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-   -   Mountain Honey Help (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91986)

PolychromeBeads 2008-05-15 7:20pm

Mountain Honey Help
 
I got some Mountain Honey, and it basically just looks like streaky amber. :? I could have sworn there was more to it - like you can reduce it to get some iridescence? Or maybe I need to strike it longer or hotter? Or throw it in the back of my garage with the Luna that won't work for me either...?


Aimee

Hayley 2008-05-15 7:38pm

Aimee,

There are a few ways to work Mountain Honey.

• reduce it to get gorgeous iridescent sheen (it's hard to photograph!)
• reduce then encased with clear for a "ghostly" look
• use over dark base, then encased for pretty streaky swirls

It's one of few colors that gives you a nice gold bead without soot (I have a hard time getting Caliente Gold to do that).

Hope this helps!

alexm 2008-05-15 8:58pm

Hi Aimee!

If all else fails, I'd be happy to trade you some glass for the Mountain Honey and the Luna.

theglasszone 2008-05-15 9:56pm

Aimee!

There IS more to it!!! Don't give up...I'll do my very best to help you!!! Here's what you can do:
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...s/Honey4-5.jpg

If you haven't seen it, here's a thread that Irene started so we could post our work:

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...00#post1772700

Jayne has also done some wonderful things with it; she may have additional tips as well.

Couple quick questions - these may help me to help you:

1. What type of torch are you on? (Don't despair if you're on a Hot Head - I made the beads shown above on a Hot Head, so it can be done!)

2. Have you tried encasing it with clear? Start, for example, with making a donut or similarly shaped bead; add several (3-4) evenly spaced LARGE clear dots. MELT THEM IN SLOWLY!!!! One of the key secrets to bringing out the "colors" of the mountain honey is a clear encasing. I could not get a thing from it by itself, even just using a reducing flame.

3. Even though it does not seem to matter terribly how hot you work the glass when laying the foundation/base bead in Mountain Honey, once you've applied the clear (in Scroll Stringer, in Dots or a Full Encase) MY KEY to success was by melting the clear in slowly and in a relatively cool flame. This takes some patience (especially on a Hot Head!), but you don't want to get the clear frying (glowing) too hot.

4. Once you've melted your dots in to your satisfaction (I left mine raised to create a "lens" effect), then allow the bead to cool slightly at the back of the flame, then bring it into the flame again and heat, but not so hot as to start melting (or melting the dots in) or losing it's shape.

5. This process of cooling at the back of the flame, then returning it to a relatively hot area in the flame, repeated several times, should begin to "evoke" the color. You will see it appear ONLY WHERE THE CLEAR WAS APPLIED; the remainder of the bead will stay that Amber color, with the slight "ghost" streaks throughout.

Try this out and let me know how it goes. I hope this helps you out! Please post your findings (good, bad or otherwise) here so others can help you as well as learn from what you do!

Best of luck - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!!! You'll get it, I just know it! I'll check back later...

DeAnne in CA

Hayley 2008-05-15 10:15pm

Aimee,

Are you going to be at Mike's for the NorCal get together next Sat? I will bring some MH beads to show. I will bring a couple of rods too in case we can use Mike's torch . . . let me know!

theglasszone 2008-05-15 10:29pm

Hayley!!!

You know how to work this stuff!!! I sure hope you have a chance to help Aimee "one on one"... :)

DeAnne in CA

Hayley 2008-05-15 10:39pm

Thanks DeAnne! Aimee works magic with silver glasses herself . . . but we all have our stubborn ones! lol!

PolychromeBeads 2008-05-15 11:13pm

Hayley - does it need a lot of reduction, or just a little? I didn't want to overdo it, so maybe I need to use a heavier reduction.

Thanks for all the tips DeAnne! I'm on a MiniCC, so speed or heat isn't a problem. I'll try encasing and see what I can get.

I don't know if I'll be at the meeting on the 24th. The weather is killing me - and if it's hot in San Ramon I might need a break!


Aimee

Kevan 2008-05-15 11:24pm

I bet it does great things on dark colors.

Hayley 2008-05-16 8:17am

Heavier reduction is how I do it . . . the silver glasses that need light reduction don't like me! lol!

I know, this heat is melting me! SF was 98 yesterday, must have been misery for you inland!!! Hope you can make it to Mike's tho. Then again it may be too hot to blow glass!

Kevan - it does this beautiful boro-like streaky golden swirl over dark glass . . . CarolynM showed us that in another thread.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...3&postcount=24

carolinesbeads 2017-02-12 3:54pm

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