Where one can buy ivory silvered stringers?

[JENNIFER SMITH]

Hello ! I was wondering where one can buy Ivory Silvered stringers ?
Thank you for your time ! Jennifer:-P

[Kevan]

I have never seen them sold. They are so fragile. Can't you make some?

[DesertDreamer]

They're quite fragile, so I doubt that they'd ship very well. They're easy to make, though, give it a try!

Make a gather with an ivory rod about the size of a gumball (twice the diameter of the rod itself). Just keep melting and rolling it back on itself, holding the rod pointing at an upward angle (cold end down). I use a half sheet of silver foil for my stringer, and just fold it over until it's about 3/4" squareish. Take your gather out of the flame and let it cool slightly, so it's holding together and not drippy, then moosh it onto the silver. Use tweezers or a marver to burnish the silver onto the glass, you want as much of it to stick as possible.

Now return the gather to the flame and melt the silver into the glass. You'll get some fizzing and sparking, just be prepared. When the ball is molten again, pull it out into a stringer with a punty, tweezers or (my favorite) a steel chopstick (preheat the tip so the glass will stick). Let it cool and you're ready to go!

[danelady]

Jennifer, make your own this way.. it's SIMPLE

TAke some COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE Ivory Stringer
Lay out 1/4 sheet of Silver foil
Roll one end of the stringer over a damp sponge

Then ROLL the end of the stringer onto the silver. Using your finger, hold the silver against the strigner and roll until it is all on. Thats what I use!

If you are DESPERATE, I will make you some the old fashined way.. It won't be chap, but I'l be glad to!!
Hugs
lynnie

Hello ! I was wondering where one can buy Ivory Silvered stringers ?
Thank you for your time ! Jennifer:-P

[swanseafarm]

Jennifer, make your own this way.. it's SIMPLE

TAke some COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE Ivory Stringer
Lay out 1/4 sheet of Silver foil
Roll one end of the stringer over a damp sponge

Then ROLL the end of the stringer onto the silver. Using your finger, hold the silver against the strigner and roll until it is all on. Thats what I use!

If you are DESPERATE, I will make you some the old fashined way.. It won't be chap, but I'l be glad to!!
Hugs
lynnie

That's a cool technique, Lynnie. :)
Never heard that one before. Thanks for sharing it.

[danelady]

I don't want to take credit for it, but I can't remember where i read it. It's a PITA until you get the technique down, but it's LOTS faster than making it!:waving: That's a cool technique, Lynnie. :)
Never heard that one before. Thanks for sharing it.

[JENNIFER SMITH]

Thank you to all of you ! You are such a great family ! Thanks ! Jennifer:koolaid:

[Starrr]

I do the same as Lynnie, but I can get 6 or 7 rolls from one sheet of silver, and I lick the stringer before I roll it on, I've found it sticks better than plain water! LOL!
Edie

[pandora]

I have to ask why one earth you would do it this way- is there any advantage over the traditional way?

My understanding is that if the glass isn't molten hot when you apply the silver, it will not dissolve, but vaporize (if you're using leaf) or clump if using foil-(and you better have good ventilation & a respirator).

Plus it's really hard to control a stringer heated to a molten state....so, is there a significant advantage over making it as Karen described? (that would give you reason to accept the added risk and hassles)?
puzzled,
Elise

[Starrr]

Elsie,
I'm not sure you're following the technique, so I'll try and explain it better.

The glass does not have to be molten, and it doesn't disolve on the stringer until you put it in the flame. I make a bunch of these in advance so that I can apply them whenever. The stringer just has the silver foil wrapped around it so it looks bright silver. What you're basically doing is eliminating a step of actually pulling the stringer and instead melting the foil and ivory glass at the same time.

I find some of the advantages to be a more even stringer, and thicker than you can get using Karen's way, which I do use for different effects. I also like the heavy concentration of silver, and the fact that you can get very precise with dots and scrolls, it opens up all kinds of different effects than the thin sis, plus it isn't fragile and won't break into tiny pieces.

I'm not sure what you mean about "added risks", and a respirator isn't necessary when applying sis, only if you decide to fume with silver or gold.
As for having good ventilation, your preaching to the choir on that one, I think ventilation is the single most important safety issue when lampworking.

Give the technique a try, I think you'll like it, and don't limit yourself to just wrapping ivory stringer, alot of other reactive colors work and will give you different results.

Edie

[pandora]

You can get even stringer of any thickness pulling it out yourself. The precision is in the application, not in buying pre-pulled stringer.

The added risks, and recommendation of a respirator are because if you are applying it to the surface and then putting in the flame it does fume (in fact, that's how you fume metals). If the glass is molten first, the silver clings, it absorbs (at least with ivory...yes you can use other colors, but with less porous glass you have it laying on the suface again, and are likely to fume it again when you apply it).

There are better and safer ways to get silver on the surface of your stringer. You apply the stringer first, heat the surface & then roll & burn off. It's a nice effect- not the same, but a nice effect, and you are not fuming as much.

If you use molten glass and pull your own, you shouldn't be fuming it at all (or scarecely). With your technique you will be every time, and again when you apply it.

I thought, maybe you got a different effect that way. if not- you're better off doing it the other way & learning to pull stringer (so you get a consistant pull in the diameter that you want).

[danelady]

LOL Edie, I've HEARD that, but I am a bit squeamish about licking the stringer.. as my mom useed to say, WHO KNOWS whose hands were on it LOLI do the same as Lynnie, but I can get 6 or 7 rolls from one sheet of silver, and I lick the stringer before I roll it on, I've found it sticks better than plain water! LOL!
Edie

[danelady]

I agree and I DO make my own stringer... as I am sure do a lot of us, but for someone who IS stringer challenged, OR runs out during a bead run, this is FAST and it really doesn't fume too badly! The silver stringer, if applied out in the flame, to the beads, just melts in like regular SIS.<SNIP>
The added risks, and recommendation of a respirator are because if you are applying it to the surface and then putting in the flame it does fume (in fact, that's how you fume metals). If the glass is molten first, the silver clings, it absorbs (at least with ivory...yes you can use other colors, but with less porous glass you have it laying on the suface again, and are likely to fume it again when you apply it).<SNIP>.

[pandora]

I'm glad you added those caveats. The original question was posted by someone who is pretty new to this (I'm guessing), and needs to know these things. We don't all have the same set up, and seldom do we have someone checking our studios, or looking over our shoulder to see if we're doing things in a less than safe way.

If you don't have good ventilation, there are risks involved in fuming. your body doesn't get rid of heavy metals. so, overall, it's better to learn to pull stringer well. I have a difficult time imagining that anyone would have good control applying it, if they can't do a good pull. I know that when I started I spent a lot of time pulling stringer because it's fun, relatively easy, and I could feel some accomplishment when my beads all looked like radishes ;)

[danelady]

Pandora, If you are going to make SIS the "old fashioned" way, you should be dressing for fuming, because even if you are careful, you will be fuming silver... The other thing I like about the silver wrapping on commercial stringers as prep, is that I only have to do it ONCE when I make the beads, and only then if I'll be doing close in work!

[SadiesJewels]

Someone said "ewe" about licking the stringers ... clean them first!!! No big deal - using alcolhol works well!

sadie

[*Naos*]

Why do you need the stringers or the silver wet at all?

Simply heat the tip of the pre-fabbed stringer, roll it slowly and carefully over a 1/2 sheet of silver leaf (which should be on a marver), keep rolling, then FLASH in the flame very quickly and marver again...voila!

I've used this technique for years for my dragon scale beads because the silver content doesn't get burned off like in pulled stringer. It provides a completely different effect - a better effect IMO. The silver is pushed to the edge of the ivory, becoming a frame. See example below:

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[Starrr]

Amber, it's not about a wet stringer.

First off, thanks again so much for posting this in the other thread, I took your tut and really loved the beads I made. They came out so nice that I have sold many pieces of jewelry with the design over the last year/season. I tried so many variations and it took alot of time to wrap the silver while I was torching so I decided to pre-wrap my purchased stringers. I found that by licking the stringers, ( um, yeah, they were washed first, lol ), I could do 30 or 40 at a sitting and then use them later. For me it was just something that saved me alot of torch time. I can get 7, or 8 if I'm lucky wrapped, purchased, ivory stringers from a sheet of silver foil and they are all ready when I want to make the dragon scale beads.

I've taken your technique and wrapped all different colors of stringers to be ready for when I want to use them, the possibilities are endless!

Thanks again for sharing!
Edie

[*Naos*]

Edie - that's cool! I'm glad the tut worked well for you!! Got any pics? I play with new colors for the scales all the time...just has to have the right spread, you know? :)

Sorry that was off-topic...your method makes absolute sense. I only make what I know I'm going to use in a session so there's the difference but I might have to try yours out. ;) My post was more a response to what Padnora was speaking about. Personally, whether it's wrapped or pulled, it still fumes so precautions are necessary...one way just gives you more silver content. :)

[EaglesLegacy]

OMG...I know this thread is old, but thank you all! I've been admiring all the beads where people mention "Silvered stringer" of whatever color, but had no clue it was something that would be so easy to create. Can't wait to try this!

[PaulaD]

And all this time I have been making SIS the old fashioned way!
Thanks for the heads up!
Paula

[Tache]

I make it the new fashioned way? The slightly heat commercial stringer and then roll in foil and burnish method.

Pulling stringer for me is like parallel parking. I can do it. I just choose not to unless I reaaaaaaaally have to.

[theglasszone]

Ooo, this IS an awesome idea! (the "New Fashioned" technique!) Me likes...and I can pull a even and fairly thick stringer too, but heck, if it's THIS easy, why not give it a try!?!

Thanks all!
De

[blr2449]

I tried this new, 'old', method yesterday and I love it! I'll not go back to pulling them myself any time soon. Thank you for the tip.

[Elegance_1]

I sell 6" SIS for $1 each. They are very silver heavy, 2-3 mm thick. I sent you a pm. :)