Opal yellow -- burnt edges

[Rhymnoceros]

Ive been having trouble with opal yellow. Sometimes when i work with it, it comes out wonderfully with no burnmarks, but other times after i put opal yellow over anything (or even over some opal yellow) the edges of what melts in blacken and look rather burnt.

Ive tried melting it in REALLY slowly and it still burns, ive tried superheating, cooling, then striking. Ive tried working with a neutral flame, an oxidizing flame, and a reducing flame -- but I never get it consistently "unburnt"

Anyone willing to share their secret?

[SadiesJewels]

I presume you're talking about Moretti Opal Yellow - #266?

Which torch are you using and what is your gas? I have never had problems with Opal yellow (one of my favorite colors) so I'm thinking it may be a gas issue (like a reduction flame etc) ... I'm pretty sure there's no secret to working it! Unless I'm out of the secret loop!

A picture would help too...

[NLC Beads]

What colors is it reacting to? And do you clean the glass thoroughly before using it - I have a dusty studio, so I always clean rods before using them.

[Elizabeth Beads]

Could you have a bad batch? I had one batch of very skinny Effetre OY cane that boiled and bubbled no matter how I melted it.

I love love love Reichenbach Iris Opal Yellow 96. It behaves so nicely.

I bought some of the R 104 Opal Yellow but haven't yet tried it. Maybe tonight?

Off to torch!

[AKDesigns]

I've never had OY turn black or burn before. Can you show a picture? I can send you a rod or two of good OY so you can see if you have the same problem with that if that would help at all.

[MaryBeth]

Are you sure it isn't this:

http://www.frantzartglass.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_108_216_147&products_id=3355

If you have the yellow opalino it will burn quite easily. It likes an oxy rich flame. Jim Smircich has written several tutorials on how to deliberately "burn" it in order to create patterning.

If you have regular opal yellow I really don't know what to tell you. I've never had it burn - it blushes. With the correct flame chemistry you have get gorgeous pinks out of it!

[Rhymnoceros]

Yea, it's definately effetre opal yellow -- I remember it being pretty expensive (too expensive to waste burning anyways)

here i finally got a picture of it burnt, last night when i went to make a sample of the burnt stuff it just wouldnt do it! (lol) but then today when i was working on a handle it went ahead and burnt
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/2083/mg9651vy1.jpg

[AKDesigns]

151525

I tried to lighten up your photo so we could see the bead better. :) Which part are you saying is burnt?

[SadiesJewels]

I was wondering what the lines on it are as well? I have to say it looks dirty ... so perhaps you have some reduction going on in your flame? I've never had opal yellow go brown.

[Rhymnoceros]

the lines are by paint encasing rather than wrap encasing... It seems to burn less when its paint encased but it sill is burning

I really dont think it could be because of reduction because Ive been using a very oxidizing flame... could be, I should make sure

as for what is "burnt"-- parts like the far left and far right -- Im just not getting that really wonderful opal yellow that Id love to get!

[SadiesJewels]

Try one with nothing on it ... I want to compare. I've never heard the term paint encasing (do you mean that's clear from side to side)? Is it totally encased?

Sadie

[Rhymnoceros]

Yea painting the OY onto a base from end to end rather than wrapping it around a bead/focal -- It makes the encasement thinner --thus using less of the expensive glasses

As for nothing on it? I dont understand what you mean by nothing on it. As in a bead of just OY with no clear or white base underneath?

[squid]

what is the base of the bead under the OY?

[Rhymnoceros]

white

[artwhim]

OK, I'll fess up, I've singed the edges on a couple opal yellow beads before. It was weird because I was making decorated sprees and just the very edge in a couple spots looked scorched. It really looked like tons of tiny bubbles that had turned dark. I think I got the bead too close to the torch face while I was reaching for something, but never was completely certain. I had made about 20 beads in that set and only 2 had the problem. It was a batch of OY from a couple years ago that would strike to a really nice peach blush.

[AKDesigns]

The brown just looks like you got the OY to blush really well. Does that look more peachy in person? OY blushes a pinky/peach color. The black spots mostly on the left of the bead....those shouldn't be there. They almost do look like bubbles or dirt. I've never had OY do that to me.

[SadiesJewels]

Opal yellow on white ... ummm ... I'll try that. I always use clear under expensive glass colors (in fact it's become such a habit I use clear under everything opaque). I wonder if there is some reaction happening there with the white and the opal yellow?

My opal yellow is of the older variety - haven't bought any for a long time. I'm getting low on it, but I'll try and scorch it just for fun. At least you have one other person who can scorch it! Lol ...

Will probably have to be the weekend though.