fuming

[evenia]

I know a lot of you use silver and gold leaf and foil to fume but who uses coins? If you use coins where is the cheapest place online to get it? I found some on Winship Designs site but then they emailed me they were out of it. It was the only one I specifically found labeled for fuming. I am sure there are other options out there for coins or other more solid solutions but I am just not sure what I am looking for.
Thanks
Evie

[Cosmo]

Ebay.

You just have to know what you are looking for. Get the one with the most 9's in the purity.

But, I use gold wire for fuming, and silver powder for fuming. Silver powder is a byproduct of the printing industry, so I get all I want for free. I may even be persuaded to part with some if anyone wants some...

[e. mort]

Another option for fuming gold (22-24K) is to check out the local ethnic jewelers. If you have any South Asian, South Indian, or Chinese jewelers you can sometime buy a small section of wire from them. I know one guy who bought a 24K simple gold chain, and just clips off a link whenever he need gold for fuming. He has been using the same chain for over 10 years and hasn't used all that many links. And he fumes a lot!

Eric

[McDuck]

Raises hand for silver powder. and how might I get onto that list please? ;)

[Steph'sBeadCorner]

:waving: On eBay, you can also search for "ingot" (just ignore me if you already knew that)

Steph

[Bubbyanne]

Oh please for some silver powder?! :wave:

[catladybj]

Ebay.

You just have to know what you are looking for. Get the one with the most 9's in the purity.

But, I use gold wire for fuming, and silver powder for fuming. Silver powder is a byproduct of the printing industry, so I get all I want for free. I may even be persuaded to part with some if anyone wants some...

now you started something!
I would love some silver powder to play with, purrty purreeze!

[misfit]

okay silver powder sounds wonderful. what hoops shall I jump through?

A.

[evenia]

okay silver powder sounds wonderful. what hoops shall I jump through?

A.

I asked first, I asked first!!!!
:)

[evenia]

:waving: On eBay, you can also search for "ingot" (just ignore me if you already knew that)

Steph

Didn't know that, Thanks!

[kbinkster]

If you're the outdoors/adventuresome type, you could pan some yourself. ;)

I bought a small section of gold wire from GlassCraft. Oh, you might also get a small rod of quartz for a fuming punty.

[Cosmo]

Ask around at your local print shop or anywhere that develops film for photographs. It's a byproduct of developing negatives. Most of them have pounds of it sitting around.

You can also pour it out and roll stuff in it like frit...

[evenia]

Ask around at your local print shop or anywhere that develops film for photographs. It's a byproduct of developing negatives. Most of them have pounds of it sitting around.

You can also pour it out and roll stuff in it like frit...
We only have a couple of places here and I called about it. They all have contracts with companies that take th powder. They were all very snippy about it too.

[Cosmo]

Those companies give them about 20¢ per pound. Offer them a couple bucks.

Or PM me your address...

[Bubbyanne]

We only have a couple of places here and I called about it. They all have contracts with companies that take th powder. They were all very snippy about it too.

Lol Evie, I've been on the phone quite a bit today hunting this down too. I got some of the same attitude and most had no idea what I was talking about. ](*,)

[evenia]

I won an auction on eBay for a gold coin to fume with. I didn't notice they don't accept paypal. Now this is my fault of course but they don't accept anything but personal checks and MO's. arggghhhhh. It seems odd to me that they have so many auctions on eBay but don't a online payment option. I'm just grumpy though cause that means I have to wait extra time before I get to fume with gold.

[Steph'sBeadCorner]

Hey Julie

Do you have any gold foil? If not, I can bring you a sheet. all you have to do is "wad" it up. Karla did it so she can help.

Steph

[alissa]

It looks like some of the gilding supply places have silver & gold powder. I didn't realize that our leaf & foil came from the gilding market - kinda interesting.

[Solana]

Yeah, I used gold foil. It was very hard to wad up, but it did the trick. Use some clean tweezers as the foil will stick to almost anything.

I recently bought a few inches of gold wire to try, so I'll give a full report once I know what that works. :)

[Hothead Beads]

This could be a "dumb" question but, could you use 14k gold? I was thinking about trying the fuming with old broken chains that I have laying around.

[Cosmo]

I use 22k gold. The purer the gold, the better the fume. 24k is just too pure. The 22k sticks to the glass better.

[evenia]

I only have a couple of sheets of gold foil. They are so expensive and I want to save them for beads. It's cheaper to buy the coins and they last longer. I let you know how they work, when I get them.

[kbinkster]

I use 22k gold. The purer the gold, the better the fume. 24k is just too pure. The 22k sticks to the glass better.
And sometimes, the impurities can give pretty colors.

If you're having trouble getting the gold fume to stick, you can try fuming with silver first and then fume gold over that.

[Cosmo]

And sometimes, the impurities can give pretty colors.

If you're having trouble getting the gold fume to stick, you can try fuming with silver first and then fume gold over that.

The only problem with that is you don't get a pure gold color. I find as long as I get the glass a little hot, the fume sticks fine. I have had occasions where I fumed silver after the gold and it worked, but still not a pure gold color.

If any of you get Glass Line magazine, there is a great article in the June/July 2005 issue by Kenan Tiemeyer that tells all about fuming.

[kimberly]

Just a quick safety note: I agree that 22k gold sticks to the glass much better, and I like the results I get from it, but be aware if it is 22k, it is not pure gold. It is alloyed with something. You don't always know what that something is. I do not know what is generally used as an alloy with gold, but I will bet a lot of beads that it isn't something healthy. Excellent ventillation and/or a respirator is very important.