Making Frit

[extexnick]

I've cruised Lampwork Etc and many other sites and cannot find "the best" way to make frit. I've been told to use a coffee grinder, but other people says the metal coming off the blades ruin the frit, i've been told to flatten a gather and dip it in cold water, but other people say it changes the properties of the glass, so here I come.

I also see alot of 96 COE frit but almost no 104 COE frit. I've been told that it's ok to use the 96 as long as you don't encase it. I've also seen alot of beautify frit at many sites, but I want to create my own.

So my question is: how can a amatuer working on becoming a rookie make their own frit.

HELP

extexnick

[crystalflipz]

I've had really good luck making my own 104 frit this way:
1. Take shorts or cut rods of your selected color and place them into a cold kiln
2. Turn kiln on and allow to heat up to 900+ (whatever you garage at)
3. Pull hot shorts/rods from kiln and dump straight into container of ice water.
I put my rods in the flat bottom of a metal rod rack and just lift the whole rack out of the kiln.
4. Place the chilled and now fractured rods in a GLASS blender with plenty of water. Blend the glass and water until you no longer hear big chunks of glass swirling around
5. Pour your blended glass through a strainer. I use 2 strainers with different sized mesh stacked one on top of the other in a metal bowl filled with water. As you shake the frit, the smaller pieces will shake down through the strainers and you will end up with 3 sizes of frit.
6. Pour the sifted frit onto coffee filters and place in a safe location to dry.
7. Pour your clean frit into containers and label.
I like doing my frit this way because there is no issue with glass dust, it's quick, and I end up with batches of frit in consistant sizes - makes it much easier to measure, easier to create consistant batches of frit blends.
Just make sure you use a glass blender, the bits of glass will tear a plastic container up. I have not had any problems with damage to the blender blades, I think the water helps prevent that.

[Phoenix]

I made my own 104 frit initially in a big beer mug- lined with a coffee filter and filled with water. I would get a hot gather and dip in the water and instant frit- when I had enough, I pulled it out to dry and then stored in altoids tins - I still do this occasionally- but I don't use much frit so it's not as frequent

I'm sure I learned the coffee filter trick from someone here

[beadgoodies]

I don’t think there is a “best” way to make frit! There are several ways of making your own frit. Try them out and see which one you like best. I’ve heat-shocked glass to make frit. That method works okay. It’s slow and time-consuming though. When I want to make frit I use a frit crusher made out of metal pipefittings. Here’s what you need to crush your own frit:

1. Frit Crusher

82138

2. Respirator Mask (N100 or better)
3. Screens (the cooking/baking section of most stores is a great place to start looking for different size sifters)
4. Magnets (needed to remove metal slag from the smallest size of the crushed glass)

Candy

[Lara]

i've been told to flatten a gather and dip it in cold water, but other people say it changes the properties of the glass
extexnick

HUH? Why would that change the properties of the glass. If I make my own frit, this is the way I do it. I get a big gathering, molten hot and smash it as thin as I can get it. Heat it a bit more, then plunge in the water. It is fun and works really well. I first say it at the Gathering done by one of the really well known glass papermakers. The name is alluding me, someone, anyone, it was at the Portland Gathering.

L

[bubblebabeuk]

I make emergency damn I ran out frit using the hot gather in cold water method, then hit it with a hammer! but I much prefer making frit out of my shorts and bits of leftover stringer etc in a dedicated coffee grinder, I don't notice an issue with metal fillings but I separate into 5 sizes, then discard the extra extra fine power stuff. I have run a magnet over the frit to remove metal fillings, didn't find any! but to be honest I found spending the cash on a good quality coffee grinder makes a huge difference.
BTW of course you can use other COE frit within reason, 96 is a common one to use but obviously anytime you add different COE's its the 5% rule! Okay!

[RyanTheNumberImp]

I either go water or hammer depending on how much I need.

I also encase tonnes of frit and have never had cracking problems.

[extexnick]

Thanks everyone, looks like I go for the water technique. Looks like I might be able to go from amatuer to rookie tomorrow. My other option was dynamite but it is kind of hard to find all the frit.

nick

[sunnyone]

more power to ya! I'm a lazy bum...and just buy it! hehe

crystal

[Jaterwunky]

I started put my shorts in a kiln rack. Leave in kiln while I make a couple of beads and throw the whole rack into ice cold water. Really liked the way the frit turned out. When I use a coffee grinder I end up with a lot of really small pieces. although I like my frit on the large size #2. If you like small frit, coffee grinder is way to go.
Hope this helps.
Deb

[uglybeadsneedlove]

here is a demo.... http://web.mac.com/marciedavis/iWeb/Lauscha/Let%27s%20Go%20to%20the%20Movies/4780B3A3-9878-4422-9B5D-3A256172C3C7.html