What's the dealio?

[chrissij]

I'll try to take pictures when I get home, but...

I took a Melanie Moertel class this weekend. FABULOUS!! So, now I'm a transparent layering fool.

Tiny, highly decorated beads. No czech in the mix.

Aether, Moretti Light Emerald Green, Moretti Dark Emerald Green, Moretti Dark Purple (not the Amethyst, the richer one), Moretti Transparent Aqua, and a transparent Lauscha pink.

I batch anneal, and not one of these beads is larger than 1/2 inch wide, 9/16 inch high. Teeny tiny stringer in either opal yellow, or vetrofond black. Dots of vetrofond black, moretti light turquoise, or opal yellow, and Renee's Hocus Pocus murrine, one on either side.

Crack, crack, crackity, crack. DEFINITELY, OMFG, compatibility. Anyone else had MAJOR issues layering transparents. I know viscosity is as important as COE, but DANG!

Are there any specific transparents I shouldn't be layering? Yes, I know I should just experiment and find out for myself, but...

I spend WAY TOO LONG on a tiny, highly decorated bead to be the slightest bit pleased about learning the hard way.

[Deb Hopeful Journeys]

My guess is the clear is the culprit, but not sure.

Hoping that someone can help you to figure this out.

[chrissij]

Thank you. I just looked closer, and Aether is what I used as the base layer. One of them is cracked probably exactly where the base layer ends, all the way 'round, top and bottom, and then fissured freakin' EVERYWHERE. So...yeah...it just may be the culprit. I made a larger bead in class, and I took my annealing beads because I figured, "I don't use a kiln at home, and it's gonna' be an ugly as all heck class bead anyway", and it didn't crack anywhere. I didn't use clear in that one. Freakin', frackin', crackin', pissin', moanin', whinin'...

They were pretty. :(

[MaryBeth]

I would suspect the Aether also. Try them again without it. I also would try another bead without the Lauscha pink. One of those two is the culprit.

By the way, wasn't her class fantastic! I took her class a couple of months ago. Mind boggling! All of that tiny stringer work should be right up your alley!

[chrissij]

But the Lauscha transparent pink is soooo pretty. :( I'm hoping it's not the Lauscha, but I wondered about that also.

Melanie's class was PHENOMENAL. I've got all kinds of abstract thoughts going on in my head; not that having abstract thoughts is new or different for me, but these are liberating. I don't have to try to paint a dog in glass that looks like a perfect dog, or a perfect face, or a perfect tree, or a perfect "fill in the blank". Next year my donation to the humane society's fur ball (if I get my collective sh*t together) is gonna' be cool!!

And I can lay perfectly straight lines of stringer. Now I gotta work on ending them where I want to end them.

[cgbeads]

I don't work with transparent at all. Now I remember why....

-D

[PaulaD]

That Lauscha pink is really, really a stiff pink. (but gorgeous!)

[chrissij]

Here are the two broken all to #@&%$**#!!! beads, and one more that I made tonight without Aether, with the Lauscha Pink. It's not cracked YET, but tomorrow the prognosis may differ. The two that are cracked both had a base of Aether, and it looks to me like it just might be where the cracks originated. The more square one of the two, all those squiggly lines, aren't stringer work. Those are cracks. The stringer work in these beads is all straight lines. I took a picture of the size of 'em (dime) so you'll see there's not a lot of room for there to be serious compatibility issues, but...alas...there you go. It's serious. Sorry for the size of the pics. I shoulda' made 'em smaller. :oops:

If anybody wants 'em to try to turn 'em into cabochons (maybe a long holding time at a high temp will make the glasses more friendly...I dunno) just give me a head's up and an address, and they're yours.

[PaulaD]

I suggest annealing right away when using the Lauscha pink and reheating before it goes into the annealer..

[IF-Designs]

im bettin to guess its the lauscha...ive not had aether cause cracking on anything here yet ....I love that stuff.

[chrissij]

I suggest annealing right away when using the Lauscha pink and reheating before it goes into the annealer..

I've not had a problem with the Lauscha pink before, but then I've really only used it as a transparent for florals before now. Unless I decide to start working larger I'll probably never go straight to the kiln with a bead. So why did I get the Paragon SC with the bead door and the window?

im bettin to guess its the lauscha...ive not had aether cause cracking on anything here yet ....I love that stuff.

I haven't had problems with the Aether either...but see the more kidney shaped bead that cracked? See how it's cracked on either side of what I assure you was the beginning Aether cylinder before I started layering? Aether melts smoothly and quickly, none of the other color transparents I used melt as easily. (Man, do I need to clean my transparent glass, or what?) I'm going to keep an eye on the one I just made, particularly where I layered the pink. Maybe it was the combo of Aether and Lauscha pink that caused it. Maybe I should make a bead with Aether, with no Lauscha pink, and see if it'll survive. You know...I shouldn't have gone through all the trouble of making that bead with all that stringer work just to see if it would crack.

[Elizabeth Beads]

Aether did not like Hades. Not even the tiny amount used in my vine cane. It was like it had an allergic reaction. Aether is amazing pure and clear but does have its quirks.

[Carolyn M]

Try it without the Lauscha. I bet you won't have any problems

[lunamoonshadow]

I've not had a problem with the Lauscha pink before, but then I've really only used it as a transparent for florals before now. Unless I decide to start working larger I'll probably never go straight to the kiln with a bead. So why did I get the Paragon SC with the bead door and the window?



I haven't had problems with the Aether either...but see the more kidney shaped bead that cracked? See how it's cracked on either side of what I assure you was the beginning Aether cylinder before I started layering? Aether melts smoothly and quickly, none of the other color transparents I used melt as easily. (Man, do I need to clean my transparent glass, or what?) I'm going to keep an eye on the one I just made, particularly where I layered the pink. Maybe it was the combo of Aether and Lauscha pink that caused it. Maybe I should make a bead with Aether, with no Lauscha pink, and see if it'll survive. You know...I shouldn't have gone through all the trouble of making that bead with all that stringer work just to see if it would crack. That highlighted observation right there would suggest a viscosity issue to me.
As far as the Lauscha goes--I've only had luck batching Lauscha if I play "lauscha only"--mixing it with other glasses usually is asking for cracks unless it goes straight into the kiln.

[chrissij]

I'm carrying both beads I made last night around with me today. Perhaps the mystery will be solved. Meanwhile, all my transparent glass is in the dishwasher.

[chrissij]

The Aether based one is beginning to crack, but not nearly as badly as the one with both Lauscha pink and Aether. Maybe the Aether cylinder I made for this one is skinnier, or thicker, and it's a density thing. Maybe it's the combo of the two with the Moretti that made the mixture so "combatible". Maybe the Lauscha pink touched the Aether in the first ones. The one with Lauscha pink and no Aether, so far, so good.

Neither have been annealed.

[chrissij]

An update. I will take pictures as I'm able, but...

Aether definitely doesn't like to be surrounded by a bunch of different transparent glasses, and it abhores being next to a Lauscha transparent.

[PaulaD]

Try annealing right away and at 980. Paula

[chrissij]

Try annealing right away and at 980. Paula

I batch anneal, and don't see that changing any time soon. I'm afraid of the bead door on my kiln. :lol: #-o

I'm also a fire phobic. Go figure. :roll:

[MaryBeth]

I really think that Lauscha doesn't like any of the "speciality" glasses and Aether falls into that category. Maybe you could try the Moretti pink quartz color (I think that is what it is called) as a substitute for the Lauscha pink?

Try that before you eliminate the Aether.

I just looked at the pic again. Maybe try the CIM light cranberry if you have some or use Moretti rubino and only lightly strike it.

[divelement]

The Paragon SC2 w/bd Kiln you have is perfect to use for garaging before annealing. What frightens you about the door? I use to warm up rods(actually keep piece of glass warm while I work another section.) and have up to 50+ mandrels sticking out while annealing. Its my favorite kiln in the whole world. And I have 3 others.

[chrissij]

I just don't like opening the door. Silly, I know.

Besides, I make such small beads that I'm going to be batch annealing anyway...so ramping up the kiln, on the off chance I'm going to make a couple of beads for which immediate annealing is advised, isn't to my liking.

[chrissij]

I really think that Lauscha doesn't like any of the "speciality" glasses and Aether falls into that category. Maybe you could try the Moretti pink quartz color (I think that is what it is called) as a substitute for the Lauscha pink?

Try that before you eliminate the Aether.

I just looked at the pic again. Maybe try the CIM light cranberry if you have some or use Moretti rubino and only lightly strike it.

I made a bead with Aether as the base, with no Lauscha. It cracked, not as badly as the one made with both, but cracked it did.

The bead I made with no Aether, and Lauscha pink, still hasn't cracked. Neither have been annealed.

[MaryBeth]

I made a bead with Aether as the base, with no Lauscha. It cracked, not as badly as the one made with both, but cracked it did.

The bead I made with no Aether, and Lauscha pink, still hasn't cracked. Neither have been annealed.

So - it looks like you need to leave out the Aether and the Lauscha pink on these mixed transparent type of beads. Sucks doesn't it;)

[loribeads]

I can't believe you're using Aether clear as a base. Sacre bleu!

[lunamoonshadow]

Lori--sixteen dozen of Chris's beads fit on a freakin' dime--it's not like she's exactly "wasting" the Aether clear :lol:

[chrissij]

I can't believe you're using Aether clear as a base. Sacre bleu!

Not that it matters, considering the lack of clarity in my other dirty transparent glass, I didn't want to painstakingly attempt really skinny stringers, and possibly succeed, only to realize later that I carefully placed those stringers on an icky background.

Lori--sixteen dozen of Chris's beads fit on a freakin' dime--it's not like she's exactly "wasting" the Aether clear :lol:

These are bigger, but getting the detail down to micro size is the plan. :-D