Honeycomb/china tube

**ALIEN!** · 08-25-2009, 07:00 AM

I cant seem to get my honeycombs to come out on 25mm ABR china tube. Silver yellows out bad, doesn't take the dots in well either, I've used both schott and chinese for the dots and its like they wont meld. You can see mass waves inside where the dots went in and I even had one where you could see/feel ripples on the surface where the dots were place. Couldn't polish it out for the life of me.

Then the comb itself doesnt want to take a very definite shape, its like the silver bleeds/blurs too much, yellows and I cant get any sort of blue crystal growth. I've had real bad problems with silver yellowing on the chinese tubing. Just wondering if it's me or if these are known issues. My next order is definitely some good ol simax.

**Slow** · 08-25-2009, 08:42 AM

Forget that china tube, it's like it's not the same glass or something. Barely compatible with itself.

**ALIEN!** · 08-25-2009, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Lowly Worm

Forget that china tube, it's like it's not the same glass or something. Barely compatible with itself.

yeah, pretty much. I like the 25mm heavy that Im using for prodo right now. Have had issues using NS canary yellow frit though. I think its the yellow itself, seems like it cools down faster than other colors. Turns back to yellow quick, and I know now that when it cools back to yellow it gets real shocky which sucks for me since I use cold seals on my prodo. Been a few exploded yellow frit mouthpieces around here.

**MUPH** · 08-25-2009, 01:42 PM

How do you like the china for prodo? I've always used simax tubing

**ALIEN!** · 08-25-2009, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by MUPH

How do you like the china for prodo? I've always used simax tubing

Well, its a bit shocky compared to Simax, comes often with scratches already built in for you

Its tough to get a good fume, it either burns off, or gives yellows or muddy colors. All in all its great for simple smaller spoons and chillums, but I got 44 heavy wall too, and dont like it at all. Seems a little ovaled too, I gave up on goblets with china glass.

Bottom line, 25mm is good for saving some dough, but I'd stay away from the bigger sizes. Chances are if your using 44mm or bigger you're trying to make something nice and likely color heavy. The shockyness raises the chance of wasted color too much for me to recommend it. Frit, w/w, fumies ok on the 25mm. Just try not to go to big (again w/ the shockyness) Also, the cut ends of the tubes arent flame polished, which makes them touchier when introducing into the flame. I popped a few ends before I learned to go extra slow with the sharp ends.

Hope this helps.

**909** · 08-26-2009, 05:39 AM

Are you blowing out the tube 1st?

**nicko0** · 08-26-2009, 10:08 PM

chinese: preheat section so it doesnt blow up. let it cool so fume doesnt stick too good. blast fume in. burn it all off with super oxy flame. dont let comb cool while working on rest of piece. kiln strike at 1150(hours) 1200(one minute shots) for the nice blues.

ive got fairly specific tech for dealing with fume china in many situations just ask.

i use chinese 50x5 all the time(from mountian glass it is the best quality in chinese ive seen) its scratched and bubbles like its dirty. one in six tubes blow up. half the tubes have chipped up ends that have to be prepped for a stopper. still worth it for the fume color and cost efectiveness on mass prodo for me.

**ALIEN!** · 08-26-2009, 11:41 PM

I blow my section into a ball, not real thin, but thinner than the heavy wall it starts as. Then I open a hole, fume in, close, make a clean termination, blow out thin, dots, melt down. Maybe Im leavin fume too heavy? I dunno, maybe I try again tomorrow.

**nicko0** · 08-27-2009, 07:42 AM

its almost impossible to put too little fume in china but i find it hard to get an even layer. thats why i do it the way described above.

i blow my bubbles so thin that the surface gets all stretched wierd and you can hardly touch it with the flame without it getting soft.

**Braden Hammond** · 08-27-2009, 09:13 AM

check out glass line magazine from about 2 years ago... Surf Rat step by step on how to make the craziest implosion combs outa ion x tubing.

**ALIEN!** · 08-27-2009, 02:03 PM

ok, got a couple done. Fumed the piss out of them, blew em even thinner and laid bigger dots (7mm dots) Ill post some pics when I get a chance, maybe tomorrow.

Oh, grew the crystals in the flame too, took forever. (made em into marbles)