Is this forum still active?

[D. dino i ninjah]

I still check in some times. I was just looking up old threads on working cads because I sw5iched to a gtt and despite everyone saying it's easier on a gtt vs a carlisle it doesn't seem to be to me .. im about to take the kabuki and throw it at the wall and hook my cc back up. Lol ..

[BORO]

Too much blue knob in a regular sized flame can Gizzle the outside of cads. Also remember cads sublimate if you heat them too fast.
A lot of people prefer a reducing flame for cads on a gtt. I prefer a neutral flame. Lots of oxy on a gtt is hot hot. Similar to when you stop moving in the Carlisle with a sharp center fire. Also. You sit close to the head on a Carlisle usually. Gtt you can work further out and still get plenty of heat. If you work too close to the torch head, the gasses don't have time to mix fully , and you can get a more reducing or more oxidized flame than you think you have. . I like to give the gasses time to mix correctly by working further out when doing general heating ( fullish lynx flame or larger)

I'm sure there are other reasons to run extra blue knob. Personally I just crack the blue knob for all larger flames. I only run mostly blue knob , with the green just cracked open , for that pinned , super fine and sharp flame for lip wraps and precise small work. ( You can also work really far out on that needle sized mostly blue lynx flame.)

[jr23]

Just checking in and wondering what is everyone doing about the silver and germanium price driving upward .

[metalbone]

Just checking in and wondering what is everyone doing about the silver and germanium price driving upward .

Im thinking about selling 7 or 8 ounces and buying either a lynx or cheetah hand torch because i just want one...

Regarding fuming, even at $100 silver, fuming is still pretty cheap per piece, so I imaging the high price isn't going to affect anything...

[BORO]

I personally don't think the math is mathin'

This is my opinion, and mine alone.

I've been physically producing greasy color and the equipment required for 10 years. Before that I started q.c. with Ryan a few months after his first pots of color. Ryan still produces all the Initial recipes. There is only three of us responsible for the glass production. Myself, Ryan , and one other person. We all have a say in how the colors are modified to get what we are looking for. A.k.a. I know a lot about the chemistry at this point. The way I fell in with Ryan was a direct result of information I learned on this forum.

Yes Germanium is in a lot of North Star colors. Yes it's getting expensive. It's a lot of work to dig deep and find reasonable prices and high purity. If you add up the bigger picture, one ingredient is a very small percentage of overhead to produce a glass color. Doubling the price for the end user does not add up.. My wig was blown back when I saw d.a.p.listed for 100 a half pound.

The fact that silver was even mention suprised me more. Anyone who's a glass blower knows how far you can stretch silver. It does not take much. A ounce of silver can produce hundreds of pounds of color . That said, I'm not Northstar. I do not know their recipes. I could guess what's up with more accuracy than 99.999% of people on this planet . Only a hand full out there are deeper down the boro color rabbit hole than myself. I am blessed to work with two of them daily.

I would have thought tarrifs hurt their bottom line more. Affordable colorants tend to come from everywhere, not just inside the u.s.

I don't have time for social media. I'm probably ill informed when it comes to the complete picture with the price hikes. This is just my personal opinion as a artist looking in from the outside. Most of my info was second hand from the few dozen artist I text with on the regular. I did see the Northstar posts on social media.

This next part is strictly conjecture ...... The fact that Mountain glass got reposeesd by the bank. That does not just happen. Some one was not paying bills. That same week Northstar then raised prices. This makes me wonder. It's very interesting timing. I have no idea what the relationship between North Star and mountain glass was. I do know mountain glass seemed to be the go to distribution for most artist I do not know if they were the largest distributor in the industry? ( They were close at the very least.) Northstar color always seemed to be in stock. One could draw conclusions from suck things. Or it may just be coincidence.

Takle from it what you will or leave it.

It would be very easy to call me Northstar's enemy. You could claim I have alterative motivation. Unfortunately I still purchase their color and get no discount. I purchase from all the other brands as well. I use them all in in my build outs. I do consider myself a glass blower first and foremost. Color production is my day job. I work with Greasy for the perks not the pay. I get to alpha test some unique glass on the daily. I get to research the chemistry and see that turn into positive results. I have no shop over head. I get to keep the art I produce. I get to use world class equipment. I get to travel a lot. I have a so many friends in the industry. There are shops I've blown in all over the country. I have personal friends in almost every major city. A car full of color tends to get you through the door of some highly regarded people in this industry. I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination. An I still a starving artist ? Absolutely. Do I wish I had more free time for big personal glass projects ? Absolutely. Life is short. It's a fair trade to do what you love.

This post is my personal opinion!

Greasy Glass have voiced no opinion on Mountain glass , or Northstar's choices. The only thing I heard about in the shop.... Greasy will continue to use germanium when required. Greasy will continue to use silver when required. Greasy has no plans to significantly raise prices any time soon, more than likely they will not raise them at all.

Greasy is not my company. I'm just employed by them, even tho I help produce the color. What will they choose to do in the distant future as markets continue to change,? ( I do not know that answer.) That choice has very little to do with me.

Here is some alpha testing / R. And D. To keep this thread on track. Made on a gtt delta mag. This is current this week. It is still unfinished. The super metallic part, It's our light yellow opal over experimental pearl. The orange lip wrap stringer is Northstar Lava. The yellow lip wrap stringer is Northstar canary. The rest is greasy glass. Crushed opal prep was produced in house. The silver smack tec honeycomb marble was made by Peetwice in Chacigo. Sorry for the very poor photos. This phone is a potato.

[Gibsons Glassworks]

just stopping in for the first time in a while! been a long time. glad this place is still going i credit this forum to how i learned glass back in the day 20 years ago . those solors your making are awesome BORO! ive worked witha. lot of greasy glass. i bought soooo many knuckels. shop burnt down in april, now im on the tiny re build shop... hope to make a go of it and continue on, changed up what im making

[BORO]

I will have to get in contact with Gibson. I may be taking a drive to Alaska later this year? ( I believe the last stop before I go north will be Lincoln City OR. ) Hard to say at the moment tho. I have a lot of irons in the fire. My work load has increased with the large scale plazma on deck, and all new to me. My plazma set up is designed to fit in my car for travel. Not sure how much it would be frowned upon at the boarder. It looks like I have at 7 stage nitrous kit in the back of my hot rod bmw. Aka magic 8 ball says " reply hazy try again later. "I do actually remember when you were ordering big knuckle packs.