How to encase white

[Tonyb]

I'm trying to encase effetre white with a transparent blue or green but the small white bead I make melts and leaks into the transparent as I try and melt the transparent layer. I guess its getting too hot, but if I move further away, the transparent doesn't melt. Is there a trick to this?

Thanks

[ajda]

You need to get the end of your rod of transparent very hot and melty while keeping the base bead on the edge of the flame where it is relatively cooler and remains hard. Then, if you can judge it right, you should be able to encase in one swift movement, rolling the bead and pushing the molten rod end against it - the longer you take, the more likely it is that the base bead will distort and/or colours merge. Once you've got the full wrap of encasing colour around the base bead, you can take your time to heat the whole thing gently to shape it.

Funny, isn't it, trying to explain something that seems simple and that you can see clearly in your mind's eye... but I hope that made some sort of sense! Encasing does take practice to get right and there are various ways to approach it - it's worth looking up any tutorials and youtube videos you can find just to see how different people do it.

[ajda]

...examples of a couple of youtube demos found at random:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3rrjGbnpiQ
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFuC6OcB81E

[Tonyb]

Thanks Alan. I will have go using this method.

[Trudi]

You need to judge the right place to hold your bead and your encasing glass.

Once you have made the bead, allow it to "cool". You then need to hold this just under the flame, with the encasing glass just in the lower part of the flame.

This way the white bead will stay "cool" and the encasing glass will be able to keep melting as it's in the flame. You shouldn't need to go really fast. It might take practice but once you get it you'll go ahhhhh!

[lantana]

Encasing white is tricky! Don't be hard on yourself. You could try an alternative like cim peace to start with.

[Kaz]

Don't! CIM peace objects to encasing!
Kazx

[Trudi]

Don't! CIM peace objects to encasing!
Kazx

I've never had a problem Kaz .. I encase it a lot!

[lantana]

Me too, never had an issue with it, I use it all the time.

[Kaz]

Really??? Perhaps I'll try it again then - I've had cracking issues previously!

[Margram]

It might be the batch, Kaz

[kizzy1]

Only just seen this post, I found it difficult to encase white too so now use CIM peace and it holds shape much better and I've not had any cracking issues.

[Dietmar]

Encasing a small low melting core bead with higher melting glass is a challenge. It helps a lot to keep the core bead as cold as possible (not to let it crack). Apply the clear in several thin swipes from hole to hole. This helps to keep the whole bead as solid as possible. It helps in some cases to use thinner rods or fat stringers for engasing to keep the superheated amount of glass low. If you need to apply heat to one spot of the bead to work there keep the other parts of the bead under the flame. Push the heated regions towards the holes with a knife or brass paddle with sharp edge.

I encased an Effetre marble with boro glass to get a "real" implosion marble. It was very tricky to keep the core solid while closing the clear top layer. I think I got it almost done well. This marble was made to have cracks from inside. It kept togeather for few years and broke apart, later.

[beadysam]

Dietmar, that marble sounds interesting - any pics?

When trying to make a whiteheart bead sometimes it helps to make a small clear bead, encase with white (or other opaque) then encase with clear or chosen transparent.  The clear inner bead just stops the softer opaque slopping around so much, and if you are struggling that may help a bit.  PPP and you'll get there !

[Dietmar]

Sorry, no pics, just crumbles. ... gone ...

Painting a clear core with (expensive) opaque is a good idea. It saves a lot of color and gives a lot of additional stability. You can "pull" the white layer over the bead by applying heat to the edges where it shall go.

Example (long white olive):
Make a bicone of half the weight of the final bead. Add a wheel of white to the equator and hest it well. Let it flow to the sides and let the bead cool toll no more moving. Heat one side (of the white) and tilt the side down to control the flow of the white. The superheated white will flow faster than the clear core and cover most parts of this end. Let cool till hard and repeat with the other end. Add small patches of white where the flow didn't go and shape the bead with heat and gravity or the paddle.
Disadvantage: Doesn't work for clear over white.