Lampwork Etc.

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-   -   Graphite or Brass? (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256212)

KFraley51 2013-12-03 9:59am

Graphite or Brass?
 
With all the different tools out there, I am interested in knowing your preferences. Do you prefer brass bead rollers or graphite bead rollers and why? Wondering if the material the roller is made of makes it easier to roll the glass. Maybe because one material will hold heat longer than the other. A poll would have been great for this but I am not sure how you guys do that.
Karen

Hayley 2013-12-03 11:08am

Brass "grabs" the glass so I prefer graphite for beadrollers (I only have two however and almost never use them) and marble mold (the Infinite Marble Mold that I use all the time).

Some people do prefer brass and many wax their brass tools.

It's really a personal preference.

Pickledkitty 2013-12-03 12:23pm

I have read here that brass is preferred to strike 104 rainbow glasses (double helix, etc) Personally I use brass and graphite tools and beeswax them both;p

ROC 2013-12-03 12:25pm

For glass that devitrifies, brass all the way. The cooler the better.

bbisker 2013-12-03 5:25pm

I prefer graphite bead rollers for the same reason as Haley.

rnmcginnis 2013-12-03 9:21pm

What is the purpose of waxing the tools? How is the wax applied and how often?

Thanks,
Roger

TJ 2013-12-03 11:29pm

I second that question... what does the wax provide?

artsyuno 2013-12-04 12:26am

Brass is good for getting colors to strike, such as iris orange, because it sucks the heat out of the glass more rapidly. I think brass and graphite both have their place. Wax on a tool will allow the glass to slide more. Kind of like waxing skis. :)

cgbeads 2013-12-04 7:47am

When I first started using raku frit, I had some graphite and brass tools I experimented with.
I couldn't get the raku to strike on brass but I could on graphite, the trick is to turn slowly.

(Disclaimer: This isn't meant as a plug, just and explanation of one of the reasons I went the route of making graphite tools and not brass.)
-Donna

Pickledkitty 2013-12-04 9:18am

Like Artsyuno said, waxing helps the glass to slide. I apply right before and during use of the tool. Once the tool is hot, i just poke it into my beeswax puck. Don't wax tweezers though, it kind of defeats the purpose. I keep doing it on accident! ;p

Hayley 2013-12-04 9:32am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickledkitty (Post 4470553)
I have read here that brass is preferred to strike 104 rainbow glasses (double helix, etc) Personally I use brass and graphite tools and beeswax them both;p

I never have trouble striking silver glass and I don't use brass... ;-) I don't use raku however.

tammydownunder 2013-12-04 9:44pm

A certain bead maker swears that graphite is dirty. But, I have had WAY more problems with brass causing tiny little bubbles -especially on clear encasing.

For me, I only use brass to shift glass or in presses. To get a good clean shape, I use graphite.

glass butterfly 2013-12-04 10:08pm

What is the "Infinite Marble Mold" and why do you use it? Lydia

Hayley 2013-12-04 10:19pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by glass butterfly (Post 4471949)
What is the "Infinite Marble Mold" and why do you use it? Lydia

Best marble mold ever made - I use it to shape all my spherical beads:

http://frittsartglass.com/marbles/molds/

Baywinger 2013-12-05 1:09am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayley (Post 4471958)
Best marble mold ever made - I use it to shape all my spherical beads:

http://frittsartglass.com/marbles/molds/

I second this they are the best marble molds around, I have two for different sizes and bought a third so my wife would stop taking mine :-)
here is a good description of them http://www.artcoinc.com/infinite_rim.php

Lisi 2013-12-05 4:47am

Where do you buy the beeswax? I've never used it for anything so I was wondering if it is all the same or if some brands are better for this purpose.

Speedslug 2013-12-05 10:26am

From what I have read here on LE, graphite can cause some glass to go muddy. I forget which ones or which thread I found that in.

My little bit of research on graphite turned up various qualities of it from right out of the ground to super high quality stuff that is made by vapor deposition. I take it the range covers uses from making homemade smelting pots to carbon arc electrodes to science equipment. I have read that new graphite should be washed with soap and water and towel dried. If it will leave a mark on your hands it will leave traces on your work.

I read that brass can be a little more "graby" and this lends it to moving the molten glass around. Also brass sucks the heat out of the glass and this can kick start crystal formation in some of the silver glasses like raku and such that leads to the wonderful color changes.

Glass that goes muddy with graphite can be worked with brass instead.

I think the bees wax runs a spectrum as well from food quality down to stuff that has twigs in it. For glass work I would go with the least expensive I could find. I would even look up local bee keepers as a source.

Hayley 2013-12-05 10:50am

Quote:

Originally Posted by tammydownunder (Post 4471924)
A certain bead maker swears that graphite is dirty.

There are various quality of graphite. The Infinite Rim Marble Mold utilizes the highest quality. Trust me, John Kobuki's marbles did not suffer from dirty graphite because of the graphite IRMM he uses.

Pickledkitty 2013-12-05 4:18pm

I got the cuts of beeswax mixed with honey from when it is harvested, and cleaned and strained it myself to get a block of pure beeswax. It smells lovely when melted and burned. I just found this other thread doing a search for something completely different, but it has good information on brass/graphite:
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=152246

Speedslug 2013-12-05 7:31pm

Don't they use bees wax for toilet ring seals? Good lord, how cheap can I get eh?

Ravenesque 2013-12-06 1:53am

I make lip balm so I always have bees wax on hand. So I'm thinking some hobby place like micheals or hobby lobby would even have bees wax for candles.

I just drop a little sliver in, roll hot glass on it to melt it, then it's good to go for a very long time. I've done my rollers from perlenpresse once ever.

For raku or other striking, I say brass, it's colder, and imo that's what kicks in the striking (fast temp. change). If I have a trouble bead I lay it or roll it on a brass marver and bam, colors start lol.

I like both, I'm not partial. I tend to look more at price tbh.


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