Double Helix

[Muses76]

Hi all! I am very new to lampworking. Only been doing it for a month. I got so excited the other day when I read that I could use double helix rods on a hot head torch so I bought some. I used them yesterday and all I can was a metallic color, not the pretty different colors that I have seen. It was an assortment batch so I pretty much tried out every one of them. Here is the process that I used.
Made the bead like normal
covered the holes on the hot head torch
placed the bead back in and let it spin around a couple of times.

Did I do something wrong?

Second question. Every time I make a bead I can't get the little indentation or pucker on the sides. I can maybe get it on one side but thats it. How do I get it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance!

[Cherri]

Welcome to the insanity of DH and a HH!

Check out the thread I believe it is "You CAN do it on a HotHead! HotHead User Showcase" in the gallery. Has tons and tons of information and what is possible.

Being still new I am not much for giving information and being comfortable about it. Two things that I found when working towards the DH. Learn heat control and patience.

Cherri

[lenora]

You need to encase the metallic sheen with clear or a light transparent to get the pretty colors. This is assuming you are using a reduction glass and not a striking glass.

[istandalone24/7]

and you really don't need to bother with covering the intake holes...the hothead flame is reducing enough without help i think.

[ICheer]

I'm on a HH with bulk propane. Some DH colors reduce nicely by themselves on a HH, others like that little bit of extra zing you can get by covering the holes of the torch. Play, experiment, have fun!

[Muses76]

I read that article about the DH on a HHS and followed what it said which is why I am surprised I got the results that I did. I was expecting more color, not just a solid metallic color. I an confused. I make the bead out of the DH rod, encase it with clear and then put it in the reducing flame??

[ICheer]

I'm stingy with my DH glass, therefore I make the base bead from black, ivory, blue, etc and use the reactive glass as a top layer or base bead/dh/clear. Reduce before clear and keep the bead warm but out of direct flame until encased. If going strictly for metallic finish, forget the clear and waft in and out of back of flame.

Usual disclaimer - this is works for me. I'm sure it's not the only way :-)

[allicat]

Ok, a few things:

The fuel rich flame (the reduction flame that you get when you cover the air holes) has to hit the reduction glass for it to react. So nothing will happen if you encase it in clear first.

Most if not all reduction glasses reduce to a metallic sheen. Repeated reduction of some of those glasses can produce a oil slick like sheen with multiple colors. Repeated reduction of others will over reduce the glass and basically make it look like mud.

Encasing some of them in clear after the reduction can bring out other colors.

What colors are you using? It will help us figure out what you can do with it.

Alli

ETA: I only use a Hothead