shocky aventurine

[steiconi]

I bought the fat filigrana on sale at Frantz, but just can't seem to warm it slowly enough to keep it from spitting all over. I've already destroyed one of the four rods I bought.

I've been warming the rods in my crockpot full of vermiculite, but that's only a couple hundred degrees. I don't have a kiln*.

I'm about ready to give up and use the remaining rods to stir drinks or something (though they're rather too fat for that). Any suggestions on handling these?

Thanks,
Lee

*I don't sell beads. However, I've been lampworking for about 15 years, and have had very few cracked beads, and almost always in the first day after making. To hear some people tell it, EVERY bead that isn't kiln annealed will break. But that's not really what I'm asking about here.

[RSimmons]

Save it for when you've got a kiln or rod warmer. You'll need to pre-warm this stuff to at least 850 degrees or it's likely to shock on you. It's very shocky by nature. If youndon't properly anneal beads made with it they are likely to crack.

Robert

[PerfectDeb]

same here

heat, frit, heat, frit, heat, frit

you get the picture?

they need to be prewarmed very carefully

[DesertDreamer]

Honestly, it's easier to pull your own from chunks than to rely on that stuff. I've had bits and pieces all over my bench. It's really not much of a stretch, once you get the hang of pulling your own stringer, to pulling your own ribbon. Punty, thin encase, pass off to a 2nd punty, heatheatheat, flatten and pull!

[amazon]

I also bought some from Frantz when it was ridiculously inexpensive and I've decided that it's a case of getting what you pay for. Even with my kiln set on the slow ramp-up setting the rod was breaking while in the kiln. I opened the bead door to pull the rod out to use and there were chunks of glass everywhere.

Maybe someday I'll be good enough at this glass thing to make these rods work for me but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[steiconi]

I wrote to Mike and he says the skinny goldstone isn't shocky, so I think I'll just get the right stuff and chalk up my $2.75 (plus shipping!) for the fatties in the cheapskate mistakes column.

[SunDoorBeads]

Make your own! It is the best thing you can do. I get the chunks from Irene at Flame Kissed Glass and they already come small enough to encase with clear (or another pale transparent) and pull out into stringers. If you do get a chunk all you need to do to break it is heat a gather up on the end of a scummy clear rod and press it down on one of the faces of the chunk you will hear a crack and most times the pieces will fall off if not there will be a stress crack that you can lightly tap with a hammer and the pieces will chip off. Have fun with this!!!!

[simvet02]

Hot plates are great for warming thicker rods and shocky glass. I got mine at Walmart for about $18.

[Cherri]

Originally Posted by SunDoorBeads

Make your own! It is the best thing you can do. I get the chunks from Irene at Flame Kissed Glass and they already come small enough to encase with clear (or another pale transparent) and pull out into stringers. If you do get a chunk all you need to do to break it is heat a gather up on the end of a scummy clear rod and press it down on one of the faces of the chunk you will hear a crack and most times the pieces will fall off if not there will be a stress crack that you can lightly tap with a hammer and the pieces will chip off. Have fun with this!!!!

Yet again I am looking to experiment. I went to Flame Kissed Glass and they are temp. closed. Can you suggest another place to find the stone without buying 3 lbs of the stuff. I would like to mess with them all, but don't know where the best place (in LE member opinions).

Thanks.
Cher

[jaci]

always frit city!

I always throw them in the kiln to preheat, then back in the kiln between uses.

[Mr.Smeeth]

I put mine through an annealing cycle and they were way less shocky

[Elizabeth Beads]

Originally Posted by Cherri

Yet again I am looking to experiment. I went to Flame Kissed Glass and they are temp. closed. Can you suggest another place to find the stone without buying 3 lbs of the stuff. I would like to mess with them all, but don't know where the best place (in LE member opinions).

Thanks.
Cher

Howaco. http://www.howacoglass.com/aventurine.html

[Cherri]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth Beads

Howaco. http://www.howacoglass.com/aventurine.html

Thank you for taking the time to point this out for me.

[Elizabeth Beads]

You are welcome. I always try to promote vendors with good prices and wonderful service.