Added another free video tut to my site... Using Serendipity...

[Mr. Smiley]

http://www.brentgraber.com/pages/VIDEOLIBRARY.php

Just a quick vid to help folks use the Serendipity cane I had Northstar make for us... I hope this helps answer a few questions. I'll add more free vids as I have time. :love:

[lysa]

Brent, thanks for the video. One question: why did you anneal the cane?

Thanks
Lysa

[Mr. Smiley]

So I could go straight into the flame with the thicker rod with out worrying about thermal shock. The thin color rod isn't an issue, but when you get up over 12mm, it can crack from heating too quickly. Rod from the factory is traditionally just pulled and cooled as fast as it can be at room temp. Boro in the smaller diameters isn't shocky, even when treated this way...

For really shocky soft glass, annealing can also help. Soft glass color rod is treated the same way and can have a lot of stress in it... if a factory annealed every thing, it would drive the cost way up.... so i only pre-anneal thicker rod in boro or particularly shocky soft glass. ;)

[davelovins]

Thanks Brent for yet another invaluable lesson

[lysa]

That's very interesting! Thanks

[MACE Glass]

Thank you again!

If you don't already you should offer 1-on-1 lessons! If I was in your area I would jump at the chance!

[Mr. Smiley]

I teach group classes... don't really do one on one. A bad apple spoiled that. Some people are just crazy enough, that you never know when you'll need a witness. :lol:

[jjwiskus]

great! you make it look so easy! I will have to give it a try
thanks
jeri

[lillip]

Thanks Brent. What temp did you anneal and for how long?

I watched your first implosion video too- great music. I was surprised at how nice it was to watch and learn without dialogue. It's the simple stuff for simple minded folk-LOL- I could concentrate on what I was seeing more and not have to listen at the same time

[bead crazy]

Brent thanks so much for the video's I can't wait until the next ones are ready!!

If you ever have a chance to take a class with Brent jump on it he is the most patient teacher ever and you will learn so much. In fact so much that you won't remember it all and will want to take more of his classes. You could take more of his classes and will always learn something new that he did not teach the last class you were in. He is always evolving and learning and willing to teach you what he has worked hard to figure out. A BORN TEACHER!!!

[bead crazy]

Oh forgot, Brent can you explain how these to anneal rods? Do you just put them in the kiln and run it though your boro annealing schedule?

[Mr. Smiley]

Yeperz... i just put them in and let them run with the rest of the days work... really only necessary on rods @ 14mm or larger... I've even used thicker rods unannealed, but heating them slowly takes time and this rod was designed to save time.

Thanks for the kind words about my classes. I'm still surprised every time somebody takes my class for the third or fourth time, but like you said, I hardly ever teach the same thing the same exact way twice. Boro is limitless... I am constantly exploring new ideas and just love sharing it with people, so their work can progress in new ways. We are living in very exciting times... boro color is evolving by leaps and bounds. We've only scratched the surface of what is possible, so hold on tight folks... I'm a glass melting class teaching fool and I love every minute of it! :D

[midniteburner]

Wow, the video was great! You explain all the little details so well! Thanks!!!

Sara

[beybey]

Brent, That's amazing!! Thanks for sharing. That is a great idea and time saver.