Gaffer veiled cane...How to use it ???????

Ronnie_Renee · #1 2005-09-21, 6:37am

Awhile ago I bought a half pound of assorted Gaffer veiled cane. How do you use it? when it tried it all the colors i used lost almost all of their color and went dam near clear with just a hint of color. Does the color come back it the kiln? Did i waste my money

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Ronnie

dogmaw · #2 2005-09-21, 6:55am

Ronnie, what colors did it start as? Can we see some pictures? I use gaffer a lot on my minor, and love to make vessels out of it. Here is one. Please post more info so we can give you a hand!

Ronnie_Renee · #3 2005-09-21, 7:09am

Well i wish i could post some pix but my camra is on the fritz.
I only made one bead the base was white and i put yellow and pink and blue flowers on it. I'm on a mini cc. do you think i got it to hot ? it when into the fiber blanket clear so i thought that when it cooled the color would come back. so i was thinking it need to be in a kiln to develope the color?
Ronnie

Curly Irish Girl · #4 2005-09-21, 7:10am

I had the same experience - the help I got was to work the glass cooler - further out in the flame. I'm getting more color, but not sure that I would call it the veiled effect....but I'm still going to try!

Ronnie_Renee · #5 2005-09-21, 7:12am

Jo how i wish my color came out as vibrant as yours.....umm nummy

dogmaw · #6 2005-09-21, 8:19am

I'm not sure what I'm doing different.

I tend to burn glass to a crisp, so I'm working gaffer as hot as my minor will get. I do know that pulling the veiled cane into stringers isn't going to look wonderful because it thins out the color too much. On the other hand, if you get some of the solid intense cane, definitely stringerize that!

Gail Joseph · #7 2005-09-21, 4:08pm

Excellent advice Jo! I wouldn't attempt surface decorations such as flowers using the Gaffer (or GG Glass)...the color won't show...Although I'll sometimes do a raised, rather thick swirl that works (no photo, sorry). Definitely try working cooler. I've never attempted NOT kiln annealing, so I'm not sure how that plays into things. Are you seeing swirls of color when it is hot? I'll try to make a bead and stick it in a fiber blanket tonight and see what happens...Gail

dogmaw · #8 2005-09-21, 4:22pm

Actually the glass for that vial was some odd lot glass that I got from Gail.

Slaterville · #9 2005-09-21, 4:25pm

I agree with most everything everyone has said above, but I can pull stringer on the blue veiled and I've made daffodils with it. Most of the time I make barrel beads, row it in frit (same coe of course), rake or drag the frit, then encase in clear. This glass really does like a lot of Oxy. Work higher in the flame. I'm on a mini cc also. Hopes this helps.

Ronnie_Renee · #10 2005-09-22, 6:06am

Thank people for all the tips. I'll try working with it today

Ronnie

Zooziis · #11 2005-09-22, 8:32am

Hi Ronnie,

Gaffer Cane is made by using a gather of clear, adding a coating of frit, encasing with clear, more frit, clear, repeat...I have no idea how many times, because I only buy it, and don't make it

But I know that is how it is made. So it is primarily Clear. I has intense frit color running through it, but even the "more opaque colors" are not opaque. That is why using it in small quantities on the surface is not optimal.

So, how to use it? Layers...That is the key. You can do what Jo did, and use it as the base for a hollow, a small bead, a great vessel (Jo that is a Wonderful Piece!! I love it!). This spotlights the colors. You can also start with a base, add frits, more cane, and such...You can not use this glass with Moretti...It has to be with itself. Though PI glass seems to be testing well with it to.

Keep in mind that since this glass is a transparent (even the more dense opaquish colors), you need to think in terms of watercolors. So don't layer two colors on the opposite sides of the color wheel...Red over green, gets you a mucky brown. Red over blue, will look nice and any overlaps will give you a more purple look...Not to say that if you mix these two colors together you get purple, but if you layer them, you get a pleasant hue, not mucky brown. I hope that makes sense...

My friend Ellen uses it by make a solid bead out of it, maybe rolling in frit, maybe not, and the squishing with a press...Ellen loves the squishing. She said I could put up a pick of her beads...The set of purple lentils are just Gaffer...The rest are mine done in the technique of layers...

Hope this helped. Have fun!

Curly Irish Girl · #12 2005-09-22, 8:56am

Great info, Amy! Thanks! I didn't know how it was made and that explains a lot of how it behaves.

SuzyQ · #13 2005-09-22, 9:57am

I love Ellen and her squishing, lol. I am a squishing lover too. That is what I do with all my gaffer because it is just so darn pretty on it's own!
I have managed to make it go clear. I did it by working too hot. I now work it cool and exercise patience. Some will be more forgiving of heat than others. But you will know just by seeing the color disappear right before your eyes.

Ronnie_Renee · #14 2005-09-22, 7:55pm

WOW ....Amy thanks for all the info.I did not get a chance to work with it today.So it will have to wait till Monday.....Cause i'm off to frantz art glass for the gathering this weekend!!!!!......UMMMM all the demos and the Glass!
Thank you!
Ronnie Renee