Looking for a good clear too!

[elyart]

I thought I'd check with our encasing experts ...... and those still perfecting too!;)


thanks for your input.
elyart

[jamie lynne]

I like Aether, but my clear of choice is Moretti Super Clear. Aether does some funky stuff to the colors of silver glass, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. So I stick with MSC as much as possible.

[MelanieG]

I love Aether but have also had the experience of it messing with my silver glass colours. Not all of them, but the blues in particular turn green under Aether, and unless that happens to be what I want, it's not a good thing.

My favourite clear right now is Reichenbach Crystal. It's much stiffer than Aether which makes encasing with it a little less sublime, but it's only a little bit stiffer than Effetre Clear and so very much clearer. You do need to watch you don't overheat it though, or it bubbles like crazy.

[tracidawn78]

Ditto on what Melanie said... Aether first, then Reichenbach.

[lonerp]

My first choice is Kugler clear. Love that stuff.

[AccentsGlassworks]

Clarity from Trautman is a great batch right now too. Not a scum, not a nothing, just lovely clear glass.

[TBC Beads]

I bought some Clarity too, and I love it.

[chrissij]

I just bought some Clarity also. I like it, but not for encasing. It's too stiff. I'm seriously considering trying the softer Lauscha clear just for giggles.

[Jody Lee]

I've used the Lauscha - great clear! some people have no issues with it, others have issues - make some test beads first, and go from there. Paula at Flamedame is a great vendor for Lauscha clear :D

[chrissij]

My largest concern with the Lauscha is that I've heard it only does well with silver glass if annealed at a higher temperature. Higher temperatures can kill the colors in silver glass. Stuff to ponder...

[glassactcc]

Effetre for me. I know, I'm probably the only one.

[bastetsbeads]

I like Moretti Super Clear and Reichenbach Crystal, depending on what I am doing.

[debiweiss]

i love Clarity and Moretti Super Clear. I am not the best at encasing but I try!!!
Debi

[Ekkie]

For 104 coe Aether, Clarity, Reichenbach 104 Crystal clear. Lauscha is fine also but I never use it with silver glass.

For Bullseye and the 92coe glass you can't beat Schott.

Jenn

[x_phoenician]

I love Lauscha clear and until this year it was the only clear I would use. I did have some cracking issues when I used it over silvered glass.
Lately I've been using Effetre Super Clear, I like it.

[gubnavnania]

Laucha clear is fine, unless you are using silver glass then it is a gamble when using Laucha. Btw, I annealed my beads at 970 for 1 hour and ramp down 50/hour.

Otherwise, reichenbach crystal clear.

Schott for COE90.

[melzip]

I have a pound of Moretti Super clear that bubbles and gets scummy when I heat it. I have to heat it out of the flame at the very tip if I don't want a ruined encased floral. Maybe I got a bad batch?

[jamie lynne]

Melissa, I've found with moretti super clear that it doesn't do well with a lot of propane in the mix. I have to use a pretty oxy heavy mix when initially working it and getting it where it needs to be. Then if I need to up the propane to finish off the bead I can. It does have little bubbles even in optimal flame atmosphere... nothing I find bothersome. I've never had it go scummy.

[yellowbird]

thanks for that tip

[PaulaD]

I've encased almost every silver color with Lauscha soft clear without a problem. I've shown photos in the past. These were all annealed at 940 and not the usual Lauscha 980.
A few years ago Carol Anne (in Lauscha) took everyone's cracked bead combos and replicated them without any cracking happening. I think they work differently than we do here...One thing in particular that they do is reheat the entire bead when adding glass and pop it into the kiln.YMMV.

[SteveWright]

I get my clear in 17-18mm rods. I use Effetre and Vetrofond, but I peel the impurities off.

Here is how I do it:
http://www.tumbleweedglass.com/videos.html

Steve

[jessicajane]

I really like effetre super clear. Just make sure you wash it REALLY good with dish detergent when you first get it, then like Jamie Lynne says, use a heavy oxygen mix.