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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2012-05-08, 5:26pm
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Default "Rustic" Beads

Hi All,

I have seen a lot of gorgeous beads that are described as 'rustic'. They look matte tumbled but also have very distinctive pitting. Outwest (Indian Creek Art Glass) on Etsy often has gorgeous examples and I initially thought it was their own secret technique but lately I have seen it in various other shops. Does anyone know (and is willing to share) how it is achieved?

Thanks, Beth
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Old 2012-05-08, 5:31pm
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Roll them in a flameproof dish of baking soda while hot, cool til the glow is gone, and put them in the kiln. The baking soda pits the surface of the glass.
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Old 2012-05-08, 7:48pm
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Thanks Flamingobeth. I actually assumed that was the process and so had been experimenting with it but my glass wasn't pitting. Finally I had so much baking soda on there that after annealing and even many hours in the tumbler the beads have crusty white spots...but no pits.

But, it just occurred to me that perhaps some glass is much softer and more susceptible to pitting. Think that might be it? Any glass suggestions? This last batch I was experimenting with was a transparent orange and it sure didn't work. Are you also a Beth?

thanks, Beth
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Old 2012-05-08, 7:51pm
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You need to reheat the beads in the flame after putting the baking soda on.
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Old 2012-05-08, 7:54pm
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Thanks Mary. Done that too. Do you think it might be the glass itself? Maybe I should be using an opaque?
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Old 2012-05-08, 8:06pm
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Nope, they should all pit.

I put a very thin layer of baking soda on a marver. I also have two paper towels folded together and dampened sitting on my workbench.

I make the bead, roll it in the baking soda, then roll it on the wet paper towel to remove the loose baking soda. It has been my experience that less is more.

Reintroduce the bead into the flame and cook the baking soda into the surface. You can repeat to enhance the effect.

It should go pretty easy. The only thing I can think of is that if I put baking soda out on a marver and it sits for a long time before I use it, the reaction isn't as dramatic as when the baking soda is really fresh.

You really have to cook the baking soda into the bead...it will bubble and boil and if the coating is too heavy, maybe even look like sparks. (It isn't really sparks it's just that the bead is boiling and popping and when the bubbles get really thin they glow brightly before popping and it looks kinda like a spark).

My honest guess is that you aren't cooking the bead long enough after you have the baking soda on it. Beth didn't mention reheating the bead at all in her post so I thought maybe you weren't doing that.

Don't be shy with it...roll it in the baking soda, then cook it into the surface. If you use too much you change the chemical composition of the glass and it can be weak. Use just a little baking soda then cook the snot out of it.

Hope that helps.
~~Mary
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  #7  
Old 2012-05-08, 10:18pm
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I'll give it a try. My studio baking soda is pretty old. Think I'll get a fresh box. Thanks for your help.
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Old 2012-05-09, 2:03am
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Nooo, she said not fresh....use the old stuff. I'm thinking perhaps you aren't cooking the bead in the flame long enough? It does bubble and spark a bit, like Mary said. Let us see pics, maybe to see what's happening. Unless of course you get it figured out, then we want to see pics of your success! I'm sure you will be successful!
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Old 2012-05-09, 2:32am
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I have never tried this! I have the perfect color combo to play with too, it's that ol' Effetre violet 272, sage green, and Lauscha olive.
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Old 2012-05-09, 6:22am
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I have also seen the term 'scavo' used for this look.


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Old 2012-05-09, 6:29am
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Well no wonder mine looked so bad...forgot to read the second step!
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  #12  
Old 2012-05-09, 6:52am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pomegranate Glass View Post
Hi All,

I have seen a lot of gorgeous beads that are described as 'rustic'. They look matte tumbled but also have very distinctive pitting. Outwest (Indian Creek Art Glass) on Etsy often has gorgeous examples and I initially thought it was their own secret technique but lately I have seen it in various other shops. Does anyone know (and is willing to share) how it is achieved?

Thanks, Beth
Thought I felt my ears burning!
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  #13  
Old 2012-05-09, 7:00am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by truegem View Post
Nooo, she said not fresh....use the old stuff. I'm thinking perhaps you aren't cooking the bead in the flame long enough? It does bubble and spark a bit, like Mary said. Let us see pics, maybe to see what's happening. Unless of course you get it figured out, then we want to see pics of your success! I'm sure you will be successful!
Different glasses tend to take more or less time in the baking soda to achieve the desired amount of pits. I use both fresh and older soda and really don't find a difference except that the fresher tends to poof a lot easier when the glass hits it. Do not inhale!

I tumble my beads after they have come out of the kiln because I find it a safety issue. The glass around the little holes will chip and flake if you don't. It's microscopic and hard to see but still there.
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Old 2012-05-09, 10:21am
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The baking soda technique is not the same as scavo. Scavo uses potassium nitrate which is highly toxic. I wouldn't play with it even wearing a Hazmat suit. Stick with the baking soda.

Quote:
Originally Posted by designerbeads View Post
I have also seen the term 'scavo' used for this look.


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  #15  
Old 2012-05-09, 11:13am
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I will definitely caution you against using numerous great thick layers of baking soda. I tried that and holy smokes, crumbs of glass are still flaking off the things. No, I didn't sell them!

Thanks everyone here for your tips.
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Old 2012-05-09, 11:32am
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On one of her listing she said that she tumbles them smooth and that she added pits to make them look like sea glass. Maybe she is doing that with her dremel. I made a set of beads with multicolor and dropped one. It chipped, but revealed a brick red underneath that looked really nice with the blue-green outside...so I took my dremel and did it to all of them and then etched them. They turned out looking really cool and maybe that's what she did.
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Old 2012-05-09, 12:05pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smkes View Post
On one of her listing she said that she tumbles them smooth and that she added pits to make them look like sea glass. Maybe she is doing that with her dremel. I made a set of beads with multicolor and dropped one. It chipped, but revealed a brick red underneath that looked really nice with the blue-green outside...so I took my dremel and did it to all of them and then etched them. They turned out looking really cool and maybe that's what she did.
Taken from my listing:

"Specially treated in the flame and then tumble etched for a rough, pitted texture. I've even added some dents to mimic sea glass."

The dents were made with a Stump shaper after the beads were pitted by the soda.
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Last edited by mtnglass; 2012-05-09 at 12:28pm. Reason: added quotation
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Old 2012-05-09, 12:56pm
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Another (sold) listing says "specially treated in the flame for a rough pitted texture." These look like the baking soda technique to me.
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Old 2012-05-09, 1:10pm
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I am one of those who has tried this technique every which way I could think of, and had absolutely no success! I love the look, but unfortunately I am unable to make it work for me.
One of the ladies in our glass group makes them beautifully, and she is on a HotHead torch - perhaps that is the difference? I am on a Nortel Minor with one 15 lpm oxycon.
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Old 2012-05-09, 1:12pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnglass View Post
Taken from my listing:

"Specially treated in the flame and then tumble etched for a rough, pitted texture. I've even added some dents to mimic sea glass."

The dents were made with a Stump shaper after the beads were pitted by the soda.
That explains it AND is much easier than what I did. Your beads are beautiful by the way!!
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Old 2012-05-09, 1:38pm
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I love your beads, Julie!! I've admired your work for a long time.
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  #22  
Old 2012-05-09, 1:43pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jane P View Post
I am one of those who has tried this technique every which way I could think of, and had absolutely no success! I love the look, but unfortunately I am unable to make it work for me.
One of the ladies in our glass group makes them beautifully, and she is on a HotHead torch - perhaps that is the difference? I am on a Nortel Minor with one 15 lpm oxycon.
I have a Minor and a Carlisle Mini with oxycons so I don't think that is the problem. It takes experimentation and patience to get it the way you want it. Also note that each glass will pit differently. Raku seems to pit the easiest.
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Old 2012-05-09, 2:02pm
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I've had some problems in the past using too much baking soda and then etching after. Single color beads got cracks.
Try some enamels if the baking soda is failing to work for you. The transparent ones don't leave much color and will boil and leave pits.
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Old 2012-05-10, 9:53am
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Wow, thanks everyone. And thanks especially Julie for chiming in. I've admired your beads for a long time.

I made another attempt last night but having just re-read all the posts this morning I'm sure I went too heavy on the baking soda. I'll go pull them out of the kiln shortly but not feeling real optimistic. I'll give it another try tonight using some of the new hints and suggestions. Fingers crossed. Thank you everyone!
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Old 2012-05-11, 8:40pm
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my baking soda beads always 'pop' when I rake it in, or encase the BS. That for me seems to be the trick. Then I can over heat them to bring the bubbles to the surface. I was just doing this today.... fun stuff!
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Old 2012-05-11, 10:11pm
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OK, below is an image of last night's effort.

They were rolled in baking soda, cooked 'til they popped and sparked but the pitting caused by the bursting bubbles heals so quickly in the flame that I can't hold onto it. So, each one was done several times in an effort to achieve more pronounced pitting. The only place I really see it is in the subtle orange on orange stripe on the bead on the right in front. That stripe is actually a different glass which keeps me thinking some glass just pits better. I also can't seem to get rid of that residual white coloration. After annealing these beads, they were tumbled for about 14 hours but the white persists. I even tried soaking them in bleach but that didn't do a thing.

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Old 2012-05-12, 2:32am
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Can you scrub them with a toothbrush?
I like them, by the way!
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