Help with Boro Beads

[jeangalt]

I've been torching for about 3 years now, and decided to try boro beads - and need some advise on converting from soft to boro. Here's what I've come up with today....besides burning my mandrels off right before the bead is done, and loosing the whole bead, I have the following problems.

1. Beads on left - NS28 Blue Exotic Wavey bead - I'm finding that my encasing seems to be cracking every 3rd bead.....and seem to be waiting an eternity for the clear encasing to melt down to the sides.

2. White base with NS03 mixed, encased. I got tired of having the clear spread over to the ends, so decided to try spiral encasing - and tried heating from the left to the right to get rid of what I think is trapped air - and it doesn't seem to be working. Any tips on how to encase - do you let the glass flow - slower than molasses in January, or do you move the glass along with some sort of tool?

3. Next beads are blue base with double amber/purple frit - trapped air, again, I think

4. The last set of beads are double amber/purple frit dipped in clear, then wound into a bead. Pretty easy - I got some red, but seem to have a problem getting blue/purple.

all help is appreciated.
Thanks
Jeannie

[aimee]

There are some colors that don't like to be encase, that could be why the ones are cracking.

And I know this is going to sound silly since you're already burning your mandrels but turn your heat up. Get your flame as screaming as you can and then turn it up some more . Just be sure to keep your mandrel out of the direct flame.

And make sure you have a neutral flame, sometimes a reducing flame will cause certain colors to bubble and cause problems when you go to encase them.

When you do go to encase, don't have too big of a base bead. I've found that if I make a small narrow base, the clear will pull the color out with it and make a wider bead without it pulling up at the edges.

I'm no expert, I've been working boro for a little over a year, but I used soft glass for over five years before that.

[jeangalt]

Thanks Aimee -
Will try small narrow beads tomorrow - and see how high the heat gets. I just checked your Etsy sight out - I love those butterscotch beads -
Jeannie

[Kare TX]

when you are using DAP (double amber purple) the colors really pop over white or pink . Heat the DAP with a hissing oxy flame until the haze is gone and the glass is transparent. keep it hot and clear until you finish it up. You can then flame or kiln strike. If you put the clear on over the haze you will trap the haze. Good luck

[ginkgoglass]

Another thing to remember is since you need to work hot, make sure you are heating the glass and not the mandrel. Kind of ride the flame.

You also don't have to spin as fast as soft glass and watch the color of your mandrel. If you go slower you will see the glass start to move. You will see when you need to back away a little to avoid melting the mandrels. If you have any larger diameter mandrels, use those right now too.

Have fun!

[Bunyip]

In my opinion, 3/32 mandrels are too small to learn on, and I've cooked the heck out of my 1/8" mandrels too... I actually don't make boro beads anymore. Off-mandrel is so much funnerer for me, but I've been thinking about trying some more to see how I feel about it on the Lynx.

[Mr. Smiley]

You'll like it on the Lynx Chris. That torch has really well defined focus... helps to keep the heat right where you need it...

[jeangalt]

Thanks all - off to try - larger mandrels - hissy oxygen flame.
Jeannie

[Otter's Flame]

oops

[kirrakat123]

Hi, I changed from soft glass to boro about 3 months ago. With boro the glass (rod & bead) is held really close to the candles in the torch flame. I know it feels strange because with soft glass you would have it dripping onto your bench, but not boro, it has to have alot more intense heat. Once you get the hang of boro, you'll love it.
Also your #2 beads with the spiral clear encasing is the way you make vertabrae beads --
try useing a thin black tube base, wrap a spiral of double amber purple, spiral wrap 2 layers of clear on top of the double amber purple & melt. The black bleeds thru forming a thin spiral line. It looks great mashed or left round. Very popular with buyers.
Have fun, Cynthia in Australia

[menty666]

S l o w down when encasing, just like when you do an implosion. I used to spin my implosions way to fast. I took a class and that was one of the most valuable lessons, the heat can't sink in if you keep glancing off it Same goes for melting down clear on a bead, slow it down and the heat and gravity will do the work. Believe it or not by slowing down your rotations you'll make the bead faster LOL

I use 3/32 mandrels; I made my own from welding stock

[gmkcpa]

Re.: the cracking that you are getting when using the exotics for beads - with a 5mm clear rod I first put a wrap or two around the mandrel, heat it up and roll/spin it around in the L of the marver on my torch to spread it out and flatten it a little. Then I put two or three wraps of green exotic around that, then alternating dots of whatever, or roll it in (clear) frit and cover with clear - it never cracks any more!

[jeangalt]

Thanks for all the help guys. I've been practising - and think I've improved a bit - a long way to go though. I found some mandrels bigger than my 3/32" and am not afraid to hold them in the flame now - and I think I'm getting the hang of flame strike.

[teachertracey]

I love your swirly beads. How are you doing that?

I learned boro right from the start and bigger mandrels are better to begin. How many are you doing on one mandrel? Some of your cracking might be due to letting the beads cool way too much as you work on another. I'm no expert, but from my own mistakes, I've learned a little.

[jeangalt]

Check out Rob Keyes exellent tutorial he posted for Wavy Beads - and excellent tut - and it's free!!!! http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ight=wavy+bead - thanks Rob
I've been putting three beads on a mandrel, and you're right - the first one cracks everynow and then - When I feel it crack, I've been able to go back and patch. Now, I try to remember to apply heat often.

[FairyVerre]

Sooo for encasing do most people use rods or tubing? Tubing sounds odd but what do I know - lol . Also what is the best encasing clear ? also is the clear compatible with all kinds of boro glass i.e. momka, ga, nstar? thanks for all your help !

[AuntD]

For general working purposes, use rods to encase. You can encase rods with tubing if you need an encased rod.

Any 33 COE glass will work. Momka, Glass Alchemy, Northstar, TAG, Origin... as long as it's 33 COE you shouldn't have a problem with compatibility. One note: it's generally difficult to deeply encase greens, except for a certain green that I can't remember the name of and which is not made by any of the companies above. When I think of it I'll post it.

[gmkcpa]

I use NS Forest Green to make the leaves on my flower implosions. Forest Green leaves have never cracked or checked on me.

[SleepyCreekGlass]

Dwarf Green - Good luck finding it. Those who do have it...usually have it under lock and key in their safes! Ha ha!