Soft colors making bubbles and popping

[Darelyn]

For some reason lately, I've been having my ivory go really soft on me, bubble, and eventually pop. I tried filling it in with more glass, which usually works. But I found one that came out of the kiln with a hole. I've also seen this with copper green.

Any ideas on how to prevent this? I need to be able to warm it enough to soften the colors and shape it, but even that can cause the bubbles.

I'm on a HH and working fairly high in the flame.

Thanks!

[Carolyn M]

Make sure your mandrel and bead release are hot where you will be placing the glass

[Darelyn]

Thanks, Carolyn. Yep, my mandrel is red hot. Otherwise it wouldn't stick. But this is more on the top of the bead as I'm winding it to make it smooth. It gets so hot that it bubbles because it's soft.

[artwhim]

Ivory can usually take a lot of heat without boiling, so I would think there is another reason for the bubbles.

If you are making a larger bead, make sure the bead release is completely dry for a length longer than the bead. If even one spot of release has some moisture left, it can cause bubbles.

Is it possible you are trapping air in between wraps? Since ivory softens so fast, you may trap some air without realizing it is happening.

Are the rods completely solid? Sometimes rods will have a small hole running down the center. Typically if this is the problem, the rods will be very shocky, but since ivory melts so fast you might not notice the holes.

Are you working too close to the torch face? If the glass does appear to "boil" as you melt it, try working further out in the flame.

Bubbles are so frustrating, hope you can figure out the cause.

[Darelyn]

Thanks, Kathy. I'll play with the distance of the flame, as well as looking for trapped air in the wraps. That may be it.