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Sunday, June 14, 2009

There's Incompatibility and then there's Just Plain Ugly


There will be a test. Make sure you read the entire blog! Hmmmmmm!

Although I knew this to be true, I forgot the key to working with glass: Make sure the COE's (coefficient of expansion) are the same. All right, I was tired. I had gotten home the day before from the Bead and Button Show. I still had not yet recovered from the great time I had there. I decided to go back to the torch the next morning. I wanted to use some of my Gaffer Chalcedony glass. I made a core of clear then encased the clear with the Chalcedony. I pressed the glass into a lentil shape, struck the bead for color (heated and cooled), then, immediately put this stunning bead into the kiln to anneal (cool down properly) it. After the bead was cooled, I soaked it in water, then I began to use my Dremel to extract the bead release. What? The bead cracked in half--almost. I thought this was a thermal crack. It wasn't until the next day I realized, this wasn't a thermal crack. It was an issue of incompatibility. I had used a core of transparent clear 104. Chaldedony has a 96 COE. Dang it all! That was a beautiful bead! All right, lesson remembered. There is incompatibility. Watch your glass. Lesson relearned.

Is this the test? No not yet. Stay tuned.

Then there is just plain ugly. I found some glass that I had bought in a box of "shorts" (short rods of glass). I thought I would play with the glass. It wasn't the prettiest color I had seen, but I was hoping that when introduced to the flame, magic would happen. Well, it didn't. There really is just plain ugly! See what I mean.


















There was no magic. That color is just plain ugly. Luckily, I don't remember where I bought these shorts, but I hope not to buy them again. Oh, my.

Was that the test? No, not yet. Almost. So stay tuned.


















These are not incompatible glasses, it's just the colors. I used a bright orange for the lip and handle (What was I thinking?) and Chalcedony for the vessel. It's not a perfect vessel. I was trying to get the little blob of hot glass to strike and I didn't blow the vessel enough. Again, lesson learned. I think this falls in between both categories of incompatible and just plain ugly.

Now, finally, here's the test. Oh, did I forget to mention there will be a give away? Hmmmmmm. All you need to do is to comment on this blog, and I will draw a number to choose a winner. You have until next Sunday, June 21st. I will pick a winner then for this vessel. Please leave a way for me to get in touch with you if you should win. If no one comments, well, I guess I get to keep this little vessel.

Now, that wasn't a hard test, was it? I think it's easy. Let me hear from you!

10 comments:

  1. DID I LEAVE AN EMAIL...
    :)
    computor froze..
    would you belive i like your ugly beads..
    I like the neutral tones....
    bummer on the bead....
    maybe we should send our glass to you in a big pretty pink box...
    mona & the girls

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  2. Mona, a pink box would be nice! I will send you those ugly ones, if you really like them! The photo makes them look really good! rofl

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  3. Brain freeze again. Did I tell you I like the green squares? Those are cool! It's a shame the compatibility gods couldn't just wave their magic wands and save that chalcedony bead :( Those colors were very pretty!

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  4. Hey Roomie, Stuff is packed and will ship tomorrow. I just got back to the torching. ACK! Still a dolt at silver glass - can not get Chalcedony to do it's magic. DARN DARN DARN! Love you Gaffer girls send a little magic dust my way.

    I'm with Angelina - the green ones!

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  5. Oh, my, I can't believe that people like the green ones. All right, I'm going to have a drawing for those, too. The looser, I mean, the winner will get them! Wait until you see them in person!

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  6. The Olive discs are so pretty!

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  7. Thanks for the reminder - I just got some new, expensive glass and don't want to waste it on cracked beads!

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  8. Thanks for the reminder! Don't want cracked beads!
    I also think that "ugly" color has potential as a base for organic stuff...

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  9. Thanks for the reminder!
    I also think that "ugly" color would make a great base for organic beads...

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  10. oops, sorry, obviously I"m new at the commenting thing...

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