Gold Leaf for Blow-ins

[Bro-crispy]

Hi All,

I'm wanting to do some blow-ins with gold foil, a la Cesare - (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS3cXbZIWRA&feature=related)

Just wondering if ya'll have any experience and know the best gold to buy. So many different sources and karats, at so many prices. Here are a few-

cr-loo (http://www.crloo.com/Products/Fusing___Glassworking_Supplies/Metal_Leaf___Foil/metal_leaf___foil.html)

ABR (http://www.dichroicimagery.com/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=4025507786646939878d2a0d06788775)

http://www.glasscraftinc.com/home2/gla/smartlist_554/precious_metals_and_quartz.html

Olympic (http://www.glasscolor.com/products/default.aspx?cID=62&pID=931)

Also any tips are appreciated. I'm going to try first with silver to get it down. I'm guessing you just want to treat it softly like dichro to not burn it out? I also suppose you could cheat and sleeve or vacum sleeve it instead of blowing it in, but God might hit me with lightning if I commit that atrocity.

Thanks much for the tips.

[B-Rye-oNeR]

Not sure about the gold/silver. But with the blo ins I have better results when i use a blow hose on the the color piece and a pulled point on the clear blank. Also a Blow hose helps alot.

[menty666]

From what I've been told, that trick doesn't work with the silver leaf.

[styles1 torchlife]

The hard part is that once you pick up the silver/ gold you will need to reheat the tube hot enough to do the blow-in and the silver/ gold will bead up.

I would recommend more like a sleeve technique. Have your outer tube hot as you can get it in the kiln with out slumping. Roll in silver/ gold sleeve immediately.

maybe this will help.

[FredLight]

Why not :

Roll cold tube on foil, kiln it briefly, sleeve it.

Can even be rolled in Silver first then Gold?

Love to see your results.

[Aymie]

I think I would Foil the cold tube, add a cold sleeve, then kiln all together.

I want to see pictures of your attempts as well. Sounds nifty.

[smolder holder]

The one time i tried this tech i had a really hard time keeping the leaf where it was supposed to be because of ventillation and when i finally did sleeve it i burnt the crap outta it.

Safe to say my result was less than stellar.

[smolder holder]

I think I would Foil the cold tube, add a cold sleeve, then kiln all together.

I want to see pictures of your attempts as well. Sounds nifty.

Maybe even use a small amount of elmers glue(burns out without scuzzing your glass) to pick the foil up on a cold tube then sleeve and kiln. I dont think the foil likes alot of heat but i'm far from am expert on the subject.

[full_kiln]

Not sure about the gold/silver. But with the blo ins I have better results when i use a blow hose on the the color piece and a pulled point on the clear blank. Also a Blow hose helps alot.

on that note, steel blow pipe = blow in machine

[coloringdan]

I've tried sleeving with silver foil. if you are using thicker glass, by the time you melt the two layers together, the silver just melts into what looks like fume. I really want to try gold tho. I would guess you have to use standard wall and be gentle with the flame to not burn out the foil.

[BlueBeard]

after watching Cesare do this a some friends and I told him we were going to cut his thumbs off to level the playing field for the rest of us.....he just laughed at us.