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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2015-05-24, 1:57pm
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Christine
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Join Date: May 16, 2015
Location: Chatham, Illinois
Posts: 272
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Newbie - questions about glass & safety glasses
Hi, I am just starting out and purchased a sample pack of COE 104 glass rods and using MAP gas for now. My round beads are bad but I'm willing to put the time in to make them better. Here are my questions and your reply/expertise is highly appreciated: with my (proper) eyewear (the lenses are purple), I find that I can't see the flame all that well. Is this something others experience? Then, the COE 104 color "purple premium opal" gets messed up easily - it gets kind of burnished or dull and white looking. Does that mean I burned the bead too hot? Sorry for my crude descriptions. I've been at this only 2 days.
Thanks in advance!!
Christine
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2015-05-24, 2:19pm
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Loving learning
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Join Date: Oct 11, 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 11,654
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Some of the glass will get kind of a chalky look to it, called divitrification (divit). That happens to some glass that doesn't like going in and out of the flame. After you finish the bead, before you put it in the kiln, heat it gently so that the just the outer glass gets a red glow and you can see it getting shiny again, then take it out & rotate it till it loses the glow and do NOT put it back in the flame.
Oh, and you could try putting something dark behind your work space so it is behind the flame, that might help. But you do learn with practice.
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My current "hot" fantasy involves a senior discount on glass & tools!
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2015-05-24, 2:36pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 14, 2015
Location: Moscow, Russia
Posts: 131
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It seems you've just discovered EDP. You'll find a lot about this glass, but right now you do not need it - getting devitrified beads in addition to "not so round" can bring more disappointment you really want at this point It is pretty expensive as well. If you want friendly purple, you can try CIM Crocus - nice colour and very friendly. Also not very cheap but no surprises. Colours like white, ivory, periwinkle, green pea (very soft, sometimes called soupy) are good to train dimpled ends and round form (if you are using HH - you need less gas and time to get them soft enough to make your base bead and the softness of the glass is a good thing to practice) Of course, it is my personal opinion, I'm also very new. And if propane (blue cans) is cheaper - you can switch to them, I found no difference from MAP.
You'll need to adapt your vision to the lenses - even if HH manual says you do not need DDs - you need. It is not so easy to repair eyes and completely impossible to replace them (well, it is possible to get glass ones but it is impossible to torch with them). You'll get used in a month or so.
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2015-05-24, 3:26pm
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Christine
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Join Date: May 16, 2015
Location: Chatham, Illinois
Posts: 272
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Thanks so much, Ladies!!
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2015-05-24, 3:32pm
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Phill
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Join Date: Mar 21, 2009
Location: Winnebago, MN
Posts: 2,489
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Los of folks use very foul language when melting purple. EDP stands for Evil Devitrifying Purple.
That particular color gives even the most experienced lampworkers major headaches.
You will want to get lots of light over your torch and some folks use a dark background with lighter lines in a 1 inch grid on the bench behind the flame to help with getting evenness and size habits started.
Welcome to the addiction!
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The Zombie Apocalypse is Upon Us.
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2015-05-24, 7:34pm
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Christine
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Join Date: May 16, 2015
Location: Chatham, Illinois
Posts: 272
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Thanks, Speedslug!!,
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