More N00b Questions
 

Ok so today was my first day on the torch! Yay! wow it's a little harder than it looks for sure. So a couple questions:

Is the puffy matierial inside the kiln and inside the kiln door supposed to be removed? I put the three larger bricks under the kiln but what are the three tiny bricks for? I'm assuming you put them under te kiln shelf but i want to make sure.

Next question: I've got shade 3 didymiums for Divardi and also shade 5 clip ons. I'm going to be doing smallish boro work mostly. I have bad eyes and ususally use reading glasses. Can you get rx Didymium lenses or something similar or should I just use the clip-ons?

I turn on the propane tank, then the oxygen, then light the propane on the torch, reduce to a small flame. then turn on the oxygen, but its still making a popping sound...

I'm sure I'll think of more noob questions soon lol.

What kind of kiln do you have? I have a chili pepper annealer, and it is lined with white stuff, but I'm not sure what you have so am not sure. Can you post a photo?
And if you could put the "tiny bricks" in the photo, that would be good too!

At some point you might want to get prescription or reading glasses from AVC: http://auralens.net/en/find-a-filter

The puffy stuff is high temp fiber blanket, it helps insulate and retain heat. It does shed sometimes and should be gently vacuumed from the area. Not good to touch or breathe. Yes on the bricks. The smaller ones are called kiln furniture or posts and you got it...They are there to elevate the kiln shelf for even heating, usually for fusing.

Shade 5 is going to be a bit dark for small boro, I use 3. You can get Rx through Aura for boro and didys with reading glass strength built in. I've got the shade 3 with +1.50. They're the bomb.

That popping is startling isn't it? You'll find the sweet spot. What kind of torch is it?

Thanks that's some great info! It's a national 8m although im already afraid it might not get hot enough.

When you light your torch, turn on the propane a bit and light (not wide open or you will likely singe the hair on your hand), then slowly turn on the oxygen, then adjust proportions. After a while you will get a feel for how far to turn the dials.

Ditto the suggestion on shade 3 for small boro, otherwise you will be working in the dark. I use stick-on readers that are available at drug stores and Amazon. They are inexpensive and work great. I only replace them if the strength I need changes, otherwise mine have lasted for years.

Not sure what kiln you have, but the white insulation is usually the same material as a fiber blanket. Does your kiln also fuse? If so, the fire bricks might be to block off the dog door when fusing. That’s what my Arrow Spring kiln has, although the firebrick has a handle.

I haven’t used a National, but for all torches, when doing boro tuck the glass right up near the torch candles. You will need to sink a lot of heat into the glass and keep the heat, otherwise you will find it frustrating and slow. Once your boro pieces are cool, if they are brittle or if the clear has a frosted look, you didn’t get the glass hot enough when working it.

For soft, totally disregard the above advice. If you work it that close to the candles you will have a mess. My recommendation is to choose boro or soft at the beginning and focus on just that COE until you feel comfortable with your skills, then tackle the other glass.

Have fun!

I agree with Kathy about starting with one COE. Once you understand how glass moves in the heat, what those heat stages look and feel like . . . Glass is glass is glass.

Famous words from my first teacher.

One epiphany for me was to understand just how slowly I can work, how long does it take for a bead to crack. I had been hurrying for a long time because I didn't understand that I could take my time.