If you flame strike boro and like how it looks going into the kiln

[Moth]

...will you still like how it looks coming OUT?

I just made my first three boro beads EVER and going into the kiln I'm really happy with how they look.

But, I'm worried that they will trash themselves while they are in there.

I used a base of clear, a twistie of double amber purple, star white, blue exotic and turbo cobalt, encased in clear.

One of them was a base of clear, encased with double amber purple, small dots of blue exotic with smaller dots of clear over the blue exotic. Melted it smooth, then twisted those dots together. Encased the whole thing in clear. I flame struck the double amber purple to what looked like a dark red and the blue exotic turned all different swirly shades of greens and blues. I stuck it in the kiln quick at 1075 and I've had my fingers crossed ever since.

If it matters, I'm on a minor with a 5lpm oxycon.

I can't WAIT to see them tomorrow. They might be my first keeper beads. LOL I'm pretty attached to them already and I haven't even met them yet. LOL

~~Mary

[HardwoodTrailGlass]

There is an awesome boro thread in Tips, etc. section
I cannot answer your question :roll: but maybe they can :love:

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11198

[alexm]

You'll probably get purple depending on your annealing schedule. All of the amber purples strike from clear to yellow to red to purple to blue. It will strike to the next color in the sequence in the kiln. Soooo, if you want red, you should flame strike it to yellow. If you flame strike it to red, you'll get purple, etc.

[Ellen Black]

Alex, thank you for posting that great info ! Ellen

[Moth]

Thank you Alex, very much.

I garaged them at 1075. Let them sit there for about 20 more minutes after the last one went in. Ramped down to 970 over an hour and a half, then I made soft glass beads for a couple hours. Then I ran my regular soft glass annealing schedule.

____________________________

Thanks for pointing me to that other thread...I saw your beads in there and they are really pretty colors! That thread is actually what made me drag the boro out from under the desk. LOL

~~Mary

[Mr. Smiley]

You should like how they come out. If you had let them soak for longer, the color change would be more drastic. It really depends on your kiln and how correct the temp reading is. They all vary. You'll find the right setting for your kiln... ;) Show us pics! :D

[HardwoodTrailGlass]

Thanks for pointing me to that other thread...I saw your beads in there and they are really pretty colors! That thread is actually what made me drag the boro out from under the desk. LOL

~~Mary

I am glad I didn't seem like a smart alec or anything, I just am having so much fun and want all to join in! And I certainly have no answers :roll:
Thank you for the compliment, I am going to keep on keeping on!

Do you have pics yet? Did they turn out like you wanted?

[Moth]

Thanks for moving this Smiley man. I only put it in the family room cuz I thought I'd get a faster answer. LOL Shoulda put it in the bathroom.

Anyhow, I posted these in the show and tell, but figured it would be a good idea to keep this all together.

I'm pretty happy. Like I said in S&T, you can tell I don't know what I'm doing, but they aren't mud so I guess I can't ask for much more than that for a first time, right? LOL

Here they are:
16186

~~Mary

OH, I can tell which ones soaked longer than the others. Definitely.

[Mr. Smiley]

I really like those Mary... if those are your first, the boro world is in trouble. ;) You rocked it! :D

[Moth]

Back when I ran the very first geoglass box over at wet canvas, the box came home to me with two bags of boro shorts...and they were all labeled. Shorts perhaps isn't a generous enough term...they were all about 6 or 7 inches long.

SO many times I have had those packed up to send to someone else as an raogk, or an addition to another geoglass, etc. But every single time, I took them back out and shoved them back in their cubby.

Last night was THE night! LOL

I'm thinking I'm gonna have to order some tanked oxy for boro nights, and use my concentrator for soft glass nights. Maybe that way it won't feel so expensive. If I only do 1 or 2 nights of boro a week...5 hour nights....that's one tank every 2 weeks. $35-$45/month to work boro...hmmmm.

It IS tempting. LOL

Will have to see I guess. This bag of 'shorts' will only last so long, then I'll have to start hunting for deals. LOL

~~Mary

[Moth]

I really like those Mary... if those are your first, the boro world is in trouble. ;) You rocked it! :D

LOL, Oh, I don't think the boro world has anything to worry about from me. And I'm not sure I would say I 'rocked' it...but I really do appreciate YOU saying so. :grin:

Thank you, thank you very much.

Doing the happy skippy boro dance.

Hurts my eyes though. I have light triggered migraines...gonna have to get some new glasses.

~~Mary

[Mr. Smiley]

I think you did fabulous. I normally have NS shorts for sale. $10 a pound... and they aren't really short short either. They are unmarked, so it's a guessing game. :lol: Heck, for $10 a pound, you can beat 'em to play with. I use them all the time. They come from the factory. Like when a rod breaks, they throw it in a bin... well, I buy that stuff. It's 99.9% first quality. ;)

[Moth]

I think you did fabulous. I normally have NS shorts for sale. $10 a pound... and they aren't really short short either. They are unmarked, so it's a guessing game. :lol: Heck, for $10 a pound, you can beat 'em to play with. I use them all the time. They come from the factory. Like when a rod breaks, they throw it in a bin... well, I buy that stuff. It's 99.9% first quality. ;)

You sell these on eBay occasionally, or is a secret society I have to join? :p

Figuring I have enough labeled rods to do a fair guessing game on the unmarked shorts. LOL

I've got Simax clear. Is that what you prefer? I also have two rods that just say 'clear boro'...don't really know what maker.

~~Mary

[Mr. Smiley]

Mary, just PM and ask if I have any. I list them in the garage sale some times... but I normally have some.

Clear is pretty much clear. There are some subtle differences when you get further into it later on, but not much for beginners. Some clears react a little different with colors.

[e. mort]

Hi,

I am just starting to play with boro. I was told that when using color, to be safe I should flamestrike the pieces, hold them at 975 until I am done for the day, then ramp up to 1050-1075 and hold for 30 minutes, and then go into the normal ramp down for boro. The pieces I plan to do will have a maximum thickness of 1", but average about .5-.75" thick. (Pendants, beads, and the occasional small marble.)

Any comments on that advice from you boro folks out there?

Thanks much,

Eric

[Mr. Smiley]

Eric, that will work. You may have to change it around a bit to suit your needs. I kiln strike my work. It's just what works best for me... right now. I may flame strike my work later on down the road, because I have in the past. It really all depends on what you're doing. ;)

[e. mort]

Thanks Brent! By the way, I love that new Pendant. I think you are going to get a lot of bids on it. Well, at least you can count on one from me. :)

Eric

[Mr. Smiley]

Thanks Eric! :D

[HardwoodTrailGlass]

OMG, I am lost. I just flame strike. I think. :roll:

Too much info for me. I think. :roll: