Stringers !!!

[fionaess]

Thank you everyone - and once again Sal.. you really make the explanation so easy to follow and the reason why my so called stringers look the way they do.. and yes you were right I have a massive lump of glass in my tweezers/pliers..  I will persevere with the 'Sal Way'.. about how long should they be.. Shirley said  that she breaks hers into 6" lengths.. but what length should my marrowfat pea size lump give me please.

Fiona - who is sorry to be asking so many questions.

[Hil]

I have just got the hang of stringers after reading "Passing the Flame" and I find that I have to keep slightly rolling the glass rod between my thumb and forefinger (not all the way round, just slightly back and forth), whilst the glass is still fairly molton.   I grab the glass with the tweezers while it is still molton, but wait (whilst rocking the rod slightly) until it has hardened slightly.  You can stop/start the pulling process to begin with, to get the feel of how hot the glass is.

Hope that makes sense.

Hil x

[glassworks]

my tuppence worth is that when i started making twisties and stringers i also used to have a fat lump at one end and a thing "hair" instead of a stringer.. this was because i was pulling while the blob wsa still too hot and way to quickly... the molten blob needs to cool off a little first,a dn when you grab a tiny piece let the cold metal of the tweezers "set" the glass you are gripping, then and only then SLOWLY draw the stringer downwards..

it even helps if you pull a small bit the right thickness and blow on it - to give you a stiff bit the right size to help you pull the rest...

(just re-read this and i KNOW tan will somehow find it, nudge, nudge, wink, wink say NO more!!)... 

[fionaess]

Should work.......it's quite easy - you'll wonder why you struggled with it once you get the hang of it! 


[/quote]

Once again Sal you have come up trumps for me....  I wrote down your instructions, took them out to the torch and now have stringers in a variety of thicknesses, lengths (the longest being about 24") I have stringers in new colours (mixed my rod and a bit of leftover from my pot) I have just taken them downstairs to my slightly bemused DH to show him    Does this mean that I will never have to buy a 'stringer pack' again... just rods?

Fiona

[flowerjasper]

This is a good one ... http://www.cauldroncreations.com/sistutorial.html

i am off to look now,
am all chuffed as the second lot of beads are annealing in my kiln as we speak!

[Kaz]

Hey Fiona well done - I thought you'd nicked those early ones from my studio!!!
Had a go tonight at making a twistie in the flame and it worked out OK by keeping the tweezer hand still and twisting the rod hand - not even but just about usable. Will have a go at pulling some stringers again now I have read this...
Kaz

[fionaess]

Kaz, Sal's instructions are excellent.. just follow them step by step and stringers come out beautifully.  I was pinching off far too much in my pliers - you need just a tiny bit to pull .

Fiona

[mariag]

I have just got the hang of stringers after reading "Passing the Flame" and I find that I have to keep slightly rolling the glass rod between my thumb and forefinger (not all the way round, just slightly back and forth), whilst the glass is still fairly molton.   I grab the glass with the tweezers while it is still molton, but wait (whilst rocking the rod slightly) until it has hardened slightly.  You can stop/start the pulling process to begin with, to get the feel of how hot the glass is.

Hil that's what I do too

& Q in the absence of Tan, all I can say is OOOOOOERRRRRR

[June]

This is a good one ... http://www.cauldroncreations.com/sistutorial.html

I tried SIS from this tut last night with just a little silver foil on the end of ivory stringer (a Martin supplied one, as I can pull them but not as thick as these !!), but it went all brown and murky - was it too hot?  I'm on a HH at the moment, so maybe too low in the flame - or should I have put in reducing flame?  Any help appreciated !!   
Thanks,
June

[Lush!]

SIS is kind of murky!  Wrap it round a bead, melt it in well, even allow the bead to get quite soft to really stretch and "activate" the SIS ....

[June]

SIS is kind of murky!  Wrap it round a bead, melt it in well, even allow the bead to get quite soft to really stretch and "activate" the SIS ....

I'll give it a go, thanks Julie 

[fionaess]

Just wanted to let you all know that not only can I pull stringers.... but .... I can also make twisties as well..  not brilliant twisties, not all the same regular width twisties, BUT I can make them 

Fiona

[Kaz]

Yee-Hah!!! We need evidence though - photos, photos!!!
Kaz

[fionaess]

You really want pics of my funky looking twisties ?

Fiona

[sparrow]

Yes, we do!!!!! I'll trade you for a photo of what I did with my wonkiest twisty - you first!