How'd I do this?

Cracked Baubble · #1 2006-12-20, 3:42pm

ignore the fact that the bead is totally lopsided lol where did the copper come from?
The base is black and white (I had made a black and white twistie and there was a big clump of black on the end of the white so I just wrapped it around the mandrel for a base) and encased with a blue (no idea on manufacture or actual color name)
so I'm guessing the copper came from over heating the white since the white got REALLY bubbly. I think it's kinda cool though not at all what I was expecting

this one is light blue in the middle with dk. purple transparent on the ends... the dots are from a twistie made of the same colors. Is the yellow tones from over cooking the light blue or the purple?

I got a bit of the reddish hue in this one, which I think was from getting the blue really hot. It was drippy, then I let it cool a bit and added the clear dk purple as dots.

so do all lt blues do this or is it from a particular brand? I am nearly out of the one rod I have of this and definitely want to get more!

Bunyip · #2 2006-12-20, 3:47pm

That first bead looks like pastel dark turquoise. If you're using Moretti that's what I'd say it is. If you over work the turquoise, it can turn red, particularly in a reducing flame, as there is copper in it.

Probably all those reddish tones in your blues are the copper coming out to play. What kind of torch are you using?

Anne Londez · #3 2006-12-21, 1:09am

It is definitely reduction at play. Working copper-rich glasses in a reducing atmosphere brings the copper to the surface. What kind of torch do you use ? You either don't have enough oxygen in your flame or you are working too low in the flame, too close to the torch head.

Cracked Baubble · #4 2006-12-21, 11:28am

I'm using the old bethelem minor. What does a reduction flame look like?
My flame is entirely blue with the short white candles and one slightly longer candle in the middle (am I making sense? LOL)
I do know I have a tendency to work close to the head and have been trying to fix that....

so the copper is from the clear blue and not the white bleading up? cool! lol I plan to try to do this again.

Anne Londez · #5 2006-12-21, 2:31pm

To get a neutral flame you need to make sure that there is no yellow tip on any of the candles. You don't want too much oxygen either (that would be a hissing pointy flame) as it cools the flame down and some colors don't like it, but make sure that you don't have yellow anywhere.
Then again if you are working on an external mix torch, the first part of the flame close to the torch head is the equivalent of a reducing flame as the gases are not fully mixed there so if you work too close to the torch head for a long time you can get reduction effects with sensitive colors. And even if your bead stays high enough, if you melt your rod too low you can have the same problem. Hope that helps !

Frit Diva · #6 2006-12-21, 2:37pm

Here's my opinion, for what it's worth~

#1 looks like more like generalized overheating (being too close to the torch head) to me, than using a reducing flame, because the red is bunched up rather than spread out. Overheating can cause the glass surface to crawl, which may cause some of the metal oxides to be pushed around on the surface.

#2 the red is coming from the blue not the purple (probably!)

#3 looks like a combination of overheating and reducing flame, because of the cloudlike red toward the top of the blue. In my experience, the cloud or spread-out red precipitates come out of copper rich colors when you have a reducing flame, or when you are half in/half out of the flame. The half that is out of the flame is in a oxygen-rich (oxidizing) atmosphere, the half that is in the flame is in a fuel-rich (reducing) flame. When this happens, you can often see a distinct color change that probably marks where the edge of your flame was (at some point in the process).

My suggestion would be to clean your torch head so that you are positive you are getting a clean flame, then play with adjusting the flame to less oxygen in order to get these results on purpose!

Hope that is helpful~

Cracked Baubble · #7 2006-12-22, 9:04am

thanks so much!
I'm definitely having flame issues... I've melted 3 mandrels!

Alan Cross · #8 2006-12-24, 3:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cracked Baubble

thanks so much!
I'm definitely having flame issues... I've melted 3 mandrels!

Yikes...you are way to hot,

I mean the flame!
Alan