What tools? why?

[wendbill]

Hi, I'm a newbie, started in August, currently using a hothead (boo hoo) after doing a two day course using a minor burner.

I've got a few questions. First of all, I'm using a 9 kg propane BBQ bottle (those MAPP gas bottles aren't even worth contemplating price wise in Oz). Firstly is there much difference between the MAPP gas and bbq gas in terms of cleanliness? I keep capturing soot - much less than when I started, but enough to still be a pain.

Secondly, surfing all the glass web sites, there appear to be all these weird and wonderful tools, presses etc. Having got a starter kit originally, which consisted of a graphite paddle, small mashers, tweezers, glasses, pliers etc, I'm interested to find out which tools people have found most useful and why.

Thanks
Wendy

[Jacinthe]

get yourself a butter knife, maybe some chisels (the cheap ones), a pair of scissors, you can use a mandrel for a rake and poker, a crafting knife/razor knife (used for creasing flowers) - just make sure its all metal and doesn't have a little plastic bit holding the sharp piece.
When I finally had some money I got myself a Whimzicalities brass duo poker/shaper tool. I love it, one end good for poking the other for shaping...
I have a few presses, but you have to be able to get good shaped beads before you can effeciently use presses.

[Dale M.]

Just about any thing metal can be used as a tool.... Scrounge house "junk drawer" (every house has one) local second hand stores, garage, whatever..
Try anyting, you might develope a new technique... Remember hot glass does NOT stick to cold metal... Keep any potential tools cool, dip in water to quench heat if tool gets too warm...

Dale M.

[Cosmo]

Like Dale, I tend to make my own tools with what I find lying around the house. The one piece I bought that I would not be with out is my stump shaper. I have a brass one, but they offer them in graphite too. I use it all the time.

[Shawn T]

I agree, with all the above. My graphite paddle, and brass stump shaper are two of my favorite bought tools. A pick is a wonderful tool, but you can get a dental pick until you can later purchase a tungsten one. Also one of my favorite tools is an exacto knife that has a razor blade inserted into the end of it. I use this one everyday. Look in your kitchen, garage for tools, junk draws, for odd shapes and edges.

As Dale said remember to keep them cool or they will stick to your glass.

As for the question on Gas, I do know some people who use propane and have no trouble with it. I also know others who have said that propane with a HH causes too much soot and it turns transparents and light colors smokey and gray. I think it depends on how clean your propane is and where you live. If you are indeed having trouble with it turning to soot, I would change your gas.

[Jude Rose]

I use my graphite and brass stump shapers and my marver pad that's attached to my Minor torch the most. You can get a Hothead torch attachment, as well.

[wendbill]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Re the propane: It probably is clean enough. At first I was making everyting sooty, but I eventually broke down and bought Molly Heynes' dvd to see what the hothead flame was supposed to look like, and where to work in it since neither Corina's book nor Cindy Jenkin's book had a photograph of the flame in it (and my web searches came up with zip). From that I realised I had the propane turned up too high, so lowering that and using a smaller flame made a big difference. My solid colours are now clean but my transparent colours aren't faring quite so well (though they're not too bad). Of course, I'm wondering whether it's my technique or whether I can blame the propane (a poor workman always blames his tools ha ha).

I'm now getting better bead shapes, but still very much at the beginning of the learning curve...

[barbarajoy]

I too agree with all the above. Adding: Spoons for frit. Anything to poke with. Any dental tools you can lay your hands on. And I really love that little brass tool Corina sells, it's my third hand. Oh, and babyfood jars to mix different frits together (and save). Another thing that really helped me, my husband picked me up a teeny, tiny pair of nippers from Hourbor Freight and they nip my stringer tips clean of that huge melted blob that always seems to appear. Good luck! ~Barb

[wendbill]

Sarah, what do you use the chisels for? Are you talking about wood working type chisels? Also can you use any sort of scissors or do you have to have special glass scissors or something? I was thinking nail scissors could be a good size.... I tried the exacto/razor knife today, which gave some quite nice effects.

I haven't tried using frit yet. Unfortunately the stuff I have left over from my fusing course is System 96, and the glass I'm currently using is Vetrofond and Moretti. Is System 96 the same COE as Bullseye? I still have some scraps of that as well.

That leads to one more question Is there a limit to the number of times glass can be melted down and worked? - Then presumably annealed after. Just wondering if I could turn one of the failed fusing projects into strips of glass and reuse it. It was System 96 if that makes any difference.

[Curly Irish Girl]

The majority of the frit is 90-96 COE although there is some 104 around. You can use the 90-96 frit on Vetrofone/Moretti (or any 104 rod) as long as you follow the 5% rule - not more than 5% of the bead is of the lower COE. You will need to experiment to find which glass "plays nice" with another.

The other frit info is that you can take those short ends of your 104 rods - smash them (read info on respiratory safety first) and use the frit on your 104 beads!

You can use an old coffee grinder to smash the frit - or my personal favorit (cost about $2 from the farm supply store) - a 12 inch piece of galvanized pipe with a threaded end - a galvanized cap that screws on the end of the pipe (makes a little dish to hold the glass/frit) and a steel rod to use as the masher. The whole thing sort of looks like a pipe bomb when you have it done! Let me know if you want me to post a photo. I'll be out of the country for 3 weeks starting tomorrow so it might be a bit before I can take a photo.