Smashing up goldstone...

Gin.Gina · April 28, 2014, 07:48:54 PM

How do I go about smashing this huge lump up?! Think I went a bit over board when I bought it.....its 115g

I know you have to be a bit careful you don't burn the sparkles out of it so didn't think I would be able to just melt a corner off. Do I just hit it with a hammer? (I'm not sure I even have one lol)

Also, I ordered a tiny bit of blue goldstone from ebay, but I'm not sure it's the real deal. I *think* you can see in these pics....the outside is really sparkly, but the sparkles are definitely blue and silver. Shouldn't they be the same colour as the sparkles in the goldstone? on all the other sides (what i assume must have been the inside before it was smashed into smaller bits) it's nowhere near as sparkly. I know that there can be veins of different colour/intensity but this just looks a bit wrong! Do you think I've been had?

Thanks in advance

XG

Glyn Burton · April 28, 2014, 07:56:03 PM

Just put on some eye protection and give it a clout with a hammer. Pick up a bit on the end of a clear rod and encase in clear before pulling out into a stringer. The blue stone looks fine try using it in the same way as the goldstone.

Shirley · April 28, 2014, 08:02:13 PM

Wrap it in newspaper before you clout it, perhaps.

Gin.Gina · April 28, 2014, 10:01:56 PM

thanks

I'll have a go, now.....where's that hammer!

(sorry about the massive photos by the way, I keep trying to make them smaller but nothing will work!)

Hamilton Taylor · April 29, 2014, 07:56:35 AM

Ramp it to 500C in the kiln, then drop it in a bucket of water. Use a hammer under the water to help break it up. That way, it breaks up pretty easily, and no flying bits!

Jellybean · April 29, 2014, 08:37:11 AM

I have shocked mine with a blob of clear glass on a rod.... by accident lol but seems to crack it quite nicely $:-\$

DementedMagpie · April 29, 2014, 01:12:49 PM

Quote from: Jellybean on April 29, 2014, 08:37:11 AM
I have shocked mine with a blob of clear glass on a rod.... by accident lol but seems to crack it quite nicely $:-\$

Yeah, I've done that sort of thing on purpose, like when I'm turning bits of bottle glass into lampworking rods. I put the lump of glass to be smashed into a pot (a fairly deep one, so that most of the stuff that comes flying off it stays in the pot), then touch it with a big blob of molten glass on the end of a rod. After a couple of seconds the lump breaks into bits. Quite violently, but more neatly than something smashed with a hammer - you get fewer really tiny shards, which can be a bit inconvenient. And if one of the bits ends up attached to the molten blob, then hey, you're part way to pulling your encased goldstone stringer already.

Gin.Gina · April 29, 2014, 01:59:46 PM

well I can't find my hammer and I don't have a kiln! I think shocking it into bits is my only option! I had a go with the blue goldstone last night and it was playing really nicely so I think it's legit...just not what I was expecting it to look like haha.

Going to have a play for an hour now so I'll see if shocking it works, wishing I'd ordered a few smaller lumps rather than one stonking great huge one now!

Thanks peeps

Nicknack · April 29, 2014, 04:25:09 PM

That is all really useful! I have an even bigger chunk, left over from the 70s when I did lapidary, and I thought about using it for lampwork. The only problem now is to experiment to find out what CoE it is - it could be anything!

Nick

ajda · April 29, 2014, 05:55:26 PM

Years ago I picked up a suggestion somewhere (can't remember where - could have been Corina Tettinger) to use a light or medium amethyst instead of clear for encasing the goldstone for making stringer. It seems to enhance the sparkle without actually making it look purple.

theflyingbedstead · April 29, 2014, 09:16:07 PM

I heard that it used to only be made in Murano, so I presume that is why it is compatible with effetre. You can get it in green and purple too...I guess you could encase it in any coloured transparent. Leah Fairbanks encased it with rubino during the Flame Off class last year and that was very pretty.

DementedMagpie · April 30, 2014, 09:50:31 AM

Quote from: ajda on April 29, 2014, 05:55:26 PM
Years ago I picked up a suggestion somewhere (can't remember where - could have been Corina Tettinger) to use a light or medium amethyst instead of clear for encasing the goldstone for making stringer. It seems to enhance the sparkle without actually making it look purple.

Well, that'll be my "why didn't I think of that?" moment for this week. I'm definitely going to try it next time I make goldstone stringer. And if it ends up looking purple, I can't really see myself complaining about that.