Boro colour recipe chart

[garishglobes]

I just came across this thread on LE:

http://lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251484

Lots of colour ideas there, if you are into that sort of thing 

[ajda]

I stumbled across the same a couple of days ago and have found some interesting stuff there, though I'm sorry there's not more about frit blends and combos which is an area I'm exploring at the moment. Do you know where I can find more info on frits?

Another question for you - how do you mix colours most efficiently? I'm assuming columns titled Mix 1, 2 and 3 means mixing/blending colours before using. Is it simply a case of bringing 2 or 3 rods together in the flame and twisting/squishing them around, then pulling out a cane? Or are there other ways to do it? A mix I've discovered that isn't on the list is Solara and Silver Strike 5 for nice pinky-purples - see pic for a roughly mixed example... you can actually just fume the Solara with the end of a SS 5 rod to get some effect...

[garishglobes]

To be honest, I haven't really looked at this list in depth. Recipes are fine but I tend to think that it is better to attempt to understand why different glass colours react with each other and figure out from that my own combinations. To me, it seems as if there are only so many different colour types with boro and I tend to look at the concentration of the glass as well as the colour when putting stuff together, as well as the use. A colour combination will work one way on a basic round bead and completely differently on a sculptural piece because of the heat patterns used and the working times. I used to really hate Irrid for beads - it just stayed blue. Use it for sculptural stuff and work it more over longer time and it is lovely, all blues and greens. Blow it and it'll work differently again, because... not only does the concentration and the use matter, so does the thickness! Oh, and of course the flame atmosphere..

I think mixing is generally done exactly as you describe - but it may be that these 'recipes' also layer rather than mixing??

[AGC]

The chart has been updated.

Here are links to the reference threads from which the chart was generated.  More detailed instructions (and larger pictures) can be found there.  The contributor has been included in the chart to help make the original post easier to find.

TalkGlass (The Melting Pot) website:  This is the thread from which the first entries were taken.
http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showthread.php?15229-Color-recipes-for-rep-points

Lampwork Etc. website:  This thread is actually older than the TalkGlass thread, and hopefully all the information from this thread made it into the TalkGlass thread.
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105586

[ajda]

AGC - thanks for the link to the updated list - a fantastic resource - and for including the Solara/SS5 mix there. I've just registered on the Melting Pot forum - I can see there's loads to explore there, though as I said earlier I'm sorry there's not more about frit blends and combos which is an area I'm exploring at the moment. Can you point me in the right direction for more info on frits?

[AGC]

Hi adja,

Just replying to say that right now I don't know of a place listing more borosilicate blends and combinations.  I'm more of a fuser and COE 90 person and have only used clear boro.  If I come across any more information, I'll be sure to let you know.

I'll also add the location (website) of the contributor to the table to help tracking down the thread posts since they might contain more information about whether they might be frit blends.

[Steampunkglass]

I'll have to have a go with that Sollara mix too now!  I think it also depends on your set up, how you work, maybe even the phases of the moon!  But seriously there are some colours I've know people to swear by that I've found to be awful and vice-versa. I've certainly never got Irrid to do anything but be blue for example! Like Emma said, it also depends on how you use it, I remember putting Glass Alchemy's Amazon Bronze on the back of a pendant and it looked great on the back - lots of purples and rich oil-on-water effects, but from the other side it looked like vomit green! I've used it for little vessels and blown out it looks lovely, but it rarely looks nice when I put it on solid items like marbles.

I think these recipes are interesting guides to experiment with, but nothing works as well as experimenting with what works for you.

[garishglobes]

Amen to all of that! 

Glenn used to swear by Indigo Luster as I recall, where I used to swear at it   

And there we go again, you see. I can't blow Amazon Bronze and make it look nice at all 

[Steampunkglass]

Glenn used to swear by Indigo Luster as I recall, where I used to swear at it   

I do recall that! Slap clear over the top quickly and use a wheezy oxycon that reduces everything!    Amazon bronze doesn't seem to do much until kilned, I bet now I'll go and use it again and it'll just stay 'bleugh' colour!

[Kalorlo]

Ajda, there are some frit colour threads on LE too.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225899 has Hot Flash Frit blends.

There was a link to a site somewhere in the first 6 pages of LE's boro room topics to someone's gallery that had masses of mostly single-colour frits over different bases. No idea if I can find it again though...

Look for Jackson River Glass and MagpieGlass topics. They both have quite a few threads with testing and Magpie Glassworx does boro blends.

[ajda]

Thank you for the link. I've come across Magpie and Hot Flash, but hadn't seen that page before - some of their blends look really fabulous! I'm looking mainly for info on the basic ingredients rather than someone else's secret recipes, so please do point me to that gallery if you ever locate it... I hadn't heard of Jackson River Glass - I'll see what I can find on them as well as the other two.

[Kalorlo]

Oh, have you seen this? Julie's Boro Bead Recipes http://www.autochthonous-evolved.com/tutorials/Julie's%20Boro%20Bead%20Recipes.pdf

Some frit examples in there, though some are dots and so on.

[Kalorlo]

Found her! LLuvia Brito http://www.glassartists.org/Gal7199_Spacer_Bead_Sets.asp
Click or hover over the photos to see the descriptions she put in. Have a look in her other gallery pages too.

[ajda]

Wow! That is fantastic! Both links... Thanks!
It'll take me weeks to explore all the possibilities here...