I want to make my own frit

gmkcpa · #1 2009-11-20, 7:52am

I've been buying frit lately but occasionally would like to make my own. I have about 10 rods of green exotic. I'd like to use one rod to make large green exotic frit and one rod to make small green exotic frit. My wife has already suggested that I just smash some rod up with a hammer, but I know that I won't get anything uniform. Does anyone have a better way? Or is there a tut?

e. mort · #2 2009-11-20, 8:13am

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmkcpa

I've been buying frit lately but occasionally would like to make my own. I have about 10 rods of green exotic. I'd like to use one rod to make large green exotic frit and one rod to make small green exotic frit. My wife has already suggested that I just smash some rod up with a hammer, but I know that I won't get anything uniform. Does anyone have a better way? Or is there a tut?

When making frit you crush it first, and then sort it through mesh screens into the different sizes. There isn't really anway I know of to just make one size frit at a time. Somebody who posts on LE makes a frit masher and sorting screens if you want to try out it out. It really is a lot of work, and I find it cheaper to just buy it ready made. I do make it from time to time, but only for colors that don't already come in frit. You can also contact eplanet glass for specialty frit. The are really great. http://www.eplanetglass.com/

LyndaJ · #3 2009-11-20, 10:08am

for soft glass (I've never tried it with boro), you can preheat the rod in the kiln and put into water to shock into pieces. For smaller pieces, you heat section by section into a gather, press it into a paddle, and put in the water.

bzglass · #4 2009-11-20, 2:42pm

You cant crush frit into any uniform size, because it just breaks up into tons of tiny diff. sizes. The way you sort your sizes is by screening your crushed glass after you crush it. Just using a hammer will make a huge mess, so you need to use some sort of frit crusher . There are a few diff. ones on the market.

I recently bought the screens to do this myself. I just went to wal-mart and bought three sizes of the hand held metal screen pasta strainers. The screens get tighter as the strainers get smaller. Then just put your glass in the largest one first and shakeit over the next size one, and so on

Also I personally would highly recommend you wear a respirator while doing any of this. I also use a mask while applying powders and fine frit to my glass. working with crushed glass can be dangerous if you don't use precaution.

HWCGlass · #5 2009-11-21, 12:30am

or you could buy it. just saying.

dreambeader · #6 2009-11-21, 6:52am

I use a blender to make my frit. Cut the rod into 1/2" (or so) pieces, cover and blend. I ALWAYS open the lid OUTSIDE and wear a mask! I use an old frit container with the center of the lid cut out and insert different size mesh screen and plastic canvas to sift the different sizes.

I love the idea of the hand held metal screen pasta strainers.

Shirley

Rose · #7 2009-11-21, 12:18pm

I made myself a frit masher from a piece of short pipe with a cap that screws on the end. Then, if I remember right, there is a thinner pipe with a cap on the end that I smash down inside onto broken up pieces of rod. Then I take a magnet and get any metal pieces out. I don't care so much about size, and just put it into little baggies to use in beads.

bzglass · #8 2009-11-21, 9:30pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose

Then I take a magnet and get any metal pieces out. .

I forgot about this step. Very important, especially if your frit is going on the inside.

bzglass · #9 2009-11-21, 9:35pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by HWCGlass

or you could buy it. just saying.

This is true. However I find that when I work a lot with frit and powders, on the inside of tubing, a lot of stuff will fall out as I spin the tubing. I have a pie pan below my flame, that catches all this falling frit and powder. After it starts to build up I can eventually screen it back down to the different sizes. It something that works, and I get a whole new array of mix frit this way.

KMG · #10 2009-11-21, 10:32pm

Trust me making frit works great when using a cheap blender. Hope this tip helps you.

Leanne · #11 2009-11-22, 6:57pm

I have heard you can chop it up in a coffee grinder....haven't tried it but heard it works.
don't bother with a hammer. I once tried pre heated and dunked in water chunks between carboard then smashed it with the hammer. The boro was so strong it went straight through the cardboard and started driving into the concrete underneath! the concrete broke before the boro!?!?!?

gmkcpa · #12 2009-11-22, 7:58pm

No, No, No Leanne! In a coffee grinder you chop up other stuff - that stuff that hopefully helps us to create----

kebira · #13 2009-11-23, 2:51am

I use a small electric coffee grinder and find it perfect.You can go from coarse to powder depending on how many times you pulse it.Also,clean-up is a breeze.And remember to unplug it first.Also, you can source a variety of screens of diff mesh sizes in Graingers or McMaster Supply,among others.

Natsprat · #14 2009-11-23, 3:20am

Has anyone tried flattening the end of a rod into a really thin disc and then heating it up int he flame and dunking slowly into a fresh clean glass of water and then pouring out and drying on some paper towell before sifting?

I do this with the soft glass quite a lot, but admit that I haven't tried it with the boro. The more paper thin the disc is the more uniform the frit seems to come out.

I got this from Loren Stump and some of his techniques work wonderfully well with boro...... others not so good (although that is most likely me and not the great man himself).

Just thought I'd ask in case it worked.... I'm just too lazy and its too hot here in Sydney at the mo' to get out to the torch but I might try it tomorrow if no-one else has.

Nat

Rose · #15 2009-11-23, 8:08pm

I've used a coffee grinder for soft glass, but not boro. I've also hammered it into the concrete trying to break it up. I thought for sure the boro would break up the coffee grinder way before the coffee grinder broke up the boro. But I'll try it, since I have a dedicated coffee grinder.

As ar as dropping it into cold water. Uh, nope. Doesn't work like soft glass. Wish it did!

MagpieGlass · #16 2009-11-24, 6:40pm

Yes, I have heated a boro rod and made a lollipop out of it, reheated it and then dunk it in ice water. Just like soft glass, it thermal shocks and falls into pieces. My experieces have been pieces of various sizes.

I also got an old coffee grinder from a yard sale. It makes alot of powder with your chunkier frit. I don't care a whole lot for powder so I've moved away from the coffee grinder method. (aka loud and dusty).

I've also done the hammer method. Very nasty and messy. Gave up on that one real quick.

I personally like the "lollipop method". I have a small metal mixing bowl ... 1 cup size ... I put about 3/8" of water it in and keep it in the freezer. When I want to make frit, I take it out fill it with water and then make a nice gather, flatten and reheat. The ice keeps the water from getting too warm too fast and reducing my "shock" value.

Laura

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natsprat

Has anyone tried flattening the end of a rod into a really thin disc and then heating it up int he flame and dunking slowly into a fresh clean glass of water and then pouring out and drying on some paper towell before sifting?

I do this with the soft glass quite a lot, but admit that I haven't tried it with the boro. The more paper thin the disc is the more uniform the frit seems to come out.

I got this from Loren Stump and some of his techniques work wonderfully well with boro...... others not so good (although that is most likely me and not the great man himself).

Just thought I'd ask in case it worked.... I'm just too lazy and its too hot here in Sydney at the mo' to get out to the torch but I might try it tomorrow if no-one else has.

Nat

P.S. All my serious frit attempts have been for boro. Lots of soft glass "blends" out there. I didn't feel the need to make my own. Boro doesn't seem to have the range of color mixes. The reason for my quest to find a "good" way to make frit.

ptrautman · #17 2009-11-24, 8:32pm

I could teach a whole class on this subject. My first attempt to make frit (many many years ago...)was with a cheap garbage disposal mounted in a 5 gal bucket. Dry , wet... I tried it all. You can make some nice frit but it's a lot of work and the metal blades of any machine gradually break down contaminating your glass and ruining your unit... if you do it dry there is a lot of dust. If you do it wet you have to dry the frit and powder.

For small amounts of frit making it yourself is OK but it's not easy or fun. Frankly It's a lot of work.

Ruth Nichols · #18 2009-11-25, 8:37am

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMG

Trust me making frit works great when using a cheap blender. Hope this tip helps you.

I used a cheap coffee bean grinder that one can purchase from Target or Fred Meyers. Not an old hand crank one. I heat the rods in a big old pan on top of the stove with a lid on the pan.. oh say for 30 min... then I dump ice water on it after removing it from the stove to the sink. It shocks it into many sizes and there I sort with 3 different size screens. I then smash up or grind in the coffee grinder for more sizes. Screening is helpful and you will have sand type frit rather then sharp shard type frit. I normally get 4 or 5 sizes of frit doing it this way.

Get an old pan from a second hand shop because it will warp the pan eventually.