What COE do you use & why?

[AVTrout]

I usually use COE 104 glass with good results. A while ago I purchased some COE 96 and COE 90 glass just to see what it was like. I love the COE 96! Compared to the 104 which melts fast, the 96 melts just slow enough for me to control, but not as slow as the 90 (snore). So for me, I like the 96 best. What do you like and why?

[teachertracey]

I work with boro. I love the color changes and opening the kiln to find surprises.

[debkauz]

I love 33 right now too. It's just always a surprise when I see what come out. I have a ton of 104 and I won't give that up but I'm enjoying the exploration.

[Elizabeth Beads]

All of them. I like the color palette of 104 and the silver glass, I love the 96 wispy veiled canes and the ease of working with System 96 and furnace frits, plus Raku and Chalcedony. And Bullseye has great pinks and sparkly aventurine and lots of fun odds. So I have 3 CoE stations on my table and only get in trouble when I have mystery white stringers and clears.

I plan to try out boro too when I have more torch time to play.

[MelanieG]

I've only tried 104 and a little bit of 96 and 33.

I am so captivated by the reactions, the consistency and the colours of the 104 that I think it's going to take me a really long time to need to switch things up. I'm too impatient to want to do boro, and I don't really like the gelatinous consistency of the 96 colours I've tried.

[Otter's Flame]

I use 104 and 33. I Love both for different reasons and will probably always use both coe's. I have also worked with 96 and 90.

I like certain colors and reactions in 104 that I don't get with other coe's. I also like the movement of 104.

I like the colors and the wide range of flamer and kiln striking I can do with 33. I also like the movement of 33... or lack there of at times. I like the relative lack of thermal issues of 33 compared to 104.

Both of these coe's offer me things I like... in fact sometimes exact opposites that I like about each one. I will continue to teach 104 coe even though I primarily work in 33 these days.

Otter

[RyanTheNumberImp]

I work in 104 and 33. To be honest, I've never seen the point of 96 and 90 for the lampworker since they don't offer anything major over 104. If I were to pick up a second soft glass coe it would be the Japanese 110 glass since there are many techniques that 104 isn't opaque enough to do.

For example, aki's techniques:

Produce petals that are too thin for 104 glass.

[playswithfire104]

33, 90, 96, and 104. I even have some 120 sataka that I haven't done anything with. Why? ADD

[AVTrout]

110 and 120?? I had no idea these even existed!

[asimeral]

I work in 104 because it's readily available, and I am very impatient when it comes to working. To wait for glass to melt is like watching paint dry... I would like to try the Japanese glass sometime. Oogling Ayako's glass, and how beautifully detailed it is, makes me want to try it in the worst way.

[ArtcoInc]

Originally Posted by hellomoonglow

110 and 120?? I had no idea these even existed!

I've got some that's 132!

Malcolm

[tweeky clothespin]

I work with boro because when I started some one gave me a bunch for free. Couldn't beat the price! I tried 96 but I keep burning myself when the rods sorta explode when I shove them into the flame like I do with boro. For me, the higher COEs are a bit fragile.

[Otter's Flame]

I have melted some of the 132 COE that Malcolm has..... basically all you have to do is run a fever and the stuff melts.... and then you could play jump rope with it all day long and make balloon animals twisting it and shaping it forever before it actually stops moving. That stuff is ridiculously soft but the potential for some techniques would be amazing... I just don't need another coe.... or an aquarium air pump sitting around my work space

Otter

[Katie Gee]

104 coe!! I love mixing colors for the organic look. 104 is nice and soft so that I can get it drippy hot, making it easy to mix the colors.

[patienthand]

well,

if I am doing blown work I prefer 90 for christmas ornaments bells and little perfumes and vases etc, because the color pallete is so yummy and I learned on lead glass tubing. If I am doing complicated blown work, I prefer boro because it is tolerant. For sculpture of any size I prefer boro for the same reason as before. For beads I like 104 because of the colors and I am so used to working it. I like 96 because of the color saturation.

basically, its all good stuff and each type of glass has its advantages and disadvantages, and I pick the glass I use according to the project in ym head,, and if I am feeling brave I will push the envelope and use soft glass where I would have used boro, and pray a lot.

Candice

[playswithfire104]

Originally Posted by ArtcoInc

I've got some that's 132!

Malcolm

Some of that and a bic and you're good to go!

[TheGlassDiva]

is 33 boro ?

[ArtcoInc]

Originally Posted by TheGlassDiva

is 33 boro ?

Yup

Originally Posted by playswithfire104

Some of that and a bic and you're good to go!

Who was it that had a signature line that said something like "A dozen Bic lighters, duct taped together"

Malcolm

[debkauz]

Originally Posted by TheGlassDiva

is 33 boro ?

No. It's 1/2 of 66.

[HauteGlass]

omg there is a 66 too ? lol

[ArtcoInc]

Originally Posted by HauteGlass

omg there is a 66 too ? lol

Yup, 66 is half of 132

Malcolm

[Lisi]

I use mostly 96 COE because I make a lot of my beads with frit. But I'm slowly starting back up with more 104 and just getting back into 33. I used more 90 before, but since I got into the 96, not so much.