Ask Mikey
 

Did you ever have a question about Effetre, Vetrofond or Messy Color? I am not referring to beadmaking techniques, but questions about how this or that is made. I have been to Effetre hundreds of times and Vetrofond dozens. I have seen the machinery work and I have seen the handpulled colors and millefiori pulled.

Of course I have yet to go to the CiM factory, but I do know a few things and for those questions I have no answers, I have Kathy at CiM to ask.

If you have any question about anything, even if it is not glass, I would love to give it a try.

Can you tell I may be bored on a Sunday, my head spinning from producing and looking at spread sheets and I need something else to do, and with the rain coming down, no walks, gardening or going outside today.

Please ask questions, besides my knowledge, I have Google and a crystal ball, if you ask about future predictions.

Everyone have a nice day, summer is on the way.

Mike Frantz



Mike

Summer is on the way? We haven't had spring yet! It's only hovering at or below 40 lol.

Can you tell me where this 'Mariner" is?
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Also, can you tell me why purple is such a hard color to make? A nice violet purple :)

Sorry I missed your boring Sunday, I'm 3rd shift so this is my Sunday :wave:

Ditto on the purple question :)

How are rods pulled? What are the differences between hand pulled and machine pulled and do these differences have any effect on the final product? Do you have any photos showing the pulling sequence?
Thanks,
Roger

Why is it so difficult to repeat colors like Apricot 591419 and the corals?

What's the ratio of failed color batches (odd/off colors) to successful ones? What is typically the cause?

Is it true that a good portion of aventurine batches end up as waste? I've heard that the stuff we see is only drawn from the center of the vat.

The Color Purple (tm)
 

I am sorry that on our newsletter, there was no link to that color on our website, but we are changing that at this moment. Thanks!!

I once heard somebody say that only God makes the perfect purple and all I have to do is look at an orchid to understand why.

This brings me to a funny story. While I was traveling to Europe I stopped at a German Glass Factory, trying to decide if I want to carry a new line of glass.

They showed me their colors, but the one item they showed me as a sample was the most purest purple color I ever saw!

The problem was that it was an plastic Easter Egg. They had yet perfected the color, but this was the color they were going to make.

You may want to A.S.K. me which company this was, but I will just keep that to myself.

So many months later I get a call from this company, and they are in Colorado on business. They had planned on flying into Seattle and driving to Frantz Art Glass for a visit.

I got a call saying there plane was delayed and they would be getting in to Seattle too late to come to visit us. But they invited me to drive up there for dinner and to look at some colors.

My first question to them on the phone was "Did you make the purple that you said would look like the Easter Egg, and they said "NO" not yet.

I decided to not drive 2 hours to Seattle that day :)

Mike

Pulling Effetre Color by Hand...A Mano
 

This is the gather of glass then marvered on a table and then another gather is picked up until.....


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When there is enough glass on the end of a punty, the second worker attaches a second punty and begins walking.

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Keep Pulling


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This is how both millefiori and handpulled Effetre color is made.

Mike Frantz

Coral, a creature of many Colors.
 

Below is a list of Coral colors from the past 5 years:

Firecrack Red Coral
Heatwave Orange Coral
Coral La Mesa
Coral Martian Strata
Coral Pure Pumpkin Orange
Coral Persimmon
Coral Paprika
Coral Poppy
Coral Peach Persimmon
Coral Sunburst
Coral Sunny Mango
Coral Tequila Sunrise
Coral Pumpkin
Coral Tomato
Coral Striped Coral
Coral Mango
Coral Dusty Rose
Coral Cinnamon
Coral Dark Cinnamon

So this question of "WHY" is coral in so many tonalities of colors is a good question to ask.

Each time Effetre makes a coral they use the same ingredients and the same methods, but the colors vary from production to production.

I have been told in Germany, (joking I think) that the tonality of a color has to do with the phases of the moon.

Another joker said it had to do with how much wine the glass batcher had drank, but I know that is not true.

Slight variations of the minerals used, or could it be the temperature of the glass, but nobody has a good answer except one that is: "WYSIWYG"

I remember the first batch of coral we ever got, and I think was the finest batch ever, but at that time we were not making beads. And I used all of that production for fused glass products

The same goes for 591419 Apricot. A while back we got some Apricot and it was not what we were used to. I was told that if I was willing to order 300 kg of Apricot they would do a new production. They made a new production, and the color is nice, but not the same as I had wished, but lovely just the same.

So where I might have 400 pounds of a coral, and do not need to order any more coral, I still will order 100 kg if it is of a new production just to see if just maybe we can add another coral with another coral name, and if I like, I reserve more.

Mike Frantz

Handpulled Glass
 

The only color that I can call a failed color batch would be one that is not compatible with its brothers and sisters.

Many of the new Effetre colors come from experiments. Some come out to be "GREAT" and some "not so great".

But in either case, if I ask for new colors, the price is based on the ingredients and labor and nothing to do with how great or not so great the glass is.

If I order a handpulled color, does not matter if it is a new color or a standard handpulled color. Sometimes the Opal yellow is light and sometimes it is dark and sometimes it is in between, but they all are handpulled Effetre color.

Yes, we have many handmade colors, and sometimes machine made colors that are a one-of-a-kind colors can be the hottest new color or a pretty ugly color, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Mike

How much R&D goes into a trying to replicate popular Odd batch? Does it depend on demand? What's the criteria?

What an awesome thread.

You should still go to Africa.

Pam

River rock
 

I would like to talk about Vetrofond ODD colors and Vetrofond River Rock. Many of the Vetrofond ODD colors consist of a glass rod that looks like a millefiori, A simple one, just a bullseye with one color in the center and the other color on the outside.

In a days production of a single ODD color they might produce 1,500 pounds. During the production the diameter of the center color will get larger or smaller and that will have a large effect on the color of the rod.

Many years ago Vetrofond was trying to make an avocado color. We renamed it River Rock.

We tried to replicate and get more RIVER ROCK. The factory used the same formula, same equipment and same method, but no RIVER ROCK.

I know I did not answer each question, I will work on answering them in another story.

Mikey

Vetrofond Black
 

Dear Nancy, thanks for the question. That is one reason why I am going to Italy.

Over three years ago, Vetrofond decided to stop making rods and they sold the machinery. I can only assume it was an economic decision.

I believe I have a few pounds of Vetrofond black in 5-6mm, not pretty.

I may also have some larger diameter Vetrofond Black, I will need to verify, just maybe:waving:

Mikey

Goldstone ROCK
 

I can not answer that question now, but I did go to a factory that made goldstone.

At the end of our tour we came upon a small room with two men sitting in chairs with rock picks and hammering away at a rock of goldstone that must have weighed 1,000 pounds or more.

They divided the glass into three different boxes.

One box held the goldstone rock that had green running through it, trash.

One box held the goldstone with the large stars that would be sold to
companies melting goldstone to be made into some glass product.

One box held the goldstone with the small stars that would be used for jewelry as it was more reflective and of jewelry Quality.


Mikey

Hi Mike, the seeded glass tubes in 104- are those still being produced?

Seeded Glass
 

The number of colors available in seeded glass tube has gotten smaller over the past years. When I visit Effetre I will ask them if they plan on making anymore tube.

These seeded glass tubes were used for making curtains and lamp shades, this glass tubes were not made for lampworking, and has not much of a purpose in lampworking (with a few exceptions). This style of glass plays with light and makes for an interesting effect with light passing through it.


Mikey

Seeded Glass
 

Hi KJohn, the production manager at Effetre has seen my ASK MIKEY and gave me some of the answers to some of the questions asked of me.

In regards to the seeded lamp tubes, when F.A.G. places an order it may be for 30 kg of one color of tube. But a full production of this glass is very large and they can not make it for such a small order. If their customers who order it in large amounts needs more, then Effetre will produce more and we will get some, but in the meantime if you would like to place an order for 500 pounds, I think I can get them to produce any color you would like. LOL.

Are you going to be at the Houston ISGB Gathering and when is the next Frantz Glass Bash? :love: Angelique

Thanks Mike, at least it's still possible to do.

No BASH and no ISGB
 

Hello Angelique. I have no plans in going to the Houston ISGB Gathering, and as far as the next Frantz Bash, not this year.

Mikey

Uneven coloursj
 

Great thread Mike, lots of interesting information, thank you.
I'm curious to know what makes a colour strike unevenly. Like petroleum green, which gives a nice striated effect, and some of the yellows which finish up with a rosy blush in some parts. Is it uneven mixing, serendipity, or rocket science?
Can it be done purposely? If so how?

KMD

Jodel who?
 

Dear KMD, these are great questions, and I could ASSUME that you may have answered your own question, but let me do some asking around and come up with something worthy of an answer.

PS Does anyone know what happend to Jodel Glass?

Mikey

I buy glass every now and then on EBAY from Kellysglasshouse out of Rhode Island. I hear that she is the remnants of Jodel Glass. Jodel was gone before I came onto the lampworking scene. Kellyglasshouse has a 100% satisfaction rating. I have probably ordered from her a half dozen times over the last couple of years. Her corespondence has been awesome and her shipping is very timely. Her Lauscha prices were to die for. I bought a bunch of vetrofond dark ivory and black a couple of years ago for what is today a steal.

What was the item number for River Rock?

Why would the bumpy rods of dark ivory react more with silver leaf than the smooth ones?

I purchased several of Kellyglasshouse bulk sales and ended up with lots and lots of glass colors that I don't have a specific interest in. (like corals or lauscha pink) If anyone is interested in a trade I'm sure we can work something out. :)

Monique?
 

I decided to Google Kellyglasshouse and I found one thing interesting to me. There was some Effetre 591256 dark pink listed at around $17.00 per pound which is an unbelievable price, but the color did not look like 256.

My original question was in regard to what happened to Monique of Jodel Glass. Monique filled my head with all kinds of stories about glass, computers, and a bunch of other things that blew me away.

I do remember she got married but had some underlying health issues. Monique, her daughter and her daughters boyfriend came to Frantz Art Glass to take a class with Lucio Bubacco. I think Lewis Wilson also took the class.

So I was just wondering what happened to Monique.

It is a pretty morning in Shelton.

Mikey

this is a fascinating thread. Continuing along the lines of 'why are there no good purples', also why are there few crimson or middle reds (or am I missing them) - there are quite a few orangey shades leading to coral, and there are some reds which are so dark that they don't work well in beads, but there aren't many reds in the middle range - effetre medium red is quite good (and I like the streakiness), but are there other similar reds and some veering towards crimson?

Why doesn't anyone even seem to try to make transparent coral (apart from the clear difficulties the opaque variety causes)? I would prefer 100 failed transparent coral experiments (more odd lots!) to zero transparent coral attempts. We are so limited with regard to warm transparent colours.