Finally got it hooked up & running. I instantly love this thing.
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Printable View
Finally got it hooked up & running. I instantly love this thing.
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She's purdy!
Thanks Ray, I have to agree:) The knobs will def take some getting used to. The opposite directions had me feeling like day 1 again. But I couldn't believe how easily (or maybe I should say 'proper') I was getting silver strikers to work. And that needle flame.....good lord....its something else.
Congrats man. I like the black knobs.
Can someone help me out, been making some frit spoons, and when using striking colors the middle almost always turns to molasses. Not enough frit? Burning the shit out of it?
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I am not sure but I just happen to read this article about the amber purple family colors today http://northstarglass.com/users-manu...purple-family/
Thanks James, I've read through that before, but will take another read for sure. I guess what's tripping me up is that the mouth and bowl usually come out fine, but not the neck (i.e. where ever it's stretched).
Soooo what's wrong with molasses? I like it. Coincidentally I'm not really a fan of molasses but that spoon color looks pretty awesome to me. It could stand a little lighten up, but from what I see, the parts that are nice and colored up saw more of a reducing flame than the molasses.
Oh. Gtt. Perhaps the opposite. You may have laser flamed them once you popped the hole so they struck properly. Idk how you guys walk around with those things... (GTT's)
Crap...didn't even think about direct flame contact through the holes...
Trying out some marble technique
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Messing around with some more organic shaped pendants, still trying see what works/looks good.
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it's tough to pull off organic forms, even with an awesome pallete, unless they're huge, because our brains look for patterns.
you've got the mai tai down though, those are sweet =o
I just wanted to possibly address your AP frit "situation" so to speak. How are you adding the frit to the point or blank? I myself do it in a way which some people seem to feel will end with my inability to breath, but I pull closed points and add my frit down the blow tube/handle into the closed egg. If you do it this way you are not really exposing the AP to the flame chemistry. The reason your mouth piece and bowl might be getting more striking action is when you are popping your carb and or removing your blow tube and fixing up the mouth piece, the flame can jump into those holes and strike the silver more in those areas, where the middle is kind of left unexposed the whole time. I have this happen with a variety of frit of such a nature and to be honest I kind of like it.
If you wish to get the center to strike out a bit more you can try doing a kiln strike cycle or two, its really helped me out. It can really make a difference and make the middle pop more and the ends possibly even more so. Another option though it takes an extra step if you indeed tend to pour your frit vs spoon it into an open point/blank where the flame is hitting it the whole time is to open the end up and blast it a bit with a reduction flame and close it up and then do your shaping.
One of these days I will go the other route and throw some open points onto rods or simply just melt the point handle solid near the blank and start the whole scoop in, melt/attach blow tube to opening, but for now I just need to make things. Doing so will probably allow me a lot more versatility in what I do with frit, depending on the kind. You could fume first or after depending on wanted effect with silver or gold, and even do some IO work before or after as well without having to reopen it after you get things melted in or tacked on. Just some thoughts...
yeef - I hear ya, I find myself subconsciously going symmetrical even when trying to avoid it
gomilobster - thanks for the feedback. I scoop the frit into the open ended blank, I then go elbow down to get the frit bunched up around the mouth piece area so that I can heat up/close off the tube without melting in the frit yet. It makes sense how the bowl/carb/mouth sections can get striked with the flame. I was thinking that I'm not using enough frit and I end up burning it out while shaping. Is that possible? I know get frit fully melted in is critical and I figured more heat the better:/ Revere's frit spoon video shows him fully stuffing the blank, melting in enough to get stick, then dumping out the rest. I guess that's a sure way to know you have enough.
Had to make some pendys for my lady's kiddos :grin:
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Torch time has been way limited the past weeks (frustrating!) but managed to knock out a decent shell over the weekend. Keep stepping one....step....at....a time.
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Thanks for looking!
shell looks sweet. keep it up