The Pandora bead has gone purple and red.  The encased silvered black has gone red.  A lot of the others have lost a lot of the colours and they are frankly very dull

I batch annealed using the schedule in this thread http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=859.0 - should I be doing something different?  I also had non silver glass beads in the pot, should I be firing these separately?

[And yes, I know they are a bit wonky and the windowledge needs dusting  ]

This one doesn't look too bad, was a lot lighter and a rainbow of colours

DSCN2838 by Blue Box Studio, on Flickr

Pandora does this?

DSCN2839 by Blue Box Studio, on Flickr

Silver black with silver wire and encased in clear?

DSCN2840 by Blue Box Studio, on Flickr


DSCN2841 by Blue Box Studio, on Flickr

[Margram]

Charcoal in the kiln might help? See Sal's post in this thread: http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=24933.0

[Blue Box Studio]

Will try charcoal! 

[Kalorlo]

Charcoal's if you're losing surface reduction in the kiln. Is that what happened? It's a bit hard to tell. It won't do anything to encased beads.

Pandora's designed to be a kiln striker so it's a bit different from the others. The exact schedule you want for Pandora depends on whether it's version 1 or 2 - they changed 2 so that it is less likely to strike in the flame, and doesn't require so long in the kiln. You can try running it through another annealing cycle and seeing if it changes. Someone did a handy article on the effect you get from the original with different lengths of time in the kiln.

What were the other colours? I don't know silvered black, but it's possible your kiln was too hot and struck them further.

[Kalorlo]

Hang on, do you mean Effetre silver black? I don't think you can keep the effects if you encase that.

[Blue Box Studio]

Colours were psyche, kronos, nyx, aurea, helios, I was mixing and matching.  The Pandora is pale green transparent, bought it at Flame off from Off Mandrell and it's just labelled Pandora, no '2'.  If this is what Pandora does then I like.  No sign of the gold from Helios.  Yes, Effetre silver black, I didn't get much effect, it stayed black, but it's red now.

[Kalorlo]

Yeah, that'll be original Pandora. Here you go: A Study of Double Helix' Pandora Glass.

Julie had a thread about silver black somewhere.

[Blue Box Studio]

Thanks, that's really interesting.

[Magpie]

If this is what Pandora does then I like.

Yes, purples, blues, pinks and sometimes reds, that's the beauty of Pandora. Best over light colours and encased to really see it well. And it prefers going in to the kiln cold. So either batch anneal it or be brave and let it cool (though you'll have to decide how cool yourself). If it goes in too hot then it's more likely to come out beige with salmon pink bits, OK (and a friend really likes it) but not when you want the gorgeous velvety purple.

[Blue Box Studio]

I've made more today, even got some colour out of chalcedony which is a first.  Will take before and after pics later in the week so I don't convince myself of something that isn't happening.

Silly question but is the charcoal OK on the kiln floor or ought it to go on something (ramekin springs to mind, not much space with my dish in there as well and will a piece of charcoal do more than one firing?  I managed to find some charcoal discs hubby had for incense.

[MadelineBunyan]

hmmm...
the colours you got when you were here were nice, the psyche worked well, the helios was a bit...well it was being helios, which I've decided is pain in the bum, got all excited the other day, made a massive big heart in it with a fin and my big blue rose murrini, and its come out yellow beige slightly shiny mush colour.yuck. I get nicer things out of it unencased and over transparents.

its the colour pandora goes into the kiln that matters. dont know what pandora 2 is like, but it sounds like you've got the original stuff.
you also appear to have got dark colours, which is good, cause if you'd got it 'wrong' as such, you'd have beigey mush colour.

if it looks the same colour as the rod going in the kiln (pale green transparenty with maybe a couple of more opaque wisps) then it will strike to purples. and mine starts to strike within half an hour in the kiln which is at 520. and it goes in hot.

If I get time today I'll make some and post them (tomorrow).

[noora]

Here's the thread about Effetre silver black (and CIM gunmetal): http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=27354.0

I found silver black quite easy to reduce (or oxidize? I don't know which it does since it does so without changing the flame), but I too doubt you can encase it and keep the effect. What did it look like before you batch annealed it?

[Veebee]

Silver black will lose it's oily effect under encasement. Best leave it on the surface.