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Boro Room -- For Boro-related tips, techniques, and questions.

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  #1  
Old 2009-05-02, 7:40am
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sandree sandree is offline
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Default Boro Bead Release

I have been using Fusion with the regular Foster Fire added to it. Need to the Foster Fire and I see they have Foster Fire Smooth and Tuff. Anyone use this for boro? Would it be worth just getting that one and not doing the mixing I have been doing??

Sandy
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  #2  
Old 2009-05-02, 7:55am
pjmarchwinds pjmarchwinds is offline
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i use sludge plus that i mix down with water and dip, let dry then dip again,dry and bead
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  #3  
Old 2009-05-02, 10:42am
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Karen Hardy Karen Hardy is offline
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I tested out EVERY release on the market in some misguided attempt
to find something better than Fusion. Never found it. Fusion is the
best I've worked with, and my beads come off and clean out really
well. I love fusion for boro!
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  #4  
Old 2009-05-02, 10:56am
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I love the Fusion, too and have used it from the beginning but sometimes I have trouble getting the beads off the mandrels and as I get older and the arthritis is setting in, this is a problem. The Foster Fire seems to make them easier to get off. Think I'll just stick to my mix of Fusion and the original Foster Fire and skip the FF Smooth and Tuff.

Sandy
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  #5  
Old 2009-05-02, 11:21am
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I am a boro newb, and when I started melting boro all I had was FF S&T, so I can't compare it to anything else, but it works great for me!
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#T53
"I love making lampwork beads, one at a time, with a Cricket or Minnnow burner on 5LPM oxycons".
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  #6  
Old 2009-05-02, 2:30pm
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I've been using Heavy Duty Foster Fire for several years. Tried two other brands, and hated them. To help remove the beads from the mandrel take an old bicycle tire inner tube, cut a 1" x 5" piece and use that to hold onto the bead. Then grab the mandril with vice-grips, twist the bead back & forth, and most beads will come off real easy.
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Last edited by gmkcpa; 2009-05-02 at 2:33pm.
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  #7  
Old 2009-05-02, 3:01pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandree View Post
I love the Fusion, too and have used it from the beginning but sometimes I have trouble getting the beads off the mandrels and as I get older and the arthritis is setting in, this is a problem. The Foster Fire seems to make them easier to get off. Think I'll just stick to my mix of Fusion and the original Foster Fire and skip the FF Smooth and Tuff.

Sandy
If you have a problem getting beads off the mandrel, use a rivet tool. It will rock your world. There is no such thing as a stuck bead and takes no effort or strength to use.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=107760

Oh and it's about $5 at Harbor Freight tools.
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  #8  
Old 2009-05-02, 5:08pm
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Fusion for me as well. Soak, use pliers and a rubber jar getter offer (technical term) and it always works for me.
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  #9  
Old 2009-05-02, 5:12pm
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I use Sludge Plus. Never had a single problem with it.
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  #10  
Old 2009-05-02, 6:13pm
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Holy cow peeps, what are you doing to your beads and release?

I just break the bead release on both sides of the bead and use a plier to hold the mandrel steady, give the bead a twist, and the bead slides right off.

I am a single dipper, and use my release fairly thin, if that helps.

I prolly just jinxed myself...
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#T53
"I love making lampwork beads, one at a time, with a Cricket or Minnnow burner on 5LPM oxycons".

Last edited by twiggyinaz; 2009-05-02 at 6:13pm. Reason: forgot the twist part...
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  #11  
Old 2009-05-02, 6:46pm
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I just took a boro class at Glass Craft Expo in Vegas and we used the Blue Dip N Go sludge - and it worked great. I used it the entire weekend recently at another boro workshop and had no problem. But I am fairly new - so far so good though
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  #12  
Old 2009-05-03, 3:46pm
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When I started with lampwork about a year ago, I used Foster Fire. It kept cracking on the mandrel but I just tried to work around that. Then about a month ago I discovered "Best" bead release from Mountain Glass Art......and it is amazing. No more cracking and to release the bead I use my fingers to break up the release on each side of the bead and the just twist the bead off of the mandrel. LOVE IT!!
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  #13  
Old 2009-05-04, 7:29pm
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This one is right on! I went through that myself always went back to the fusion

Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen Hardy View Post
I tested out EVERY release on the market in some misguided attempt
to find something better than Fusion. Never found it. Fusion is the
best I've worked with, and my beads come off and clean out really
well. I love fusion for boro!
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  #14  
Old 2009-05-05, 11:13am
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Kaleidoglass Kaleidoglass is offline
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I've tried every combination and mixtures of bead release, but I keep on coming back to fusion. Although, out of all the mixtures I've tried, i liked the fusion and super sludge the best. The beads do twist off the mandrel a lot better.
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  #15  
Old 2009-05-07, 6:48pm
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Fusion. Everything else cracks and flakes.

Bonny
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  #16  
Old 2009-05-08, 3:33am
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Looks like the consensus is that Fusion is the best. I have 1/2 jar and may go back to using it without mixing with Foster Fire for a while. I have trouble getting the beads off too - especially the long focal beads. But I do eventually get them off with the soak, vise grip pliers and rubber jar getter offer (hmm - I believe that is the technical term, as it is the one I use too(.

Sandy
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  #17  
Old 2009-05-25, 8:46am
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http://www.kittrellriffkind.com/studio/krag_mudd.php

i use kragg mud for boro and soda lime and love it. i havent tried fusion.
ro
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  #18  
Old 2009-05-25, 9:16am
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I used to be the mfg for FosterFire. If you are very hard on bead release I recommend half FosterFire Smooth and Tuff with half Fusion. The problem with Fusion is that it's harder to get the beads off. The Kragg Mudd release works best for soft glass, not recommended for boro.

tips that will help:

Be accurate when you place your "footprint" for your bead. With soft glass you can bully it into doing what you want with heat. Your boro bead will take much less time if you can get that initial footprint right where you want it.

If you use the Fusion mix then heat the bead release to red and IMMediately place the glass on the still glowing release. Beads will hold while you work but come off easily after annealing.

One more thing! (learned from Kim Affleck) Avoid pressing against the glass or pressing the glass against the marver. This is a major cause of bead release cracks. Lay the glass on the mandrel and lay the glass on top of itself.
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