Just got some of Dammond Taylors new Soild State Frit

[Mecha]

Yeah, it kind looks like checking to me too. To be fair, they aren't the clearest pics, so maybe it is just the fine air trapping thing you can get around an encased object if it isn't hot and or clean enough? I'd like to see better close up shots.

[KLAW]

I still havnt been able to play with it yet, but it seems the product is meant to be a non melted encasement...something akin to encasing its gemstone color name sakes (Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire) while yet holding its color and UV reactivity and general encasement exception, unlike encasing those true gemstones would result in the loss of.

He is a very knowledgeable person (mineralology & chemistry wise) from my talks with him and seems to be selling his product represented as what it is...a solid state frit that stays solid when encased with minimal rejectionary action in the glass (unless of course you sit and try to encase a ton of it like encasing anything that stays solid) w/a UV reaction similar to its gemstone color namesakes.

Seems to be a slight off gassing with that top picture to me and I believe that was one of his tests where he put a lot more then he suggests in and a mix of other stuff/test products...Maybe I should let him post his own pics in case it was one of those pics like that he had mentioned to me.

ChillRelaxGlass...Hit him up on FB for now, I believe that's your best bet ATM.

[chillrelaxglass]

I don't have one but I did find him on ig and told him id love to purchase the product!!! I can only image how good this would look in my spacetube with opal

[KLAW]

That^ is one of the things he said can be done with it (sleeving tube like with opal shards) & something I for sure want to try too!!

You can always win the sets of his SSF we will be auctioning off too!! (A set w/a gram of each and a half dozen grams of the Orange Sapphire)

[istandalone24/7]

It's not possible

what about dichro extract? it's also "non coe specific"

[Dammond Taylor Studios]

This is all great! Even the wrong information. :-) SSF powder can be worked like dichroic extract as well. And as far as micro checking I think what you are referring to are a couple of pieces that are a few years old. They may have some checking as early pieces were much more an experiment than a product. Those specific photos were chosen to demonstrate the UV reactivity of the product. If you look at modern pieces like the Orange Sapphire SSF on TAG Kinight Rider marble posted above, you'll be hard pressed to find checking. The SSF released on the market does increase "shockiness" of the glass but does not cause checking. I will be selling it in 3-5 different mesh sizes soon, just like the other frits on the market. I also look to have more that 12 new colors, some UV reactive to be released by the end of 2015.

[PyroChixRock]

You guys can hit him up right here. He's been posting in this thread. Here's his profile.


Dammond donated some of this to our annual fundraiser, so it will be up for auction soon. That's a good chance to try it out and support the forum at the same time.

Thanks again, Dammond. And thanks KLAW for arranging the donation with Dammond.

[Greymatter Glass]

what about dichro extract? it's also "non coe specific"

I think there's some confusion in terminology... or something.

I agree with (and understand) what Somewhere was saying (I think)

Everything has a COE, and nothing is universally compatible with everything.

I think for the sake of how this stuff is being sold, most of the terminology is coming from a marketing position rather than a technical one.

The concept of "non coe specific" I think refers to the idea that this glass can be used across multiple commonly available COE's of glass - not that it has no COE. The idea that something is "compatible" is fairly subjective. Some people will cite numbers, others will use stringer tests and empirical evidence... ultimately, if it works, it works - that doesn't mean it will work for everyone. Gilson opals are a great example of how that works... most people that have used them have had them fail from time to time, yet we still generally think of them as compatible.

"Solid State" can either mean the "frit" is in a solid state, which would be true of all frit until it's heated sufficiently to transition to a liquid state (or beyond) - OR - that it is somehow related to solid state electronics, which it clearly isn't.


As for what this stuff is, if it's being sold in the US it should have an MSDS sheet available - I hope Dammond will be willing to shine some light on what this material is. I don't think anyone's asking for a technical step-by-step process on it's manufacture. The basic chemical properties, and anything related to it's safe use and handling should be expected and available. There's no secret to how gilson opals are made, yet not many people are making them, certainly not artists. Same with dichro, and even glass itself to some extent - virtually everyone here buys their glass pre-formed despite the fact that for a few tens of thousands of dollars we could be batching our own artisanal small bath boro :P

That said, looking at what it is from the pictures... I'm guessing it's either some lab grown crystalline material doped with god knows what, or it's a high silica glass of some sort, again doped to make it colored and UV reactive.

[CrassGlass]

If that were the case, all frit (being broken glass and all) would look like that.

Regular frit doesn't look like that because it melts. This stuff doesn't. That's the distinction.

[istandalone24/7]

as in, it "stays solid". hence the name

[Icarus]

Aaahh. Thanks for clearing that one up for me boys.

[LarryC]

Discussed this in Facebook PMs with him a few weeks ago. When I inquired about compatibility and COE I was told that there is a "saturation" point at which it will cause checking and ultimately failure in any glass it is used with. Anyone here actually used this product yet?

[Greymatter Glass]

Discussed this in Facebook PMs with him a few weeks ago. When I inquired about compatibility and COE I was told that there is a "saturation" point at which it will cause checking and ultimately failure in any glass it is used with. Anyone here actually used this product yet?

That sounds most plausible, I've managed to encase all kinds of things in glass that have unknown (to me) coe's that shouldn't be considered "compatible" in general. It's really a matter of ratio. Put enough glass around something and it will contain it, right?

I think this stuff looks pretty cool myself, I'd really like to try some when I can get my hands on a small sample (and get some time in my studio...) I suspect it's similar to opal in it's application, and I can certainly think og a few interesting uses. I don't think it's a major game changer or anything... but anyone offering artists a viable new material to work with is doing something good.

[Simian]

very interesting. I would love to get my hands on a small amount to experiment with.

[Icarus]

very interesting. I would love to get my hands on a small amount to experiment with.

I don't know if people on Talkglass know about this yet, but he does offer sample packs.

This is from his Facebook page:

Grab a sample pack for a bill flat. Get all four colors for $100, S/H included. That saves you more than 10% on these remarkable new products. Grab some now from Dammond Taylor Studios on Facebook, by email at dammondtaylor@gmail.com, or call 1 (814) 688 8918

[KLAW]

I just wanted to let everyone know that only the Ruby color is UV reactive. I thought at first they all did it, but found out that wasn't the case so wanted to make sure everyone else knew also. However, the fact that you can encase a "frit" and it stays solid...giving that encased crystals effect is still pretty freaking rad!

I will be giving this stuff a try later tonight hopefully and will give an update later on tonight or tomorrow about how I liked it.

Also I wanted to remind people that we will be doing a TMP fundraising auction to auction off one of the (gram of each) sample packs later on here soon on TMP & FB that Doug mentioned above. Only thing is the lucky person to win that auction will receive a gram of his experimental light blue "aquamarine-ish" SSF also!! And in addition to the sample pack auction, we will be doing a TMP fundraising auction to auction off a half dozen or so grams of just the Orange Sapphire SSF too here soon!!!

[npns]

updates? Seems like a gimmick to me

[Simian]

He was very evasive when questioned about his product. I will not buy anything from a guy that doesn't have the ability to answer straightforward questions about his product. He told me it costs him thousands of dollars to make a pound. He charges $30 a gram and then hosed all those people by dropping the price by half a week later. A lot of guys on facebook were reporting about an 80% checking rate and his answer was that some people just don't get how to work it. He talks like he doesn't know anything about glass. Shit, he told me that his Frit (which it is not, check the definition of the word) was visible behind opaque glass, which is by definition not possible if you understand the definition of opaque and physics. If his "frit" is sooooo expensive why is he trading off an ounce of it (roughly $800 worth of product by his pricing) for 1lb of Atomic Kumquat from an artist? You be the judge. I was one of many that got the impression that he was shady and didn't really know what he was talking about. All my opinion of course but I went into it wanting it to be awesome and in reality it seems to be anything but that.

FYI, he also apparently got on Amber Cotrill for encasing ruby corundum claiming he had a patent on the process. That was confirmed by her and a few others. Sounds like there are too many questions for me to want to give that dude any of my hard earned money.

[Samson]

It'll be real interesting to see where this one goes over time. After it's been pounded on by a couple 100 artists. Problem is, at that price, I'll need to see some great evidence of success before buying, gold is expensive enough 8)

[Simian]

I think that was the point as well. I have yet to see an example that is not full of air, checking or both. I also think his vague way of talking about it leads some folks to think it is something other than what it is.