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Beads of Courage


 
  #1  
Old 2017-06-26, 5:34pm
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periwinkle periwinkle is offline
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Default Hothead with a Regulator?

I'm reposting this as I don't think anyone saw it in the Hothead struggles thread.

I was thinking about getting a setup for my Hothead. I already have a Minor, but I have this beautiful/annoying Devardi glass that I want to use. I have had excellent results with Devardi in the past - ON MY MINOR - but I can't for the life of me figure out how I did it! I have beautiful beads I've made and now when I try to even make the smallest bead, the glass devits. It's so frustrating! I'd like to get hoses, a regulator and a second propane tank, just for the Hothead. Just need hoses and I believe an adaptor of some sort. Anything else I need to know? I'd like to know for safety and setup. I've only ever used the Hothead with 1 lb propane/MAPP gas. I'd like to be able to use a 20 lb propane tank and to be able to adjust the flame some and not burn my Devardi glass. I do think it's worth it to have a setup just for Devardi.

Below is a photo of beads all made with a Devardi base. They have Moretti and CIM mixed in as well.

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  #2  
Old 2017-06-26, 7:05pm
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The hot head is not designed to work with a regulator from what I remember.


You could post this in the safety thread and see if there is someone to double check me on this.


It wants to feel the pressure coming right off a tank with liquid propane in it.
I think that is something like 2500 psi.
You can look it up under "vapor pressure of liquid propane".

My thoughts on the Devardi devitrifying on you are that you have gotten in the habit of working too close to the cones or you are working it too long.

Either that or the batch you have now has changed formulae since you played with it before or the consistency could be off with in the same batch.

Good Luck and let us know what you learn please.
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  #3  
Old 2017-06-27, 1:37am
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Phil has some good ideas about the devit, I think he is right.
I have seen chat about using a regulator with a hothead.
I think Hollys Folly did that, so it would be here in LE somewhere.
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  #4  
Old 2017-06-27, 12:40pm
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Lorraine Chandler Lorraine Chandler is offline
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There is NO reason you can't melt Devardi and get great colors with your Minor, Here is a link showing Devardi being melted with a Mega Minor. I had one and it was much hotter than a minor and I worked De Vardi with it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKAmq72PYL0

You must really take your time, work cooler and farther out with DeVardi. He even states that in the video clip.

Clean your torch and your hoses. Sometimes you can get a bad tank of Propane especially if you exchange tanks at local stores. You can also clean out your own tank if you own yours and start with fresh fuel because some times a bad tank will happen and it can discolor your colors.

Good Luck hope the video helps....

Last edited by Lorraine Chandler; 2017-06-27 at 1:26pm.
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  #5  
Old 2017-06-27, 3:07pm
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periwinkle periwinkle is offline
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I remember turning down the propane outside on the tank itself, and I've done that but I still get devitting. If I work further out, it will take hours to make a bead! The videos I've watched by Natasha and her husband show them melting the glass fairly quickly - much much quicker than I do and still I get devit. I'm wondering if it's because I often press my beads? I head and press, heat and press. I do this multiple times. It seems like Devardi does not like to be heated and cooled repeatedly. And, if I worked further out in the flame, it might take a day to make one bead!!!

It seems like the best beads I made were the stacked dots/star beads. But they took at least two hours to make!!!

I know propane can be hooked up with a tank. I've read about it here somewhere on this forum, but I couldn't find anything when I did a search with multiple topics.

As to the tank issue, I just got a brand new tank because my old one had a leak and the fellow didn't catch it before filling it, so he swapped it out for free. I used the new tank and still had devit. So depressing!

I'd love to just use the Minor, but it seems like it just took a ridiculous amount of time to melt the glass, plus there were all the problems with the semi-opaque and moonstone glasses turning opaque. The same thing happens when I work Moretti opalinos in a flame that's too hot. It also happens when I work CIM opals too hot. However, I've found the sweet spot for those brands.

With the Devardi glass, I don't know what the sweet spot is, but I had it at one time sorta - still couldn't get the semi-opaques to stay semi-translucent, which is why I really think I need the Hothead setup. It's a lot less hot and others seem to have spectacular results with it since it is propane only. I really just need to know how I can safely hook up the Hothead to a tank.

Those 1 lb canisters do not give enough fuel to make a large bead. They last about 1 hour. Then they have to be warmed up.
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Last edited by periwinkle; 2017-06-27 at 3:10pm.
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  #6  
Old 2017-06-27, 3:18pm
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periwinkle periwinkle is offline
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Lorraine, I watched that very same video before trying my Devardi again and they melted that glass within 2 minutes and it was molten. I used the same flame they recommended - about 2-3 inches and with a very reducing flame - you can see the triangular shaped candles in the video if you look closely - but when I try to melt Devardi at that low of a temperature, it just sits there and barely moves. It doesn't become molten. So I move the glass further down to melt it and then it gets too hot. I only figure this out because the bead devits.
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  #7  
Old 2017-06-27, 3:56pm
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I thought I saw a question about a regulator, sorry. Devardi sells the hose and adapter needed for a bulk tank hookup. That should work fine.
Also, they use a rod warmer (they sell one also) to help with the melting times. If you want to work Devardi a lot, it might be worth getting one, or using your kiln to preheat the rods.
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  #8  
Old 2017-06-27, 4:36pm
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Lorraine Chandler Lorraine Chandler is offline
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Very frustrating I know but Mike Frantz has a post about it on his website maybe it will help you?, unless it is coming from a dirty, sooty ( carbon build up) on torch face or build up in hoses.

http://www.frantznewsletter.com/2010...-glass-colors/
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  #9  
Old 2017-06-27, 5:44pm
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The other thing I remember about Devardi is that all of their glass is a whole lot stiffer than any of the other 104 coe glass even when blasted with a two gas torch.


Devardi wants to be molded and shaped where almost all the other 104 glass will absolutely drip like water off the mandrel when it gets that hot.


Devardi simply does not want to flow.

Moosh, push, shape and carve and press but no flow to speak of.
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  #10  
Old 2017-06-27, 8:22pm
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Kristin, thanks for that bit of information on where to get hoses and the adaptor. You were right about the regulator. I've heard of people using a special regulator with higher psi - I'm thinking up to 100 psi - I believe that was in another thread. I found the link https://propanewarehouse.com/product...le-regulators/

I already have a kiln and I use it to preheat Devardi rods. That is a must.

Lorraine, the only glass that devitrifies for me is Devardi. I've figured out how to work others, like EDP and purple rose (Z99). But with Devardi, it just devits if I keep heating and cooling it to shape it. I even use a marver to help shape it and push glass down, but it gets too hot. I'm probably impatient as well.

Thanks Phil, you are right about the shaping which I just mentioned. I just get frustrated watching the Devardi video of Natasha making a bead so fast. I used the same kind of flame and my glass did not flow like in the video! So, I don't know what they're doing. I've written to the Devardi people as well and they kept saying my flame was too hot. It's not too hot when the glass won't even move.

I know I've gotten it to flow before with the peach semi-opaque. Some colors work easier than others. The D7 Rose transparent is wonderful. Also, this color has a chemical reaction with silver foil and Val Cox Cherry Blossoms frit. The reaction brings about this purplish change - like a silver glass - and I've not been able to duplicate it using Moretti Rubino Oro. The Rubino just won't do it. If you look at the top two beads in my first photo at the beginning of the thread, you can see a bit of the purplish change. It's hard to describe. It's just really pretty.



On the left and right you can sort of see the bluish purple chemical change.
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Last edited by periwinkle; 2017-06-27 at 8:25pm.
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  #11  
Old 2017-06-27, 11:31pm
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Devitrification is most common between 1350° and 1400° F. Avoiding that temperature range if you're heating and cooling multiple times will probably give you better results. Where that occurs depends on your torch and the size of your flame, but on a hothead, that's typically about 6 - 12 inches from the torch. Get in, heat and shape, and get out. Also, you might want to try pickling your glass. It could be contaminants or dust causing your problems.

To use your hot head with a large propane tank, just get the Mr. Heater propane hose. You can find it at Lowes or Walmart, and I'm pretty sure Devardi sells them on their website as well.
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  #12  
Old 2017-06-28, 12:41am
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The devitting happens when I use my Minor with Devardi glass. I don't have the Hothead hooked up right now. I appreciate the tip on the propane hose, Birwin.
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