Frit - I don't get it.

[earth*monkey]

Question from a newcomer... I just don't get the whole frit thing, but I think I want to try it.

What is a good starter frit?
What sizes to try? (I make small beads)
Why don't the frit sellers have all their blends in stock at the same time? I mean, what's up with that? :rolleyes:
What are the pros and cons of each frit?
What type of glass is it? Can I use it on a moretti base.

Is there a frit FAQ somewhere?


Thanks! :p

[rverk47]

i'm fairly new at this too but i bought a bunch of frit from glass diversions and absolutely love it..it's an easy way to make a beautiful bead..yes it will mix with moretti..i don't think one is easier to use than another..i have had luck with all the colors i bought..try it on white to see what it looks like and then use your creativity..i also bought some from spiral dance design..i'm sure somebody with more experience can give you more info..i talked with the people at glass diversions and she was a wealth of information..have fun!!!

[Bubbyanne]

Whoa lots of questions, I'll answer as many as I can.

Glass diversions has really nice mixes and Val from Valcox.com tests all her frit so you don't have to worry about getting icky frit that devitrifies or scums. Frit is furnace glass and is usually used for glass blowers and isn't always good for beads.

If you are making small beads I'd go with a smaller frit like a size 0 or a 1.

Frit often has a coe of 96 but can be used on Moretti/effetre in small amounts (I think 5% is recommended) and a little goes a long way. The colors are often intense.

I agree on testing them on white or clear to see what they look like first. When you melt frit in your bead hold it further back in the flame to avoid burning it.

Frit expands the color palette but some also do cool things when mixed with silver foil or used correctly, like raku needs to be heated to death or reduction frit which can be reduced to bring out the metals and make a shiny finish. I guess it depends on what effect you are wanting in your beads will decide which frit to buy.

There's a lot more to using frit and I've only touched a little on the subject. If you do a search I'm sure you'll find tons more info on individual colors and will find at least one you'll be interested in. Once you start though it is hard to stop. Lol
Good luck.

[SuzyQ]

Are you sure you want to know?, lol. Many of us have a frit addiction.

First frit is crushed glass people use to decorate their beads. It can be furnace glass and you can also have frit made of your glass of choice like effetre (moretti).

The size is really up to you. What do you like the looks of? Size 0 is powder and the size increases with the number.

I would start with colors I think are fun. There are many sellers out there but my two favorites are ggglass and spiral designs. Both offer sample sizes so you don't invest too much in one color or mix.

The furnace glass frits can be used with effetre in small amounts. You can also get effetre frit. I find one of the fun things about frit is getting it in colors you don't already have.

Then there are reactive frits which turn colors on you.... But that's lesson 2 :)

[earth*monkey]

I can tell there is a huge frit addiction. Almost all of the studio pics I've looked at has jars of frit sitting in cute little stacks. :) My magpie need to acquire was poked. :)

I've done a lot of research on frit, actually. I guess what I am really looking for is kind of an overview. For instance, what is furnace glass?

Why choose one frit vendor over another? Are they selling glass from different manufacturers?

Do you like the packaging of one vendor over another?

[DawnT]

Glass Diversions frit is a good beginner frit because hers are not fussy at all. Val will tell you in her descriptions which of hers are or are not. I love Spiral Dance but I find her frits to be difficult sometimes and if you're making small beads hers might have chunks that are too large for you. They all have sample beads made with the frit so you can get a good idea of the colors.

DO NOT use your frits on ivory! You will get mud most of the time.

Use your frits sparingly with Effetre (like one roll and melt in) unless you are using Effetre frit and you can get that at www.howacoglass.com or you could make your own.

[SuzyQ]

I like those that package in little plastic containers with a screw top lid.

Honestly I purchase frit from whomever has the color that grabs me that day. :)

[JanMD]

Lara - - I have enjoyed the reduction frits the most. They do all kinds of cool things, depending upon what color glass the base bead is, whether or not you use leaf underneath, and what kind of flame you use (oxy-rich or reduction). Here is an interesting site to browse, to see what kinds of effects you can get with Val's frits: http://www.blackberrybeads.com/Frits.htm

There are so many different frits out there! A pro/con on each one would be the work of a lifetime. One thing that amuses me is how some of the vendors change the name of some perfectly common glass to something very fanciful when they re-package it. I suspect "Raku" got that ball rolling. Marketing 101!

The other thing that I have heard is that some frit vendors are re-selling some very metals-rich glass colors as frit without including the health warnings that the original manufacturers of the glass include. This may be just a rumor or one of those 'urban legends'.

Does anyone have any thoughts on that issue? I wonder about it when I see strange fumes rising off my beads when I use 'Silver Lake' frit. Maybe I'm just a worry wart.

JanMD

[dragonfly designs 56]

Are You All Using Moretti Glass, My Frit Beads All Broke, I Am Heartbroken

[dragonfly designs 56]

Ok, Let Me Ask A Better Question. Is There A Soft Glass That Is Compatible To All Of These Frits That Are 96 Coe? I Am Determined To Use This Frit.

[J. Savina]

Are You All Using Moretti Glass, My Frit Beads All Broke, I Am Heartbroken

I'm so sorry all your beads broke. That 5% rule is hard to judge sometime. Try making your beads a little bigger before you add the frit, and never, "NEVER" encase with moretti clear if there is more than 5% of COE 96 frit in your bead. It's also very important to anneal really well. You may want to try some Gaffer or Uroboros System 96 glass which are a better (almost perfect) compatibility with most of the frit from GD and ValCox. Keep practicing, you'll be addicted like me and most of us here.
J.

[earth*monkey]

There are so many different frits out there! A pro/con on each one would be the work of a lifetime. JanMD

I see I wasn't clear on my question... The question I meant to ask was - Why chose one *line* of frits over another?

Thanks so much for the link. I love looking at bead pics. :)

[Curly Irish Girl]

Why choose one line over another???? Purely personal choice at that moment in time. Spiral Dance has some fabulous PIZZAZ frits - while I've not bought any as yet, that will be my next "serving". It's also a matter of what effect are you trying to achieve....soft, subtle, femine effects or KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF BOLD effects....so it's the colors you want and which colors from which vendor strike your fancy. all the vendors are great to work with and have quality products...many of them are part of this forum. If you check the vendors websites, they quite often have sample beads made with the various frits so you can see how they work on black, white or clear.

Good luck!!! It's an addiction for sure....and I wouldn't have it any other way!

[lunamoonshadow]

OMG I can't IMAGINE choosing only one vendor to buy my frit from!!!
I've got more frits than I've made beads :D
It's an addiction...but it's a fun one...and with the vendors adding new colors in sample sizes, well, its cheaper than a meal at mcdonalds! :) (and more rewarding too!)
~lyn

[bolimasa]

I could be wrong about this, but I think all the frit people are basically selling the same thing... Kugler, Reichenbach and Zimmerman furnace glass frits sold individually or as mixes. I think these are usually COE within a few points of 96, but because of a high lead content can be somewhat compatible with the higher COE of morreti. These frits have pretty intense color, which I presume is so the color isn't lost when glass is expanded as it's blown in more traditional glass blowing techniques. I think that most of these frits are available through Olympic Color rods, but I think you have to a kilo (or is it half kilo?). It is frustrating when you find frit you like and then can't get it again, but if you can find out the brand and number you can probably get it in bulk through OCR.

There are also couple of frit sellers on ebay, bessae and micheytoo come to mind. Like I said, I think they all pretty much sell the same thing, so the big decision is if you want to use individual colors, or someone elses blends, and of course size. I have a stainless steel mortar and pestle that I use to grind my frit if I want it smaller or powdery. The problems I have seem with furnace glass frit is that some seem prone to easy reduction, some tend to devitrify (in my experience purples and whites), and there is the compability issue. I have had beads (I presumed that I had a little too much frit) where the surface got some tiny cracks.

You can also buy (or make) moretti frit that is coe 104 so you dont need to worry about compatiblity!

[bolimasa]

The other thing that I have heard is that some frit vendors are re-selling some very metals-rich glass colors as frit without including the health warnings that the original manufacturers of the glass include. This may be just a rumor or one of those 'urban legends'.

Does anyone have any thoughts on that issue? I wonder about it when I see strange fumes rising off my beads when I use 'Silver Lake' frit. Maybe I'm just a worry wart.

JanMD

I've worried about this too, because my understanding is that it is a high lead content that allows the mis-matching of COE's. Of course the rod suppliers don't tell about the heavy metals in the colored rods either.

I think it's just another reason to use good ventilation!!!!

[Kevan]

Question from a newcomer... I just don't get the whole frit thing


Thanks! :p

You will, my child. You will.

He who controls the frit, controls the universe. -- Dune

[lunamoonshadow]

If you want to try a bunch of frit colors for a tiny "investment" consider joining in on the "great LE Frit swap of 2006" now open in the "patio"!!!
~lyn