How to make Marble Frit (humor)

[RawhideArtist]

After 14 of working in soft glass(104), I finally figured out how to make marbles. It's not like riding a bicycle, once you learn, you never forget. It's like learning to ride a unicycle. Once you tell yourself I can do this, you can. Of course that doesn't keep something interesting from happening. Monday was a good day. I sat down and made 5, 1 1/8 inch marbles in a row. I stopped for lunch and tried for a few more in the afternoon. The first one I tried was this beautiful tourmaline pink glass from the Czech Rep. The glass has lead in it and is not compatible with any other glass I have ever found and occaissionaly even itself. However, since I already had 5 marbles in the kiln I was feeling pretty lucky. I decided to make a simple ribbon marble with a white enamel stripe to reflect the great pink out. Everything was going well and all of the sudden it just jumps off the punty and drops to the floor and proceeds to burn a hole in one spot. Leaded glass is very sticky and also stays hot for longer with the extra metal content. One cannot pull burnt carbon out of leaded glass. This was scrap!

Now I was thinking just make one more for the day and everything in the universe will continue. I decided to make a orange frit vortex with intense black on the bottom. After struggling with this for 45 minutes, I finally got it in the kiln. I don't know how or why but it just rolled out and jumped into the tip cup which is of course filled with water. I added a picture just in case anyone thinks I am exploiting creative writing. And that's how you make Marble frit or more accurately, a marble into frit. I turned my kiln to slow ramp down and went home for the day.
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[theglasszone]

What a neat post. The trials and tribulations you shared are funny AND heartwarming - as I think we've all sort of "been there" in one way or another. And you were doing so well...what the heck did you have for lunch? (Giggle!)

Keep up the good work - not only with glass, but your pen has talent too!

:)
De

[anneonline]

I'm impressed that you did not want to cry...

[Otter's Flame]

There's no crying in glass!

Otter

[covergirlbeads]

I wonder how if would look if you melted it down into a cabachon? I know nothing about fusing, but it would be neat if it would keep that crackle in it enough to hold...kinda reminds me of a geode!

Let me know if its doable.

[barbaracollins]

I do not know what is with marbles. They always want to jump out of the kiln, even when you give them a nice soft bed to lay in.

[menty666]

I do not know what is with marbles. They always want to jump out of the kiln, even when you give them a nice soft bed to lay in.

I was having that problem too, until I started using a piece of fiber blanket in there. You just have to be careful that the surface of your glass is firmed up so you don't get fiber stuck to it.