Marver and glass brand recommendation?
 

Does anyone use marvers? I have this one and I am struggling a lot to even get enough glass on the mandrel without burning it...i know you're supposed to heat up the glass real slow so it does not burn. i can do that with small beads but i want to make larger ones that i can shape in the marver.

note i did not make those beads it is just a sample image of the marver that i have

any tips would be greatly appreciated.

i am currently using devardi glass...you have to heat it up extremely slow to avoid burning it. is there a glass brand out there that melts easier and will not burn so much?

Lauscha melts like buttery caramel . . . . yuuuummmmmmm :o)

how is it temperature wise? slow heat up? quick heat up? and does it scorch/turn black often?

Even from one brand you can have easily boiling glass (even on HH), shocky glass and very friendly glass, soft or stiff, demonstrating "devit" or not. For CIM you can read the testers reviews at CIM official page, for each single color. For Effetre you can search here for each individual color (and transparent/pastel/opalino/alabaster/handmade after color) and you'll find tons of invaluable information. For Reichenbach as well.

If you search on "by color" basis you'll get more detailed information than for a brand in general.

I normally only use the flat marvers, not specialty ones, but one thing we all had to learn was patience while the glass melts. And the larger the bead, the longer it takes. You may want to use something to preheat the glass so that it is already part way heated. Stick the ends into the bead door of a kiln, or use a rod warmer (beauty supply tool warmers are the same, but they get HOT on the outside too so be careful not to touch or put it close to anything flammable ~ says someone who reached over & crisped the skin on the bottom of my arm when I touched it to the top of mine)
Some colors do melt easier than others (like ivory for instance), but I don't know about Devardi colors.

Devardi has some lovely colors, but I found it too shocky and too putzy to have to pre-heat. Lauscha, Effetre, Reichenbach, CIM--all will heat quicker and most colors are not as shocky. I can boil just about any glass (ha ha!), but I've never scorched any. Are you on a hothead torch? Sometimes if you work too close to the torch, down in the flame, it can make the glass sooty or dirty. K

Devardi is tricky, some colors are awesome, and some, not so much. But your use of the word 'burn' makes me think the issue is less with the glass, and more with where in the flame you are heating it?

I use Devardi glass a lot, but have never burned it. If you are actually burning the glass, I think your working too close to the torch, and need to back out to the middle of the flame. With big rods like that, you have to hear them slowly, true, but also over a wider area, not just the tip, let the bigger part of the flame, wash up the rod, and warm it ahead of time, so when it gets in the flame, it's ready to go..

To make a bigger bead, warm a larger gather on the rod, touch down on the mandrel, and wrap while the glass is staying in the flame. Keep twisting the mandrel as the glass lays down on it. Don't pull the glass off the rod with the mandrel, but let it melt on to it. Once you have a nice amount of glass on the mandrel, put the rod out into the tip of the flame to stay warm, but move the bead into the middle of the flame and even it out. This is where you learn glass and gravity! Spinning the mandrel and using the heat will produce a nice round uniform bead all on its own, ( with practice )

Once you have the shape, let it cool out of the flame a bit to harden up, while moving the rod closer in to start melting again. If the bead isn't big enough, now you can add more glass to your existing bead and make it bigger.

When you have your size right, bring the bead to a light glow, and use the marver. Don't roll the bead back and forth in the track, rather, keep the mandrel in one place, and spin the bead in the track. That is how you get the shape...

Help any? Or did I just confuse you? :hide:

Oh, and one final thought...
Just a cautionary word... Devardi glass is pretty stiff stuff, if your managing to burn it, and you try a different glass that melts faster and smoother, but stay in so close to the torch, your just gonna fry that stuff too, but faster!

Devardi is a good glass to learn on. Once you have mastered that, well, you can work any glass! The others are easier, but not always better.

Imho

I to started with Devardi glass - and still regularly use it while I slowly expand into other brands. And I have that exact same marver. As mentioned, Devardi is rather stiff... it won't melt to a honey which was frustrating me at first since almost every tutorial & video I watched seems to use glass that loves to be worked at a honey goop consistency.

I have to work up Devardi in layers and shape as I go. Can't just goop on a wad of Devardi and get it flowing enough to shape.

A rod warmer is indispensable for working with Devardi - and I use it on all my glass. I have only the occasional shock and the glass works much faster in the flame.

I'm not quite a year in to my glass journey... so will be following to gain insight from seasoned lampworkers too!

YOUTUBE! It's indispensable for learning. Search by 'beginner lampwork'.

-Donna