Fuming Questions

[e. mort]

I fumed the back of a disk, put small dots of clear over that, imploded them, and added frit. I was hoping that backs of the dots would look more mirrored than they turned out. Everyplace that I fumed actually looks more yellowish-white than silver. When I was fuming the piece I kept waiting for it to get a mirror shine, but when it did, it was more golden than silver, and then it became more matt as I continued to fume. I haven't been able to get a nice silver metallic shine. I also get kind of a golden color on the glass first. What am I doing wrong here?

The pendant is actually greener than it shows, and while I like the results, it is not what I was attempting to accomplish.

Thanks,

Eric

[kimberly]

I don't work boro much, but for soft glass, the golden color on the glass - not enough fume. The white, matte look - too much fume! You can sometimes put the piece in a full reduction flame to pull out the metal when you hace this problem.
Also easier to get a great metallic if your glass is sort of cool when you fume it, no screaming hot.

[e. mort]

Thanks! I will go try that out now.

Eric

[Cosmo]

I'm not sure you can get a metallic shine inside the glass. I would think it would have to be on the surface.

Try fuming some gold on first. It looks somewhat metallic even inside clear.

[LAG]

The only way I have been able to get a metallic shine inside a casing is to incorporate some air.
I would be most interested if anyone has a suggestion...

[kimberly]

I probably wasn't reading the post correctly. I thought you were having trouble getting the mirror finish BEFORE you encased. Sorry, my bad. You can keep the mirror with soft glass when you encase, but I am not sure about boro. I'll have to try it!

[e. mort]

Actually, before or after, I can't get the mirror finish. However, I will try your suggestion in a little bit. (Little ones are keeping me away from the torch right now. Don't you just love spring break?)

Eric

[Cosmo]

If you want a mirror finish, your best bet is to get some glass that uses chrome as a colorant, then reduce it.

[boroburner]

Maybe try gold down like cosmo sujested and maybe a dark color behind that. You can also build layers of gold n silver to create cool colors. If i had to guess i would say you are over fuming. what kind of torch do you have? pre mix/surface mix
B

[Juln]

Get glass that uses chrome as a colorant.. and reduce it? What is that going to do for you?? Cause checking?
I don't think I know what you mean.

[e. mort]

Maybe try gold down like cosmo sujested and maybe a dark color behind that. You can also build layers of gold n silver to create cool colors. If i had to guess i would say you are over fuming. what kind of torch do you have? pre mix/surface mix
B

I have a GTT Delta Elite.

I think it may just be a case of "you can't do it with boro." With softglass you can fume a piece with silver, put dots of clear over it, and then burn off the remaining un-encased fume. All of your dots will look like they are backed with mirrors. Very cool!

Eric

[boroburner]

thatll work with the gold, its what cosmo has going on in his avatar pic i think, but ive never seen that with silver. I thought you were talking about foil maybe..?

I recently made the change from a carlsile CC+ to a mirage and find it kinda hard to find a good fuming flame with the GTT. I still like to fire up the ol' CC+ if i gotta lot fo fuming to do then ill got and work the piece with the GTT. Maybe its has something to do with the reducing of the pre-mix? I dunno but it works an i prefer it to fiddling with the 6 knobs of the GTT.

Practice makes perfect i guess. Keep trying..
B

[Cosmo]

Where in the flame are you fuming? I find that makes a big difference. On my Tiger Shark, I turn up the propane, and put the silver just at the tips of the inner candles. For gold, I turn up both the propane and the oxygen, and put the gold about 1" from the tip of the torch.

But, all torches work differently. The good thing is that I've never seen a torch that won't fume. You just have to find the sweet spot.

[boroburner]

tis true.... but some are much easier to fume with than others. Ever try laying down silver with a bobcat??? Id say danm near impossible, but i did it. It only took an hr, but i did it!!!!
B

[boroburner]

to fume silver with my GTT i have center injectors on and outer oxy ring on. Inner oxy(green), outer prop, and outer injectors stay off. Then its balance time. Hope this helps.
B

[baylie]

I have a GTT Delta Elite.

I think it may just be a case of "you can't do it with boro." With softglass you can fume a piece with silver, put dots of clear over it, and then burn off the remaining un-encased fume. All of your dots will look like they are backed with mirrors. Very cool!

Eric
You so can!!! try fuming a little gold(barely any)then a little silver(barely any as well)then lay on some cobalt dots. Implode, or what ever.

[e. mort]

Ok, I am still waiting on my high karat gold to arrive so I can start fuming. In the meantime I tried to fume with a piece of 14K. That was a mistake. The copper just kept boiling off and making an ugly dark stain on the fuming rod. (I was using very good ventilation, so don't flame me.) I kept at it hoping that the copper would eventually all boil away, but I eventually lost my patience with it. I also decided that Monday I am getting my eyes checked so I can get a prescription pair of glasses for boro. The old didi's just don't cut it...especially when fuming. I tried using a pair of shade 5 welding goggles that I have, but I found them too dark for me to see anything but the flame itself. I have also found that wearing a pair of didi's over my prescription glasses can make it hard to read where the surface of boro clear is when it is hot. That is kind of wierd, because I never had that problem with softglass.

Eric

[boroburner]

I just picked up auralens's new biker shades. There super comfy and light. It takes a lil to get used to the dark shade but after a few days i could see just fine. Hope this helps in ur selection.
B

[e. mort]

Did you get a prescription pair?

Eric

[boroburner]

nope just the regular 285's i think??? Im always so bad at numbers.
I betcha can get em in perscription anyways, give em a call.
B

[kbinkster]

Try using the red and blue valves of the centerfire only. Keep the outer ring off. For gold, tighten up the flame - make it a more oxidized flame. If you can't get it with that, run the red and green only, again, outerfire off completely. For silver, run yellow streaks into the flame.