Thoughts on Gaffer Glass?

BeadBlossoms · #1 2013-07-19, 9:39am

I was wondering if anyone has used Gaffer glass, and if so, which colors do you think are great? I've tried the Reichenbach purple rose, and thought I'd try out the Gaffer purple rose to compare. But I'd like to order other colors as well at the same time.

I'm especially all about pinks and the purples, but love other colors as well! Any help or suggestions are appreciated

Awhile back I ordered a bunch of Kugler because some said it was great glass, and I was very unimpressed by the colors at the torch. So I'd like to try again with Gaffer, lol. Thanks!!!

shawnette · #2 2013-07-19, 9:47am

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeadBlossoms

I was wondering if anyone has used Gaffer glass, and if so, which colors do you think are great? I've tried the Reichenbach purple rose, and thought I'd try out the Gaffer purple rose to compare. But I'd like to order other colors as well at the same time.

I'm especially all about pinks and the purples, but love other colors as well! Any help or suggestions are appreciated

Awhile back I ordered a bunch of Kugler because some said it was great glass, and I was very unimpressed by the colors at the torch. So I'd like to try again with Gaffer, lol. Thanks!!!

Really? that's very surprising. What exactly were you going for? Kugler, Reichenbach, Gaffer and the now defunct Zimmerman are all great companies with an incredibly awesome color pallet and you cannot beat their pinks and purples. I could go on singing their praises all day, but I won't. If you didn't like Kugler, you probably won't like Gaffer, either.

SGA · #3 2013-07-19, 10:32am

Gaffer Chalcedony is a must have.

Elizabeth Beads · #4 2013-07-19, 11:04am

Gaffer colors I like besides the purples are Chalcedony, Blue Chalcedony, and Chameleon. The Denim blue is nice too. The clear is great. I like a lot of their veiled cane. If you are buying cane for Lampwork, call Gaffer Glass USA and talk to the staff. The Gaffer Girls are awesome about recommending colors based on your preferences.

As for Kugler, I don't know if you meant the 96 or 104. The 96 frit is amazing. I prefer it to most of the same colors in Reichenbach. I have not worked much at all with the Kugler lampwork cane in 96. I do love some of the Kugler 104 line. If you call Joanne at Hot Glass Color in Seattle, she can advise you on Kugler 104 colors. There's a pretty purple and some pinks.

Hope this helps!

Liz

pierces*designs · #5 2013-07-19, 11:12am

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeadBlossoms

Awhile back I ordered a bunch of Kugler because some said it was great glass, and I was very unimpressed by the colors at the torch. So I'd like to try again with Gaffer, lol. Thanks!!!

What colors of Kugler did you get?

Lisi · #6 2013-07-19, 1:23pm

I shied away from Gaffer after I used the frit a few times with Bullseye glass and got crazing. I've been afraid to use it with anything else since, like Uroboros or Effetre. I think I will try it with Gaffer cane as the base. Did they take all the lead out of Gaffer? Because I never had this crazing problem with Reichenbach or Kugler frit. Maybe Gaffer has the problem with just Bullseye, and it might be fine with Uroboros. Yeah, I know I'm a little bit of a worrier.

echeveria · #7 2013-07-19, 1:42pm

I love Purpur, Chalcendony, Blue Chalcendony, Royal Purple, Purple Rose, Latte (but you can never get it in cane) and Lime Green. There are a few others, but I am at work and can't look.

One thing I did not like was the mix of the rod sizes, everything from 2mm to 8mm in one bundle. But I'll get over it.

Adrian Goertz · #8 2013-07-19, 2:41pm

go with the veiled cane!!love it!any color combo, you wont be disappointed
adrian

Dee Dee · #9 2013-07-19, 3:13pm

Lisi, I was under the impression you couldn't use anything else with Bullseye - am I wrong?

shawnette · #10 2013-07-19, 3:18pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

I shied away from Gaffer after I used the frit a few times with Bullseye glass and got crazing. I've been afraid to use it with anything else since, like Uroboros or Effetre. I think I will try it with Gaffer cane as the base. Did they take all the lead out of Gaffer? Because I never had this crazing problem with Reichenbach or Kugler frit. Maybe Gaffer has the problem with just Bullseye, and it might be fine with Uroboros. Yeah, I know I'm a little bit of a worrier.

You can definitely use it with Uroboros.

Angie09 · #11 2013-07-19, 5:29pm

Not sure I'm understanding .... Do you mean you can use Uroboros 96 and mix it (use it with) Bullseye????

shawnette · #12 2013-07-19, 6:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angie09

Not sure I'm understanding .... Do you mean you can use Uroboros 96 and mix it (use it with) Bullseye????

No. Lisi was talking about Gaffer and Uroboros. You can definitely use Gaffer with Uroboros. You definitely can NOT use Bullseye with Uroboros.

Dee Dee · #13 2013-07-19, 6:17pm

Uroboros 96 or 104??

Elizabeth Beads · #14 2013-07-19, 9:29pm

You can use small amounts of 96 frit on the surface of Bullseye beads.

kartwheel · #15 2013-07-19, 11:04pm

I love Gaffer glass:
Gold Pink Extra (GC-110C), Pale Rose (GC-112C), Purpur (GC-114C), Violet (GC-115C), Gold Ruby disks(GC-014C)

hand mixed:
assorted transparents,

hollows and disks:
Chocolate (GC-173C), Gold Pink Extra (GC-110C), Olive Green (GC-131C), Mustard (GC-174C),Violet (GC-115C), Latte (GC-103C)

buttons:
Black (GC-050C), Purpur, Gold Pink Extra, Azure (GC-128C), Olive, Crimson (GC-178C), Orange (GC-182C), Canary Yellow (GC-184C),

transparent spacers and tumbled spacers:
Light Cobalt GC-002C), Light Aquamarine (GC-003C), Light Jade Green (GC-004C), Light Emerald Green (GC-006C), Clear (GC-005C)

all Gaffer:
Chalcedony hollows (GC-109C), Aubergine (GC-051)over white (striped hollows), veiled Gold Lustre (button), Sargasso over lavender veiled (hollows), Lustre (assorted disks)

Lisi · #16 2013-07-19, 11:33pm

Does Gaffer make a nice white cane?? I have the Enamel White and it swallows frit. I mean it really swallows it. I guess it is really soft and so different in viscosity, that I wonder about compatibility.

Dee Dee · #17 2013-07-19, 11:41pm

So lovely Karen, would you mind sharing the colour names?

Angie09 · #18 2013-07-20, 4:00am

What she ^^^^^^^^ said....please!

Elizabeth Beads · #19 2013-07-20, 6:41am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

Does Gaffer make a nice white cane?? I have the Enamel White and it swallows frit. I mean it really swallows it. I guess it is really soft and so different in viscosity, that I wonder about compatibility.

There's an Opal White, a Duck Egg White and a Cream, but I haven't used them.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=248780

If you call, the staff would be able to advise on the best white.

My frit blend called Afterglow is mostly Gaffer colors, and there are some Gaffer colors in Copacabana, Gallimaufry and Metamorphosis.

echeveria · #20 2013-07-20, 8:36am

I like Uroboros Almond Opal for frit. Shawnette suggested it, and it is awesome.

Lisi · #21 2013-07-20, 1:20pm

Thanks, Elizabeth!

Okay, so I do have some Gaffer frit single colors and now I won't be afraid to use them with Uroboros and Spectrum 96. I have the Purpura from ThatFritGirl and an old jar of G-11 (Amethyst). Also a garnet color and Chalcedony.

Here is a bad combination that cracks with tiny crazing all over the beads, so don't ever combine these two: Bullseye Neo Lavender Opal and Gaffer G-11 Amethyst.

echeveria · #22 2013-07-20, 2:21pm

I don't know that I would ever combine 96 coe and 90 coe. Lisi have you done it successfully with other combinations?

kartwheel · #23 2013-07-20, 3:05pm

Thanks Steph and Angie!, I've edited my post to add the colors I could recall.

Elizabeth, Opal white is the best choice. Duck Egg can go dark with some colors, and cream sometimes devits a bit for me.

Dee Dee · #24 2013-07-20, 4:04pm

Thank you Karen, beautiful!

Judith Billig · #25 2013-07-20, 4:39pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

Thanks, Elizabeth!

Okay, so I do have some Gaffer frit single colors and now I won't be afraid to use them with Uroboros and Spectrum 96. I have the Purpura from ThatFritGirl and an old jar of G-11 (Amethyst). Also a garnet color and Chalcedony.

Here is a bad combination that cracks with tiny crazing all over the beads, so don't ever combine these two: Bullseye Neo Lavender Opal and Gaffer G-11 Amethyst.

Lisi, the brands that you mention are
Coe 96: Gaffer, Uroboros, Spectrum 96
Coe 90: Bullseye

I personally wouldn't attempt mixing Bullseye with any of the COE 96 colors (obviously also not with the COE104 colors).

spotty dots · #26 2013-07-20, 5:02pm

Oh Karen! They arre some seriously fantastic beads. What transparents have you used? they are delish!! Do you have to treat the Gaffer differently to other glasses?

Lisi · #27 2013-07-20, 5:52pm

Please let me clarify: I've used only furnace glass frit (Kugler, Reichenbach, Gaffer) in small amounts, one layer of frit on Bullseye and had some crazing problems. I have never used Bullseye with Uroboros 96 or any 104 glass. Even brand-newbies know those basic precautions. That's in Lampworking 101.

Another one I remembered that was a failure were some 8mm spacers made with Kugler K-14 size #0 on BE transparent neo lavender. I was surprised because K-14 was a leaded frit, and the small #0 would cause the least problems, I thought at the time. IMHO, I would keep these furnace glass frits far away from Bullseye. I learned from those mistakes 10 years ago.

kartwheel · #28 2013-07-20, 6:30pm

Thanks so much Spotty Dots!

Since the Gaffer transparents are so intense (apart from the pale ones I used for the tumbled spacers), I have been experimenting with blending them with either clear or white, or white and clear mixed. I have used basically every transparent (at least that I could find) So here's a few more color assortments, some I have shown before. All have been tumbled and have a yummy translucent silky feel.

PattyK · #29 2013-07-20, 6:34pm

Gorgeous!!

spotty dots · #30 2013-07-20, 6:43pm

Lovely and creative use of the transparents!!