"Making Waves" color consistent

montanamurri · #1 2009-01-02, 3:25pm

I love this technique but can't seem to figure out how to get the color consistent. Wherever the 'wave' of clear hasn't covered, the colors are completely different. Most of the colors I am having problems with are striking colors or silver based, glass alchemy. Any help would be great!

menty666 · #2 2009-01-02, 3:39pm

Do you have a picture of what you're shooting for?

montanamurri · #3 2009-01-02, 3:50pm

I don't have a picture but I am trying to accomplish Remschneider's wave by placing a wrap of stringer around the bead and then applying and 's' shape of clear over it to get a wave effect, which works. But, the areas not covered with clear are very opaque and not pretty.

Mr. Smiley · #4 2009-01-02, 3:58pm

More oxy... keep the haze burned off. Too much surface haze becomes tan and opaque... commonly referred to as "baby poop". A little haze can yield wonderful variations of the silver colors... but too much is just nasty.

montanamurri · #5 2009-01-02, 4:36pm

If only all my problems be answered that easily! Thank you Mr. Smiley! After reading your response I turned down the oxy and finished a perfect bead. Life CAN be so simple sometimes.

Mr. Smiley · #6 2009-01-02, 5:04pm

Well, I hope you turned your propane down or your oxy up... but whatever the case, I'm glad you got it worked out.

montanamurri · #7 2009-01-03, 8:24am

I turned down the oxy and the color came out nice. But, after I pulled it out of the kiln (1050) for 3 hours i still see a difference between the color that has been covered with the clear and that that hasn't. Not a big difference but noticeable.

Mr. Smiley · #8 2009-01-03, 9:25am

There will definitely be a difference between encased and unencased silver colors. No way to get around that... might get real lucky every once in a while... but I use this variation to my advantage.

rckeyes · #9 2009-01-03, 11:57am

I have never watched Remschneider's video but I am familiar with the technique that he teaches. Personally I think the below technique is so much more simple and easier to control haze.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=99725

Over the Moon · #10 2009-01-03, 2:58pm

It can help also if you encase your whole bead after laying down the zig-zag...there'll still be a variation of color, but the ones which were not encased with the stringer will have more zing!

montanamurri · #11 2009-01-03, 4:17pm

Thank you everyone. Rob- I have tried the method and wanted to try something new. Think I may go back to that one. It doesn't look terrible, I am just picky. Val- I shall try your suggestion before completely giving up. Or, like Mr. Smiley says - use it to my advantage. Thank yous, thank yous all around.

Kobuki · #12 2009-01-03, 4:23pm

You might want to be careful about just "turning down the O2 pressure". The proper thing to do is find out the recommended pressure setting for your type of torch and then learn to adjust your flame with the knobs on the torch. If you continue to run low pressures you run the risk of ruining your torch.
Also remember that what it looks like in the flame is not always what it looks like out of the kiln
JK

montanamurri · #13 2009-01-04, 9:19am

I always leave my gas and oxy ratio at 10:2 (or 5 to 1 ratio). The rest of the adjusting i do is on my torch (redmax). I am hoping this is correct. Would hate to ruin 'Max'.