Val Cox Silver Lake Frit

[Tanja]

I cannot figure out how to make this frit work. However, am a newbie. Anyone tell me how to make it "reactive"?

[Bubbyanne]

Use a dark base like black or cobalt and don't encase. If you encase it will just be white, which has it's uses too. Lol.

[Starrr]

I love this frit and it's easy once you get the hang of it. A black base is nice, but don't be afraid to try others, hum... medium trans blue, dark lav trans, any of the Lauscha opaques, it just works with so many base colors. What I do is roll my bead once in the frit, melt in, and then let the bead cool, really cool, (like Raku),where you think it "might" break, and then slowly let the very top of your flame just lick the bead to a warm, soft glow. Watch it, you will be able to see the silver come to the surface and outline the frit, then pop it right in the kiln. Don't over work this frit, I don't over work any of the reactive frits, but this one has to be worked "soft" , once you see the silver come to the surface, thats it, your done, leave it alone. You can also swirl after melting in, but again, melt, swirl, cool, and into the very back of the flame. You can also mix Silver Lake in small amounts with other frits to get that silver up to the surface. On round beads, I like to use a black base, roll in frit, melt, and then add raised dots of medium blue, really pretty! Just play with it, and use more oxy than propane.
Edie

[Tanja]

Thanks for the help. I didn't really know what it was supposed to do actually. It sounds like it will be really neat, once I get the hang of it. --Tanja :wave:

[LavenderCreek]

>and use more oxy than propane<

Maybe that's my problem with this frit, I'm on a HH. It nearly always devitrifies on me. It is fine if I just roll in frit melt and then put it right into the kiln, but if I try to press it or decorate it, once it hits the flame again, it devites. Of course I have the same problem with EDP...love the colour just can't seem to get the hang of the cooling then flashing process.

[DancingSalamander]

Thanks for the helping hints. I've been scratching my head on this one, too.

Stacia

[BonfireBeads]

I haven't seen any pics of beads with this frit (just what I need another jar of frit, lol!). Anyone have any beads to show?

[cam@velocity.net]

I recently made some beads with this frit. Nothing too fancy though. Silver Lake on cobalt with some twisted dots. To me this frit looks like snow!

Candy

4841

[BonfireBeads]

Those are gorgeous, Candy! Looks like I do need yet another jar of frit ](*,)

[Tanja]

and I run out of oxygen! Just when I get some good advice and I'm ready to roll. The beads are beautiful, thanks for sharing. I'd like to see some more beads. Won't be seeing any of mine until I get more oxygen, I guess.