Fumed Implosions- how's it done???

[soul777toast]

Hey everyone, I was just hoping someone could shed some light on this technique for me, specifically I'd like to create some of those amazing wispy nebulous looking pendants that I've seen around. I've read that this is done with fuming, and I understand the basic principles that are at work to fume (stick a piece of silver/gold to the end of a clear rod, heat in a reducing flame and let the spray hit what you're trying to fume), but I'm a little hazy on how you apply that to a fumed implosion? Do you fume your colored rod, encase, and pull into stringers? do you fume the back of the pendant and then lay your color down and implode? Anyone who can explain this better I would be very appreciative!

[earlbacher]

something like this???


take a tube and pull a point... open up your bubble, and fume the inside of the tube... draw lines, or add dots to the inside (trapping the fume) close the tube... and then condense the whole thing from the end to the handle... twist... add a dark backing color... add a loop....

[kebira]

Or if you're using solid rod, make a large gather,press into a flat maria,the thinner the better. Then fume the bottom with silver (reducing flame) or gold(hot oxidizing flame). To get the fume imploding, you need to get the glass hot and press into something like a flower frog ,the kind with lots of verticle nails. this will give an even pattern of "pushed" fume into the glass. Then,elbow up,work the flame onto the "tread" of the maria,continuously melting glass to the center and into the implosiom. Periodically press the maria onto a graphite pad,use little or no pressure,just the weight of the glass. Take it as far as you like and finish off.

[soul777toast]

So, with a solid rod implosion, could I fume the maria and then lay stringer on it to trap the fuming, similar to in earlbacher's post? would the exposed fuming burn off?

[kebira]

Yes.Fume,lay down stringer in a random pattern and burn off any fume not trapped by your stringers with an oxy flame. With fume, less is more.Don't go crazy.If your maria looks like a mirror,you've gone crazy.Those cool wispy blues are from light fuming.Heavy fuming just looks like a burnt out color. Fuming stringers of clear,twisting them up and laying that down will get more of the filament look.Try different approaches. Dots of clear will implode to achieve a honeycomb look.
And be sure, really sure,of your exhaust system.Roll some paper,light and blow out.Watch the smoke from right at the torch where you would be fuming and ensure it moves towards your exhaust.If not,set up a fan or something behind you to create a positive air flow away from you. A little fume make a nice pendent.A little fume can kill you.

[playingwithfirebeads]

Cosmo covers this well in his new pendant book. Book 2

Bonny