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Boro Room -- For Boro-related tips, techniques, and questions. |
2009-11-20, 7:52am
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Marbles, dude, Marbles
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Join Date: Jan 06, 2007
Location: Coral Springs, Florida
Posts: 653
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I want to make my own frit
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?
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A marble a day keeps the 'willies' away.
Gerald Kappel
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2009-11-20, 8:13am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Nov 06, 2005
Location: Austin - Texas
Posts: 2,708
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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?
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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/
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Eric
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. ---- Albert Einstein
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2009-11-20, 10:08am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 21, 2006
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 2,807
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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.
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Lynda
Cheetah, 5 lpm and 7lpm conc/generator (8-9 psi), natural gas (booster), started 11/06
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." -- Bertrand Russell
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2009-11-20, 2:42pm
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Bust It Big
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Join Date: Dec 16, 2008
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 182
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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.
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2009-11-21, 12:30am
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Harold Williams Cooney
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Join Date: Jan 13, 2009
Posts: 713
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or you could buy it. just saying.
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2009-11-21, 6:52am
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Member
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Join Date: Oct 05, 2005
Location: Jensen Beach, FL
Posts: 79
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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
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2009-11-21, 12:18pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Sep 01, 2005
Posts: 1,338
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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.
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2009-11-21, 9:30pm
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Bust It Big
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Join Date: Dec 16, 2008
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 182
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose
Then I take a magnet and get any metal pieces out. .
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I forgot about this step. Very important, especially if your frit is going on the inside.
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Open your eyes and look within,
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2009-11-21, 9:35pm
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Bust It Big
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Join Date: Dec 16, 2008
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 182
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HWCGlass
or you could buy it. just saying.
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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.
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2009-11-21, 10:32pm
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Kiss My Glass
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Join Date: Nov 21, 2009
Location: Chico
Posts: 5
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Frit
Trust me making frit works great when using a cheap blender. Hope this tip helps you.
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2009-11-22, 6:57pm
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Formerly Fireflyartglass
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Join Date: Feb 18, 2006
Location: Canberra, the capital of Australia!
Posts: 791
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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!?!?!?
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2009-11-22, 7:58pm
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Marbles, dude, Marbles
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Join Date: Jan 06, 2007
Location: Coral Springs, Florida
Posts: 653
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No, No, No Leanne! In a coffee grinder you chop up other stuff - that stuff that hopefully helps us to create----
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A marble a day keeps the 'willies' away.
Gerald Kappel
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2009-11-23, 2:51am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 15, 2008
Location: Rowley,MA
Posts: 255
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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.
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2009-11-23, 3:20am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 03, 2008
Location: Rural Sydney, Australia
Posts: 508
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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
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2009-11-23, 8:08pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Sep 01, 2005
Posts: 1,338
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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!
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2009-11-24, 6:40pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 06, 2008
Location: SE PA
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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
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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.
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2009-11-24, 8:32pm
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Member
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Join Date: Jan 09, 2007
Posts: 38
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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.
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2009-11-25, 8:37am
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In spite of it all!
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Join Date: Aug 19, 2005
Location: Bend Oregon
Posts: 4,724
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KMG
Trust me making frit works great when using a cheap blender. Hope this tip helps you.
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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.
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