triton, or other silver glasses

[dragonfly designs 56]

the glasses that turn really metallic, do you encase before putting into the kiln. little dots seem to come out still metallic, but the whole bead that was a mirror finish going in, didnt come out as nice. wondering if I should have encased it first :( triton, etc)

[Carolyn M]

If you encase it will be mother of pearl effect rather than metallic. Try garaging for less time or put a small amount of activated charcoal into your kiln. Did you maybe over-reduce?

[dragonfly designs 56]

oh yah, forgot about that charcoal!!!! and yes, i could have overreduced, i overdue everything ,he he

[Jasio]

What does the charcoal do in the kiln? I've heard people doing that just never really knew why.

Jason

[CO_Phantom]

From what I understand, the charcoal will creating a reducing atmosphere in the kiln.

Just a side note: would you want to have any colors that might reduce to icky (like turquoise, sky blue, etc) if you put charcoal in the kiln for that reducing atmosphere?

I've done small bits of stringer and dots of the Triton and I haven't had any issues with it coming out with less than its original mirror finish it went in there with.

-Amy

[Firebrand Beads]

You can also try reducing your glass just a teeny bit warmer - this will make it go faster, too, so be quick, but I think reduction sticks better to warmer glass, since the effect is able to go a few microns deeper.
For example, Taxco that is reduced to a shine once it is completely back to turquoise will not hold a shine in the kiln like one that was reduced at the just-past-glowing, but-still-kinda-greenish-from-heat stage.

[PerfectDeb]

i've found that triton only needs a tiny bit of reducing - i give myself a long pointy candle and then just waft it through the point of the candle quickly

[Jasio]

From what I understand, the charcoal will creating a reducing atmosphere in the kiln.

-Amy

Forgot about this thread till today. Thanks for letting me know what charcoal does in the kiln :)

Jason

[GinnyHampton]

I thought charcoal eliminated the reducing atmosphere in your kiln . . . like, if your turquoise beads are coming out of the kiln with reduction on them, you put charcoal in your kiln to stop that from happening.

:-k

[Elizabeth Beads]

As I understand it, activated charcoal absorbs some of the oxygen in the kiln and makes the atmosphere more reducing.

But I always get this one mixed up so don't take that to the bank.

[wfdebicki]

I think erose is right.
In pottery we create reduction by introducing combustible materials into the kiln. In raku pottery the red hot piece is placed in a pit and covered with leaves or sawdust or something and then the whole thing is covered with a metal bucket turned upside down and dirt is piled around the edges to ensure no air can get in. The way it was explained to me (although I suspect this may be rather simplistic) is that the glaze on the piece (which after all is just a thin layer of glass) contains metal colorants (like copper oxide or iron oxide just like what colours many glasses). Adding carbonacous material to a really hot environment means that the stuff will want to burn. We all know that oxygen is necessary for combustion (ergo the whole drop and roll scenario in an emergency) in the heat. Adding carbon increases the demand for oxygen in that environment. When the oxygen in the bucket air is gone the flame decides to pick on the oxygen in copper oxide and iron oxide or whatever metal oxide is present (typical glaze colourants are metal oxides...ie. metals combined with oxygen) to get more oxygen to feed combustion. This 'reduces' the surface of the glaze to the pure metal...copper or iron. Thus a thin layer of copper oxide which is yukky green or black turns a lovely metalic copper and that is why you get such shiny metalic lustres on raku pieces. If we extrapolate this to glass one would assume that the metal colourants in a glass piece would rise to the surface in an oxygen starved environment much the same way. That is why we use a propane rich flame to 'reduce' our glass to bring the shiny metal colourants to the surface after all. Starving the kiln of oxygen by adding combustible material should help to preserve the reduced surface of the piece once it has been placed in the kiln. Also, decreasing the time that the piece is exposed to a high heat envrionment where reoxidation might occur should also help.
That is my two cents worth. Does it make any sense at all?????? ;X

[pendragonfyre]

Your kiln has too much oxygen.
A reduction flame in the torch has a little or zero Oxygen... once the bead goes into the kiln, if the atmosphere is more oxygen rich, your bling may disappear.

Activated charcoal, the same stuff used in aquariums, available for sale at pet stores will do the trick.. Only a couple bucks for a small box and it only takes a bit each time you use it. Sort of insurance, if you have a big day torching silver glass.

I find it can change based on the humidity of the day or time of year.. weird but true.

Check out this other LE thread for more info:
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145255&highlight=charcoal

[simvet02]

I got a nice size container of it at Walmart for $2. I use to garrage in my large fusing kiln and always lost the metallic sheen. The charcoal worked like a charm. I rarely have to use it in my small bead kiln but if I know I'm going to do a lot of surface reduction I put a bit in.