SadiesJewels
2006-07-11, 6:11pm
Hi all ... this is turning out to be a hard one to crack.
I have a minor running on a concentrator. For a long time I've had problems using some of the frits expecially the reduction based ones (specifically - borabora, rubies and gold, and ocelot spots - all of which I love) as all I get are black unattractive spots rather than a frit "look". I've been torching long enough to to understand the different flame chemistry - so I'm not working with a reductionflame for instance. Well, I had the opportunity to try out a friends torch the other week (she has a different torch but also runs a concentrator) and of course the frit beads turned out beautifully. So, home I come and thinking that perhaps my o2 purity was at fault made some more of the same beads with my tanked O2. I was pretty sure the concentrator was the problem (even pm's the person who sold it to me), until I took my beads out of the kiln this morning - more black dots. Well I'm glad it's not the concentrator ... which leaves my torch or the hoses.
So ... can anyone tell me ... is it possible my torch is somehow affecting the oxygen purity or has carbon build up and the flame is not entirely pure ... or ... I just don't know what it can be?? Help!!!! I want to make beautiful bora bora beads not black dotted things!
Sadie
I have a minor running on a concentrator. For a long time I've had problems using some of the frits expecially the reduction based ones (specifically - borabora, rubies and gold, and ocelot spots - all of which I love) as all I get are black unattractive spots rather than a frit "look". I've been torching long enough to to understand the different flame chemistry - so I'm not working with a reductionflame for instance. Well, I had the opportunity to try out a friends torch the other week (she has a different torch but also runs a concentrator) and of course the frit beads turned out beautifully. So, home I come and thinking that perhaps my o2 purity was at fault made some more of the same beads with my tanked O2. I was pretty sure the concentrator was the problem (even pm's the person who sold it to me), until I took my beads out of the kiln this morning - more black dots. Well I'm glad it's not the concentrator ... which leaves my torch or the hoses.
So ... can anyone tell me ... is it possible my torch is somehow affecting the oxygen purity or has carbon build up and the flame is not entirely pure ... or ... I just don't know what it can be?? Help!!!! I want to make beautiful bora bora beads not black dotted things!
Sadie