Kronos ? [Archive] - Lampwork Etc.

DanelleHenk

2006-05-31, 10:11am

Does anyone have any tricks for working with this glass? The best results I have so far come when I used Kronos as a stringer on transparent striking yellow, but it isn't quite what I was looking for.

I would appreciate any helpful hints.

Thanks!
danelle

tymeout

2006-05-31, 1:55pm

I just got my 1/2 lb. last week and have only worked with it once... and i'm not getting what I want to get with it yet... but so far, it sure seems to take a lot of patience?!?! Noone's going to chime in with any secrets huh? :-k Shari Barry, Maya Designs

WhiskerWood

2006-05-31, 2:39pm

I wish I knew the secret... so far the only bead I made with it kinda sucked LOL

I did have great luck with other DH glass using my Lynx and two concentrators.
When I tried the same type of beads on my Minor with one concentrator I didn't get the glass to really pop like I did on my Lynx...
Just food for thought...

rosemarie23

2006-05-31, 2:43pm

The real secret is how to actually get your hands on some.
:poke:

Look in this (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15151) thread. Double Helix Glassworks posts on how to get it to strike.

adovbs

2006-05-31, 3:40pm

Go to http://www.doublehelixglassworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=COMPANY

They have some good instructions for striking the Kronos. Basically, you form your bead, then heat it really well up close to the end of the torch - that gets it started. Then you flash it in and out of the heat a few times, getting it glowing, letting it settle, getting it glowing again, letting it settle, until you get the colors you want. The "letting it settle" part is great for judging if you "are there yet."

I've got a nice lentil focal I did this afternoon that I'll post later after it's out of the kiln.

P.S. I work on a Hot Head, so if I can do it, anyone can. ;-) Oh, and I have a pic of a couple of experimental bicones in my gallery under "Organic Focals."

tymeout

2006-05-31, 5:50pm

I'm working on a bobcat with tanked oxy and propane... I'm guessing I just need more patience with the in-n-out stuff :smile: I hope to get some torch time in tomorrow. The beads that I got made with it were sent out with the rest of the collection for a show... I hope it gets a good response! Thank you all. I can't tell you how impressed I am with this site and how much I love it!!!! What a wonderful group of people :!: Shari, Maya Designs

Cindy2

2006-05-31, 6:24pm

I've had the most sucess with this:

1. make a base bead (I like Effetre uranium yellow) then
2. turn your flame to slightly reducing (middle candles are yellow and slightly elongated)
3. Take your double helix rod (Kronos or Olympia Rain) and melt in the slightly reducing flame and dot or run a stringer around the base bead. I can see it strike in the flame. Don't melt in the stringer or dot completely.
4. Turn your flame back to neutral/oxydizing and take the bead out of the flame hold it to the light - ooo and ahhh - take it back to the flame and melt in the stringer - take it out and hold it to the light - ooooo and ahhhhh - take it back into the flame - you should see it strike and turn colors while you're doing this.

I find the Olympia Rain a little harder to strike than the Kronos. But then you're asking about the Kronos aren't you? Smile! After some practice, I got some pretty cool looking beads - but I had a few duds before this - so don't be disheartened!

tymeout

2006-05-31, 7:54pm

Hi Cindy,
Thank you for the tut... I loved the oooh and ahhhh part :razz: I hope to try it tomorrow... I hope even more to actually post my first pics soon. I'm working up the courage#-o Shari

adovbs

2006-05-31, 8:51pm

Ok, here is the lentil - two pics, one of each side. What you can't really see well here is the lovely irridescent look of the blue glass.

29407

29408

Anyway, once you get the hang of striking the glass, it's really, really easy. Like I said, I'm on a Hot Head, and it still works for me (unlike Raku)

Cindy2

2006-06-01, 3:08am

Shari, you're welcome! Teresa's bead is where we can use the ooooo and ahhhhh after annealing!

Teresa - ooooooooo ahhhhhhhhhh!!!! Lovely!

Ok, here is the lentil - two pics, one of each side. What you can't really see well here is the lovely irridescent look of the blue glass.

29407

29408

Anyway, once you get the hang of striking the glass, it's really, really easy. Like I said, I'm on a Hot Head, and it still works for me (unlike Raku)

Foxfire Flameworks

2006-06-01, 6:42pm

Jayne

2006-06-01, 6:57pm

JC's got a good thread here...
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23424

adovbs

2006-06-01, 7:20pm

Wow, thanks everyone for the compliments on the beads! I can't wait till they get Kronos back in stock! Isn't it a great glass?

adovbs

2006-06-01, 7:21pm

JC's got a good thread here...
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23424

Oh, yeah - JC's got the touch! Her stuff is gorgeous!

Michelle Walsh

2006-06-01, 11:08pm

Teresa, that is one of the most beautiful beads I have ever seen!! And honey, I've seen a lot of beads!

~Michelle

adovbs

2006-06-02, 7:51am

Teresa, that is one of the most beautiful beads I have ever seen!! And honey, I've seen a lot of beads!

~Michelle

wow, thanks, Michelle! :-) I'm beaming over here, you've definitely made my day! :-)

Michelle Walsh

2006-06-05, 12:30am

You're welcome!!! :love:

~Michelle

Tanner Studios

2006-06-05, 6:26pm

Well I have no tips to share so far. But Here is my first try, pull them out of the kiln today . I made some more today. But I think, I took steps backwards.
29977
Scott

Cindy2

2006-06-07, 4:18am

OOOOOOooooo!!! Very nice, Scott!

Well I have no tips to share so far. But Here is my first try, pull them out of the kiln today . I made some more today. But I think, I took steps backwards.
29977
Scott

adovbs

2006-06-07, 12:25pm

Well I have no tips to share so far. But Here is my first try, pull them out of the kiln today . I made some more today. But I think, I took steps backwards.
29977
Scott

Very nice!!! I love the "windows" on those, Scott!

Jude Rose

2006-06-07, 6:43pm

I just wanted to pipe in that JC's suggestion of pulling the stringer in a reduction-like flame really did it for me. I tried it with the full rod and it works well that way too.
Great pieces, everyone!

Retta

2006-06-08, 2:59am

Well I have no tips to share so far. But Here is my first try, pull them out of the kiln today . I made some more today. But I think, I took steps backwards.
29977
Scott

This is the first of this glass I have seen, I knew I couldn't afford to buy and so I have been avoiding seeing it. LOL
Those beads are lovely! I love the watery effect!

Shelley

2006-06-08, 7:24am

what base glass is everyone using? I can't get it to do a damn thing for me.... hate to waste the stuff 'experimenting' ... especially as they're now sold out until at least August....

Shelley

adovbs

2006-06-08, 8:37am

I'm using plain vetrofond black on most of my stuff, Shelley.

Are you getting the Kronos good and glowing hot, letting it cool, then flashing it back into the back flame a few times, stopping when it's glowing but not super hot, then letting it cool again? That usually works for me.

Tanner Studios

2006-06-08, 9:04am

Thanks everyone, I used silver plum. Talk about a pricie bead. I should have made soild gold beads it would have been cheaper LOL
Scott

Peg Medill

2006-06-08, 9:41am

Tanner Studios

2006-06-08, 10:09am

The glass rods just look like Trans cobolt blue. But it works like raku. it can turn shades of blue to creams.
Scott

adovbs

2006-06-08, 10:43am

Before I try and use my two rods I would like to know what is so different or special about this glass as the pictures do not show probably what it really looks like in person. The beads are lovely, but the glass hasn't excited me as yet. Peg M

I get a sort of irridescent deep royal blue, with shades of teal and purple shining through. It looks pearly - like abalone or paua shell in spots - it's a very cool color, I think. And a little goes a long way, at least the way most folks are using it.

However, if you find the glass still doesn't excite you after using it, I'm sure someone here will be thrilled to take it off your hands. ;-)

Oh, here's a pic of a vessel I made with some of the Kronos for accent - in the pic you can see the irridescence...

30338

Shelley

2006-06-08, 4:39pm

Sure did Teresa... got it all hot, let it cool a little and flashed back in & out .... NOTHING! .... Gosh, I can get raku to play but not this stuff! ARRGHH!
That vessel is amazing... is that just Kronos on black? I'd be thrilled if I could get it to do that.....!

Shelley

adovbs

2006-06-08, 6:19pm

Yup, it's just Kronos on vetrofond black.

Wow, I wish I could watch you work your Kronos, Shelley - maybe then I could help you figure out why it's not working for you. Hard to do much more from here. :-(

Hmmmmm - have you tried it in a reduction flame at all? Maybe why I'm not having issues is it needs a bit of reduction to get started, and the HotHead is *all about reduction.* :lol:

Shelley

2006-06-08, 11:48pm

I'll try that.... Fingers crossed it works! Thankyou for all your help! :biggrin:

Cindy2

2006-06-09, 3:55am

Yes, a *slightly* reducing flame helps to strike the Kronos as you wrap it onto a bead (see post above).

I prefer a lighter color for a base, uranium yellow, pale ink blue. I wouldn't use it on ivory because it reacts heavily with the ivory - it's a nice effect but isn't the iridescence like in Teresa's vessel (very kewl vessel, Teresa!)

Don't be afraid to practice with the glass - you can't learn how to use it unless you use it :-)

If you haven't had experience striking or reducing glass before, you can practice on some other colors and then try the doublehelix. That might be less expensive - transfer your skills to the doublehelix. You can practice reducing the rubino/ruby gold to a gold color. It's fussy but that's the point - it will give you experience in reducing.

Practice striking tongue pink or opalino pink. That will give you practice on the in and out of the flame and being careful not the lose the color.

Once you're confident doing those colors, then you will feel more confident using the doublehelix. I can tell you that I've only used a rod of each so far. Using stringer or dots is a good way to practice and then not use too much while you're on the learning curve.

Hang in there! :-)
Cindy

Shelley

2006-06-09, 4:10am

OMG OMG !! I think I've got it!!!!! good old reducing flame has done the trick... ! at least I'm seeing something 'happen' anyway....

Off to make something decent.....:biggrin:

Thanks everyone!!!!

Shelley

adovbs

2006-06-09, 8:18am

Shelley

2006-06-09, 4:45pm

Well, I got it to 'do' something, but not consistently....:sad: I think I burned it cause it turned poopy brown.... other times it stayed blue but didn't get the creamy streaks.... Is it this fussy for everyone??

Shelley

Stacy

2006-06-13, 11:05am

:jawdrop: And you're on a hothead!?! That just proves it again for me...it's the torcher, not the torch!

Ok, here is the lentil - two pics, one of each side. What you can't really see well here is the lovely irridescent look of the blue glass.

29407

29408

Anyway, once you get the hang of striking the glass, it's really, really easy. Like I said, I'm on a Hot Head, and it still works for me (unlike Raku)

LAG

2006-06-14, 6:54am

Made with Jed's Kronos for your visual pleasure and inspiration files.

Oxygen flame, cooled, gently brought back into a reduction flame to bring out the silvers and carefully applied the encasement so as not to burn off the silver. Lots of sparkle and glitz in these. Just might have to put them on the bay tonight...I think. Might have to look at them some more, too, since I am about out of this glass...