Thanks Kristin and Laura. Yes, Kristin, come to the dark side...:lol: Good luck with the oxycon! Hope you can fix it.

Pretty beads, Laura! How cool to use a frit named after your biz. I need to get out more and check on some of her frit.

KA, I agree with Susan. Fusion/FPI is awesome. Only super heat where your footprint will go, otherwise the part that was heated and then cooled will sometimes crack when you marver or use a roller.

I have exactly this problem also! I have many beads that I cannot get off the mandrel either.

thank you so much, Susan :love:

I just finished 10 hours of torching last night and still not caught up on my customs. Can we say 'overcommitted' ? LOL Maybe next week......Post some more pretties!

Show and tell!
 

Thanks but I bought this a few years ago and everyone raved about it. Specifically designed for boro so I came to the conclusion I am more of a pendant type guy.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...628c2e49e6.jpg

I've tried (since starting in 2008):

Dirty Louies
BOM (Bucket of Mud ... no longer produced)
Super Blue Sludge (no longer produced)
ABR release
FosterFire Smooth and Tuff
Tuffy's (which everyone was raving about)
Super Blue Ultra (replaced the previous version ... one ingredient became unavailable)
And final Fusion that Susan gifted me.

The original Super Blue was the best for me for Boro. Ultra is designed to release easy once cool and I end up with anything silver glass that you need to cool and strike or cool and reduce ... the darn release lets loose.

Fusion has been the best ... though still not perfect for beads.

Playing with testing color recipes from others. First up a Sandy Seeman recipe.

I call it Desert Camo

Those are cool Laura!

I am fairly ignorant about beads. Do you always use a separate mandrel for each bead or can you make more than one bead on a single mandrel?

You could make multiple to a mandrel. Susan at Jackson River does that with her disk beads ... load the mandrel up.

Since I mostly work on 1/16" and have to be careful to keep the mandrel out of the flame to keep from burning through. I happily make one bead to a mandrel.

I nearly always make many beads (5-9 or so) in a single mandrel. These are relatively simple, speedy beads. Just be careful not to hit them with flame after they are done, as they have begun to cool and might crack. I very seldom have cracking problems, although I use extra caution with boro containing a lot of metal (Amazon Night, Aurora, etc).
Making multiples like this allows me to make a small set of similar sizes easily and quickly.

Really nice, Laura! Kinda neutral but in NO way boring.

The only beads I make more than one to a mandrel (mostly) are disc beads, then it's 5 tops. I don't know what it is but I have cracking problems if I try to push it.

Having fun with DAP.

Facebook just reminded me of DFO2014 here in Eugene. Scored half a table for $35 full booths went for $1300. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c6c4c0da52.jpg

Playing with Momka Marley (or Marley II?)
Any other ideas for tricolor rods?
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...84377397fc.jpg

Dave, you could wigwag them for long pendants or earrings. I wigwag them for pen shafts and leaves. 3 and 5 from the top are Momka multi rods but I don't know which ones.
https://i.imgur.com/1NlSvGc.jpg

Thanks for sharing with all of us!!

Thanks! Very nice work.

Beautiful work, everyone!

Show and tell!
 

Looking for other applications for Momka’s tricolor rods I did this millefiori six pack... back to the drawing board I guess. Maybe I will try and back a marble with it.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7c14246d23.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4c1b4a8007.jpg

I like those, Dave. They're very autumn-y.

Thanks. :-k
It was so dark at first, I was kind of disappointed but they are growing on me.

Another pink experiment and a nod to soft glass layering again. <hint
Some have added extras like stringers or frit but the base pink is 2 different ones, both made in the US.
Anybody want to guess the 2 rods? I'll tell, but I thought it might be fun to guess. O:)
Nothing outrageously pricey or hard to get, easy strike and not a combo I've seen in a recipe book.

https://i.imgur.com/bMhuNRc.jpg

Rebecca, I'll play :) yellow and orange?

A playa!!! No yellow but one of the colors *is* kinda orange, Momka grapefruit is one of the colors.

I know nothing, but could it be Exotic Citrus? But now I am wondering if I even got the name right.

Or Pomegranite? I know I used that before.

I got lazy and didn't type out the full name of one of them. It's Exotic Citrus Grapefruit. There is also and Exotic Citrus but it's not in those beads.

Ok, the other color is NS Purple Lilac, it's over the ECG. Just another pink for the list.:smile:

Awesome Rebecca.

Susan (Jackson River Glass) and I have been playing with pinks ... but the outrageous pricey ones. Bought Abnormals.

Also just got a pound of the Exp. Sparkle Black from TAG for a custom order for my SIL.

Great color combos!!!

Color layering tests with a Sandy Seaman recipe.

Did you get a chance with the sparkle black yet? I'd love to see when you do, and what you think of it.

My SIL gave me a custom order for black knobs for a TV cabinet she is having built ... so I have a pound of the sparkle black and just played with testing a couple ideas for her.

Did you see the Octo that Marilyn Ure made from it ... :jawdrop:

I'll post pix when they come out of the kiln.

No, where can I see the octo? And are your knobs *still* in the kiln? :poke:

I've been playing with wood grain. Not so sure about them yet and I'm lusting for a sandblaster. A couple are sanded by hand to cut the shine.
https://i.imgur.com/fC60zoY.jpg