Encasing different metals?
 

Today my sister commissioned me for a steampunk style marble and she wants me to use some washers that she pulled out of the site where she works. They look like they're steel or stainless steel, I know brass gears can be encased, but I haven't seen anything about encasing other metals. What metals can be encased in clear glass (I use both boro and soft) and what technique would you use to do it?

Well, I have plant stakes on stainless steel lol that have been good for years using soft glass. Some have actually been intentional too :). Not sure about boro.

I've encased copper, silver, brass, and stainless steel. Keep the brass out of the flame - it melts. Copper will turn a lovely red. Steel stays the same. Brass will produce massive amounts of bubbles with prolonged heating. You can choose to use the bubbles as a design element. I use soft glass but I don't see why these wouldn't work in boro.

Put a dot of glass on your piece where you want to place your inclusion. Get the dot soupy hot and shove the metal piece on there. Encase below the flame. Once you have the metal encased you are pretty much home free!

These are brass:




The red and blue turtles have copper inclusions as well as brass:

OM gosh! Those are too cute Mary Beth.

I just bought a bag of watch parts tonight and was thinking I could only use the brass, but now I'll try all of it, thank you!

Cool!

Thank you!

Thanks!

I just had another thought. I believe that most attempts to use aluminum as an inclusion haven't worked well. It turns black and stays that way unlike copper which blackens in the flame then turns red. So you might want to avoid aluminum.

i have an art project and i found this thread very helpful.

question: has anyone encased vacuum insulated double-walled stainless steel in soft glass?

thanks, earl