Dr. Boro Diagnose me! :-)

Cindy2 · #1 2008-10-01, 10:07am

Hi all you boro experts!

I know I'm not the first soft glass user to post that she's having trouble getting good color out of boro. I've done a search, read the tips to work hot hot hot. I even read Nancy Tobey's tip to increase the kiln to 1200 for no more than 10min to make boro color pop. But I'm still getting the poop rather than the pop. So I need a Boro Dr. to try her/his best to suggest a tip or two on how to get something other than cream from Northstar Turquesa. Here's a pix from Northstar what Turquesa looks like:

I'm working on a midrange with an oxy generator in a neutral flame. I'm working hot (until the glass is white hot). Batch annealed at 1060 for 1.5 hrs.

Tell me Dr, what's wrong with me?

nagibeads · #2 2008-10-01, 10:12am

looks like too much reduction....
test for a true neutral flame. If you put a rod in the flame and the metal comes to the surface, your flame is not neutral...
burn the haze off before striking.
Good Luck!

Kalera · #3 2008-10-01, 10:13am

Have you tried encasing it? In my experience, Turquesa really pops when it's encased. It doesn't need to be worked especially hot, before you encase (or when you're almost done if you don't plan to encase), go over it with intense slightly oxygen-rich flame to burn off the haze. Hope that helps!

Karen Hardy · #4 2008-10-01, 10:14am

What Kalera said.
Encase some beads and see what turns up.

Cindy2 · #5 2008-10-01, 10:18am

Thanks for the suggestions! I have to really admit ignorance - I don't understand what it means to burn off the haze - is that the cream color? I've read that in the other threads and I tried to do it with this but wasn't quite sure what the "haze" is.

Sorry, guys! I feel like I've never worked a torch and glass! Wow is my boro ugly! LOL!

Cindy

Karen Hardy · #6 2008-10-01, 10:22am

Actually, it's really NOT ugly.

The haze is that cloudy stuff in the glass you see when you
are heating it so hot it becomes clear. You heat, heat, heat,
and when the glass is all clear (transparent) then the haze is gone.
If you still see ghostly wisps floating around - THAT is haze.
Personally, I prefer a little haze in my beads. That wispy stuff
is pretty cool in encased beads.

Then you encase it, round it out, take it out of the flame to cool,
(till the glow is gone) put it in the flame until it is red hot, count
to 1 (one) and take it out and let it cool down a bit.
That's how I get my best colors.

Kiln it and see what happens.

Kalera · #7 2008-10-01, 10:27am

The "haze" is the sort of cloudy surface layer that develops as you're working the piece... it can look awesome, so it just depends on what look you're going for, but for the vibrant colors you can run the piece through a tight, oxygenated flame and actually see the flame "chasing" the haze off the surface of the glass. It makes perfect sense if you see it, but it's hard to explain.

Cindy2 · #8 2008-10-01, 10:39am

Thanks!

Karen, thanks for saying it's not ugly, that was very nice of you.

Kalera and Karen thanks for the nice description of what "haze" is. I get it now!

Cindy

nancytobey · #9 2008-10-01, 5:13pm

hi cindy - i am just weighing in here - i also really like the color you got with the heart shaped bead - it does looked reduced to me - but it is not something i have seen before - so keep that in mind when you are working - you may find you like it! turquesa is one of those colors that does love the encasing - especially, I find if you use a thin encasement - you can get that shimmering blue color that almost looks like dichro. keep working at it - i have faith in you! oh, and just as a point of reference - the 1200 deg. kiln wont do too much for the turq - that is what i do when i am striking an amber purple - or AP2 - and that one works best if it is not encased - Good luck!
nancy tobey

e. mort · #10 2008-10-01, 5:32pm

To see what haze looks like, do the following. After you get out of the shower your mirror is probably fogged up...that is haze. Now, get a blow dryer out and point it at your mirror. You will see the fog get thin and then go away. While it is not as extreme as that with glass, that is what you are looking for when you are working the glass. It should be like a light coating of fog over the top of the glass.

Hope that helps with the visual.

nancytobey · #11 2008-10-01, 5:37pm

eric - i love your analogy of haze removal and shower - mind if i use it in class? nancy t.

e. mort · #12 2008-10-01, 5:38pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by nancytobey

eric - i love your analogy of haze removal and shower - mind if i use it in class? nancy t.

Sure, but getting the whole class into the shower with you could be interesting.

nancytobey · #13 2008-10-01, 5:40pm

ha ha - i would like to sa i have had a lot of practice in that area - but alas - the showers where i teach are mighty small!

Karen Hardy · #14 2008-10-01, 6:30pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by nancytobey

ha ha - i would like to sa i have had a lot of practice in that area - but alas - the showers where i teach are mighty small!

I'll scrub your back

.

vega · #15 2008-10-01, 6:58pm

So did you get it to work cindy?

Cindy2 · #16 2008-10-02, 3:30pm

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for clarification on the 1200 degree tip. I had noticed it didn't do anything for the turquesa but thought it was me - smile! I'm going to try encasing it - didn't realize it could get a shimmery color - oooo I love shimmery!

Thanks for having faith, we'll see if I deserve it

Cindy

Quote:

Originally Posted by nancytobey

hi cindy - i am just weighing in here - i also really like the color you got with the heart shaped bead - it does looked reduced to me - but it is not something i have seen before - so keep that in mind when you are working - you may find you like it! turquesa is one of those colors that does love the encasing - especially, I find if you use a thin encasement - you can get that shimmering blue color that almost looks like dichro. keep working at it - i have faith in you! oh, and just as a point of reference - the 1200 deg. kiln wont do too much for the turq - that is what i do when i am striking an amber purple - or AP2 - and that one works best if it is not encased - Good luck!
nancy tobey

Cindy2 · #17 2008-10-02, 3:31pm

thanks for the analogy, Eric. Makes it very clear what "haze" is.

Cindy

Quote:

Originally Posted by e. mort

To see what haze looks like, do the following. After you get out of the shower your mirror is probably fogged up...that is haze. Now, get a blow dryer out and point it at your mirror. You will see the fog get thin and then go away. While it is not as extreme as that with glass, that is what you are looking for when you are working the glass. It should be like a light coating of fog over the top of the glass.

Hope that helps with the visual.

Cindy2 · #18 2008-10-02, 3:33pm

LOL! This conversation is going to get an "R" rating pretty soon! LOL!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen Hardy

I'll scrub your back

.

Cindy2 · #19 2008-10-02, 3:35pm

Hi Vega,

No, not yet. First chance I get I'm running to the torch. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for asking!

Cindy

Quote:

Originally Posted by vega

So did you get it to work cindy?