Questions on fuming with Gold

[e. mort]

I just received a bit of 24K gold today, and started trying to fume with it. I was finally able to get a light cranberry color on the clear before I had to stop for the day. What colors can you can get from fuming with gold? Do the colors have an order? I mean is it like striking GA triple passion where first you have yellow, then orange, then red-purple, then purple, etc?

Thanks,

Eric

[firefreak]

I get colors from light ruby thru dark ruby, then gold plate look. depends on how long you keep fuming. Takes me longer to get gold on than silver.

Try putting bubblegum over the gold. or Violet, lavender, lt yellow, ice blue.
makes the pinks and purples-- pinker and purpler!!! (light fume coat)

Stay oxidized to neutral to hold fume. some times I lay a real light coat of silver, then fume gold over top for cool effect.

[boroburner]

I find laying a light silver first helps the gold stick. If you go silver, gold, silver, in the right proportions, then clear dots youll get light green. Or you could do ISO and fume gold first then cobalt dots. Maybe try gold on onyx then trap.
Flame chemestry will determine alot how fuming will look in the end. I can get gold alone to crystalize on the surface(almost like devit but not), go cranberry through royal purple, and also to plate. It all depends on the temp of the glass when you put the fume on and the flame you are using. Also try putting you piece in the kiln and reheating then flame heat then back to kiln then work. You can get some really cool effects like this I belive its called growing/conditioning the crystals.
Have fun.
B

[e. mort]

I find laying a light silver first helps the gold stick. If you go silver, gold, silver, in the right proportions, then clear dots youll get light green. Or you could do ISO and fume gold first then cobalt dots. Maybe try gold on onyx then trap.
Flame chemestry will determine alot how fuming will look in the end. I can get gold alone to crystalize on the surface(almost like devit but not), go cranberry through royal purple, and also to plate. It all depends on the temp of the glass when you put the fume on and the flame you are using. Also try putting you piece in the kiln and reheating then flame heat then back to kiln then work. You can get some really cool effects like this I belive its called growing/conditioning the crystals.
Have fun.
B

Sounds cool! What temp to you keep your kiln at for growing/conditioning the gold crystals? Also, what is ISO?

Eric

[boroburner]

ISO = inside out
I run my kiln at 1040F unless im striking.
B

[Cosmo]

I have noticed that 22k gold works better for me. It sticks to the glass better. Also, it seems that Kimble glass works better for fuming than Simax or Schott.

Other than that, it's just a matter of finding the sweet spot on the torch.

[Karen Hardy]

I totally suck at fuming. I tried the methods that I had read about - but I think I'm missing a link somewhere. Anyone want to put a step by step? I have the following to use:

Gold leaf
silver leaf
silver foil
fine silver wire

[firefreak]

Try this thread Karen
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11407

[boroburner]

If melting your fume punty pisses you off you can try quartz rods. Ive never tried em but ive heard there great. Im thinking bout getting a pair.
B

[chayes]

i use a quartz rod aside from the silver beading off its great

[firefreak]

If you rage the crap out of the end of a quartz rod you can poke a divot in the side to hold silver or gold.( you have to move real quick once its hot. it cools instantly out of the flame!) I will never go back to using regular rods. I have fumed several hundred pieces without having to replace the fuming rod every four or five chunks of metal.

[boroburner]

I hate it when your about to work and go to put the piece of silver in the flame and the rod cracks off.... back to the drawer pull out silver blah blah, you know the routine. What a waste of time. I think im gonna take the plunge an get a pair. Thx for the feedback.
B

[e. mort]

I wanted to post pics of a pendant that was fumed and backed with cobalt. I shot it with three different lighting sources and angles so that people could see the reason that fuming is so cool. Thanks for the tips with the layers of silver and gold backed with cobalt. It is a great combination.

Also, I have tried fuming silver with the quartz rod, but I have noticed that the rod gets really hot. Much hotter in fact than with the same size pyrex rod. Also, if I have my hand covering the bottom end of the rod, I feel like a laser beam is burning my palm. Fiber Optics at work I guess. Maybe I will try covering one end with some black tape or something.

Eric

[jayglass]

I like 22K gold better also....

If you Don't have any Quartz rod, A peice of a nice stiff color will also hold your gold in place better than clear....I recommend NS Turbo cobalt......

<J>

[Steph'sBeadCorner]

Hi Eric

Great pendant!!

If you can find some wood about 3/4" to 1" thick and cut a square 2x2"... then drill a hole the diameter of your quartz.. you can stand the quartz in the block... then you can hold the wood instead of having to hold the quartz.

Ask Donna M (blackberrybeads) for a pic, she has it in her studio and it holds her silver and gold for fuming.

[e. mort]

Thanks for the tip Steph! (I really am going to send a heart to you one of these days....) :oops:

Eric

[firefreak]

Yes quartz rods do get hot on the end. the ones I use are 12 inches long. Never had trouble with the silver one getting to hot, Have had that trouble with the one I use for gold. ( it's in the flame a lot longer). both of my rods have different colored electrical tape on the ends of them . ( to identify type of metal used at a glance). I hold the silver one about 7 inches back from the flame, the gold one at the very end. Quartz does seem to transfer the light better. Maybe it's transferring UV as well? it only gets hot on the very end where it touches my hand.

[Steph'sBeadCorner]

Thanks for the tip Steph! (I really am going to send a heart to you one of these days....) :oops:

Eric

You're welcome... and no hurry... I know your hearts are only getting better and better... I won't let you forget!!:grin:

ps... I forgot to mention when you drill the hole in the block of wood... don't drill all the way through. You want the quartz rod to stand up in the block. Donna's quartz rods are about 4 inches tall.. the block has two holes drilled in it.. one for silver the other for gold.

[boroburner]

Hey mort those pendants are looking nice.
I like the greens you get from the cobalt tech.
weird that the quartz gets hotter than clear? Better optic quality maybe? Kinda kool though.
B

[LAG]

Anyone know what karat most dental gold is????

[boroburner]

U gonna rip out a filling to fume with?:-#
B

[LAG]

Heavens no! Thank goodness. But a friend gave me a big chunk!!!!

[PyroAaron]

I am currently doing an internship with a dentist. I believe the crowns he uses are 18kt

[e. mort]

Well, that is one way to get your dental gold. :lol:

[LAG]

I talked to someone about this on the "other" forum and I guess it does work. Some swear by it......
I went to a flea market the other day and bought a 1 troy ounce coin with.999 silver for $12.. It is a cheaper way of buying silver you plan to "burn up"...

[boroburner]

Thats definetly the way to go for metal supply.
I bought a 1/2oz of gold and 3oz of silver when i started(7yrs ago) and still have over half the gold and 2 oz of silver. The stuff lasts forever. So much cheaper than melting wire.
B

[Brian Newman]

You can fix the crystal growth on the surface caused by gold with a borax spray.

[boroburner]

kewl
tell me more....plz
B

[Brian Newman]

Gold serves as a neucleation site for the formation of quartz crystals, and sodium borate will surround the gold and help it dissolve into the glass. It will also help prevent the gold from wipeing off. Mix borax and water, and spray it on the red hot glass. Spraying in the flame prevents thermal shock problems.

[suzanne]

Okay I did the fuming thing, awesome!!! I just made some plain clear spacers (I think simax) and fumed them, they turned a fabulous shiney gold-pink, very sparkly. When I just took them off the mandrell, all the gold whiped off *cry*

WHat am I doing wrong, is there someone who can explain in kindergartenenglish what I did wrong? I might not get it the first time since I am dutch and english is not my native language plus I do not know all the technical terms in english so please bare with me here, I hope you all don't mind.

[e. mort]

Your glass beads probably weren't hot enough when you fumed them. This has happened to me as well.

[boroburner]

heating helps it stick but you have to case it to get it to stay put. If its just on the surface itll scratch or wipe off easily. Maybe try Brians trick with the borax.

Thx Brian for the info.
B

[suzanne]

I will definetly try more heat, and the borax trick.
B, won't I loose the pretty pinkish color when I encase the beads?

[boroburner]

on clear itll go pink, just fume the hell out of it then case then pull. You should get a decent translucent pink. youll prolly lose the gold look unless its on a dark background.
B

[baylie]

. Mix borax and water, and spray it on the red hot glass. Spraying in the flame prevents thermal shock problems.
what ratio? pleas&thankyou

[boroburner]

he didnt specify. I kind of got the impression it dosent really matter a whole lot. JUst mix it up.
B