Copper and Silver Foil

[Fired Silver]

Hi Everyone

A couple of questions:

1.  I've used some copper foil inside a fused glass cab.  When I've taken them out of the kiln the copper has turned a red colour.  It looks nice and I like it, but how do I get the copper to stay copper - if I can!

2.  I've been using silver foil and unlike the copper foil it's really thin and flaky, almost like leaf.  I've ordered some from Tuffnells and some from warm glass.  Does anyone know where I can get some silver that is quite thick.  I want it to try and keep it's shape when I fire it (I'm cutting patterns out of it) and both the ones I've tried so far are flaking (and cutting out is VERY delicate work!!)

Thanks

Rebecca

[Zeldazog]

Rebecca

You could try a test piece with ordinary kitchen foil, if you're wanting to retain the silverish colour.

I used some foils at college last year and all three colours (gold, silver and copper) were all more substantial than flaky - like the copper is.  unfortunately, I don't know where they came from, but I know the tutor at the time used to get quite a bit from Creative Glass or Creative Glass Guild.

As for getting copper to keep its colour, its because the air gets to the copper, that's what causes the change, as far as I know. But of course, its quite difficult to avoid that, because if the outsides of the cabs fuse too early, you're likely to get air bubbles.  I don't know if you can actually get it to stay copper - I will be honest, I haven't worked with it much myself (yet - two sheets foil arrived yesterday to play).

[handmadeheaven.biz]

due to the heat in the kiln you're not going to keep the copper colour i'm afraid. you'll either tget that lovely pink colour or sometimes it goes a petrol blue. i used copper in this piece...



as for the silver, try warm glass UK. i bought gold from them a while back but haven't used it yet. i'm sure they do silver too. as for kitchen foil - it goes black, i have tried it. best avoided, unless you want a black mess!!

[Zeldazog]

the Warm Glass silver foil is like leaf, i ordered some and havn't been able to use it yet, cos I wanted to cut shapes out too.  Not sure how I am going to use it in fusing yet...

Kitchen foil, I have had some go black, but I did have some that stayed silver coloured - don't know why and couldn't tell you the brand!

The other thing thaat sometimes stays silver coloured is the type of foil that is used in embossing, general craft foil sheets, probably in card making shops = I tried copper silver and gold mixed, and they all turned a pale silvery colour - with a slight bit of black in places, but that could have been me being over zealous with the PVA

HTH