Silver foil turning gold?

[wendbill]

I've been experimenting with silver foil this weekend.

I've been pretty basic with it so far. I've wrapped silver foil around black and then put vetrofond clear on top. Out of the three or four beads I made that way, the foil in all of them ended up looking golden (except the first which only had a couple of golden spots with the rest looking of it looking silver).

I'm using an HH and bulk propane. So the first question is: is it supposed to do this or am I doing something wrong? I have problems at the best of times trying to keep my clear clean of streaks (It gets better the lower I turn the flame, but I do tend to get a bit impatient - short attention span!).

Second question relates to silvered ivory stringer. I'm trying to work out if I'm burning too much of it off. Is it still supposed to look ivory or "cloudy" or "cloudy with the occasional metallic sparkle"? It's hard to tell from the photos of everyone's work. I was figuring it was one of those things that may not photograph well when looking at the stuff with SIS in the Gallery, but I'd like to know. If you're supposed to burn it all off and just have it look cloudy what's the point? Or is the point that's it gives you the streaky look?

Thanks in advance.
Wendy

[Rebekah]

It does that. Nature of the beast. If you don't burn the leaf off, though and use the palest aqua, it'll still look silver.

Rebekah

[Kevan]

Yes the point is the streaky look. It' s not going to look like silver.

[suzanne]

You might want to consider using Kugler clear instead of the others. Lauscha also turns the silver into gold, I thought I read somewhere that Kugler clear leaves the silver silver;)

[Rebekah]

In my experience, the Kugler doesn't work either. I have a bunch of stuff that I have encased with the Kugler and it's all turned gold.

Seriously, I think the best you can do is find the palest aqua you can. It works and unless you're encasing over white, you can't tell. Plus, it tends to make your colors look more intense.

Rebekah

[MaryBeth]

I make several designs where I use silver in the beads. I use Moretti to case them. It must be worked at just the right temperature - not too hot or you will get the gold effect when you don't want it. Otherwise the silver will stay silver. I like using Moretti stringer to make these. The Moretti clear stringer is much more clear than any of the larger Moretti rods are. Here are some of the examples of the beads where I have cased silver with Moretti stringer:

9389
9390
9391

[wendbill]

Marybeth, those are beautiful. If the silver needs to be worked cooler, I take it that means that when it turns yellow, it's undgoing a chemical reaction of some sort? By the last bead, I was trying to keep the silver out the flame alltogether, but it was still turning gold when the clear was was applied onto it? Would the clear be making it too hot?

I've got some pale aqua. I'll try some of that today.

[MaryBeth]

Marybeth, those are beautiful. If the silver needs to be worked cooler, I take it that means that when it turns yellow, it's undgoing a chemical reaction of some sort? By the last bead, I was trying to keep the silver out the flame alltogether, but it was still turning gold when the clear was was applied onto it? Would the clear be making it too hot?

I've got some pale aqua. I'll try some of that today.

Yes- when you see the gold color that means that you are applying the clear too hot -and I suspect it is some kind of chemical reaction. However, if you are talking about Vetrofond nothing that you do will work. Vetrofond clear will always turn the silver gold as will Lauscha clear. Moretti clear or pale aqua should work to keep the silver color. I have tried the Kugler clear and in my experience it keeps the silver color also. Hope this helps!8-)

[wendbill]

I guess it's time to work out how to order from Arrow Springs from overseas...
Do they have the Kugler other rod sizes in yet? I'm not keen to try melting a 10-12 mm rod on the HH.

Not sure who stocks the Moretti clear locally.

I tried the aqua. It looked ok - definitely silver.

[dogmaw]

On the other hand, this means you can get gold in your bead without paying gold prices just by encasing with the right glass. :)

[MaryBeth]

I guess it's time to work out how to order from Arrow Springs from overseas...
Do they have the Kugler other rod sizes in yet? I'm not keen to try melting a 10-12 mm rod on the HH.

Not sure who stocks the Moretti clear locally.

I tried the aqua. It looked ok - definitely silver.

I think that Arrow Springs is getting the Kugler in more sizes by the end of this week.

Do you have any clear Moretti? Give that a try if you do. The Moretti clear stringers are of much better quality than the thicker rods. Every bead I made in the above picture was cased using Moretti clear stringers. It also seems to me they would be the easiest way to encase on a Hot Head.

[Toni Lutman]

I guess it's time to work out how to order from Arrow Springs from overseas...
Do they have the Kugler other rod sizes in yet? I'm not keen to try melting a 10-12 mm rod on the HH.

Not sure who stocks the Moretti clear locally.

I tried the aqua. It looked ok - definitely silver.


I was there last week, and AS had received the Kugler in all sizes.

[wendbill]

Time to email Arrow Springs then and find out shipping costs to Oz (urgh!!!)

"On the other hand, this means you can get gold in your bead without paying gold prices just by encasing with the right glass. "

Unfortunately on my beads (very probably lack of skill on my part) the gold bits look more like the type of gold foil you wrap your chocalates in, rather than something you'd actually want to own...

[dogmaw]

Encasing silver with a pale pink glass always makes it look gold for me.

[wendbill]

I'll have to try that!