Whats the most popular marble sizes you like to make?

[kultureglass]

What are the most popular size marbles you like to make and why? 1" , 1.25" , 3/4", 1/2", 2", 2.5", 1.5"???

[Nomad]

milli marbles on my spoons.

[istandalone24/7]

i usually end up with 1.5 to 2.0 depending on the tech/style used. flower mibs usually come in at 1 5/8", those are what i make the most of.

[kultureglass]

milli marbles on my spoons.

do you just craft the milli marbles by hand or do you use a marble mold

[kultureglass]

[QUOTE=istandalone24/7;842890]i usually end up with 1.5 to 2.0 depending on the tech/style used. flower mibs usually come in at 1 5/8", those are what i make the most of.[/QUOT

I should have titled what size marble molds would you like to use and how would you prefer a marble mold shape to be?

[Nomad]

I just craft the milli marble by hand. But if I am going to make a large marble I use a mold. I use a 2 inch mold for the end of my spoons. Just a little to make sure there perfect. It's a 1 inch mold on the other side that works good for marbles also.

do you just craft the milli marbles by hand or do you use a marble mold

[snoopdog6502]

My biggest mold is 1.25, im going to machine a larger one.

[LarryC]

I like and mostly make 2.25" but have gone as big as 3". Even on my mirage, 3" marbles take some patience to heat for final shaping. I use infinite rim molds and have a 5"er that hasnt seen glass yet.

[CrassGlass]

Wow, a 3" marble on a Mirage? I always make 1-1.5" ones, and those take me 90 minutes each. Can't imagine a 3" one!

[LarryC]

Wow, a 3" marble on a Mirage? I always make 1-1.5" ones, and those take me 90 minutes each. Can't imagine a 3" one!

A typical 2.25" one with fumed patterns and opals inside and back surface work takes me 3 hrs. 3" has taken 4. The critical thing with large solids is to maintain heat base. If you let the mass get cold in the center at any time it takes a long time to heat back up and they are prone to surface boil if you try to rush it. I love working big.

[Losiwells]

Yes I like to go big as well. The biggest mold I have is 3.5". I have a variety of molds. The bump style mold, by Mike Close, a couple of 3" molds that are of the cone style. One has a 60 degree cone and the other is a 45 degree. An Infinite Rim mold, designed by Drew Fritts and built by Dan Grumbling and last but not least the one sold by ABR, the one with multiple 60 dgree cones, the biggest hole being 2".

It can take me anywhere from 30 minutes for simple 1.25" vortex, to 5 hours on a 3.75" marble, depending on complexity. The marbles that I produce are generally in the 2.5-3" range at the moment. I am using a Bethlehem Champion torch also.

[LarryC]

Yes I like to go big as well. The biggest mold I have is 3.5". I have a variety of molds. The bump style mold, by Mike Close, a couple of 3" molds that are of the cone style. One has a 60 degree cone and the other is a 45 degree. An Infinite Rim mold, designed by Drew Fritts and built by Dan Grumbling and last but not least the one sold by ABR, the one with multiple 60 dgree cones, the biggest hole being 2".

It can take me anywhere from 30 minutes for simple 1.25" vortex, to 5 hours on a 3.75" marble, depending on complexity. The marbles that I produce are generally in the 2.5-3" range at the moment. I am using a Bethlehem Champion torch also.

How do you like the Mike close molds? I am all IR right now but always looking to try different styles of tools.

[istandalone24/7]

A typical 2.25" one with fumed patterns and opals inside and back surface work takes me 3 hrs. 3" has taken 4. The critical thing with large solids is to maintain heat base. If you let the mass get cold in the center at any time it takes a long time to heat back up and they are prone to surface boil if you try to rush it. I love working big.

i made a big one yesterday (yea, 2" is big for me) with NO devit around the equator. i let gravity do most of the shaping, like you advised. worked great, thanks Larry!

[Losiwells]

Hey Larry,

You know, the funny thing is, since you are used to using the I.F. molds, going to a "bump style" will have a different feel to it since it is a bench top sorta thing. Some like the bench top molds and others prefer the hand held molds like the I.F.

I prefer the bench top kind of molds because that's what I learned with. It's a shame because the I.F. mold that I have is such a nice piece of equipment. Either style can produce round marbles. It's all user preference.

I'll tell you what, if you want, I can lend you my bump mold so you can see if that is something that you may to purchase in the future. Not mine of course, I am wanting to keep it. Just pm me if you think you want to do this.

Later Larry.

[LarryC]

i made a big one yesterday (yea, 2" is big for me) with NO devit around the equator. i let gravity do most of the shaping, like you advised. worked great, thanks Larry!

My pleasure :)

[LarryC]

Hey Larry,

You know, the funny thing is, since you are used to using the I.F. molds, going to a "bump style" will have a different feel to it since it is a bench top sorta thing. Some like the bench top molds and others prefer the hand held molds like the I.F.

I prefer the bench top kind of molds because that's what I learned with. It's a shame because the I.F. mold that I have is such a nice piece of equipment. Either style can produce round marbles. It's all user preference.

I'll tell you what, if you want, I can lend you my bump mold so you can see if that is something that you may to purchase in the future. Not mine of course, I am wanting to keep it. Just pm me if you think you want to do this.

Later Larry.

Yeah. I am used to the handheld because I started in the furnace glass world and there the mold equivalent is hand held blocks. Thank you for the generous offer but I do think I will stick with the IRs for now.

[mattholimeau]

Could you let me know what the acronyms I.R. and I.F. mean? I'm trying to figure it out from context, and not having any success. Thanks!

[LarryC]

Could you let me know what the acronyms I.R. and I.F. mean? I'm trying to figure it out from context, and not having any success. Thanks!

IR is infinite rim and is a type of marble mold.

[Losiwells]

Could you let me know what the acronyms I.R. and I.F. mean? I'm trying to figure it out from context, and not having any success. Thanks!


Yeah sorry for the confusion. IR would be Infinite Rim Mold, which is a tapered cone design developed by Drew Fritts and IF is a typo, should be IR as well.