This is handmade frit. You can tell it's handmade because of the many different sizes of frit in the container. I made this frit using the nubs that result when I get to the end of a glass rod or rods.
Making frit is very easy. It takes some simple tools. Most of the tools can be found around the house or purchased at a hardware store. Yes, I said a hardware store. Take a look and see what I have experimented with as I practiced making home
This is a very simple way to make frit. You simply heat the rod and then plunge it into some water. The glass cracks. I didn't like it because it took forever to get a decent amount of frit to use.
The next method Involves a tool that most of us have in our homes, the simple hammer. I tried this but I found it difficult to use because glass flew everywhere. It goes without saying that safety glasses are needed when you use this method.
Next I tried a more modern and innovative method for making frit. I used an old coffee grinder. The problem with that method is that the coffee grinder being as powerful as it is, ground the frit to a find powder and it was easy to breathe in ground glass. You need a mask for that this method, too. The other problem I found with using a coffee grinder was that plastic from the lid got into the frit causing small fires to break out when using the frit on the molten glass. Beside, who wants to breathe plastic that's burning?
I finally made a trip to Mutch's Hardware, a small family owned business. The owners, Sandy and Dave Mutch are good friends, and help me often when I come in looking for the ingredients for making handmade tools for glass work. When I described to Dave what I wanted, he provided me with the items I needed, and look, my favorite frit makers, all made with parts that can be found at a hardware store, any hardware store!
In my opinion, these tools make the best frit. I use the small one when I need emergency frit. I use the larger one when I actually plan out my frit. I love them. They give you exercise as you pound, and they help to get rid of that pent up frustration that happens in our everyday lives.
Then there is a way I use very frequently. I simply buy my frit. The suppliers are numerous. The frit is sized appropriately, and there is no glass dust to deal with. Most of the time, I like that method the best. The only downside is that you can't use your nubs of glass, and that it takes a few days after you order to receive your frit. Oh well, life is like that. I love using frit in glass! I also truly believe that when there's a will there's a way. There always is.
This murrini is made with intense black for stripes and Blue Chalcedony made by Gaffer.
