Trouble striking Terranova 2.1
 

When this glass first came out, I had a few rods that I was able to strike to a dark brown/green streaky color. Now I'm not even able to get that. Any suggestions? (I searched for a previous thread with no luck, but if I missed it please point me the right direction.)
Thank you!
:waving:

I have found TN2.1 to be very "batch" sensitive. If you know what batch you have I might be able to offer more help, I have a, ummmm. somewhat large collection of TN. I have gotten batches that are incredible and other batches that I avoid like the plague. I get TN2.1 to strike like this

1. Super heat to clear in a ever so slightly (and I really mean very slight) reduction flame
2. let it cool and encase
3. melt in encasement and take it back to clear (should be able to see the mandrel)
4. wait till glow is totally gone
5. count to 10 ( I don't know why I do, but I tend to jump the gun on the cooling process, so this slows me down)
6. Strike WAYYYYY out in the flame. It takes me almost 2 minutes to strike a bead

I've also tried everything anyone has told me about this glass and can only get it go to a liver brown with blotchy navy blue, I guess I got one of the "batch sensitive" bundles. :sad:

I must have a good batch. I lay down a base of clear and encase in TN 2.1 in a neutral flame. At this point it is pretty transparent. Cool until no red glow and then roll in the neutral flame just until you see a skin form. It should go brown as it cools and that's where you'll get purples, reds and ambers. Roll in the flame again to a dull red glow for indigos and blues.

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5444816_n.jpg

these are from my favorite batch.
http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/t...01_2040sig.jpg

Those are dazzling Jamie Lynne.

Hello erose....very nice beads......the red is from TN?

Wowie, Jamie Lynne!!! Those beads will keep me trying even if you told me to go out & roll in the snow!

Elizabeth, I love the range of colors you got!! Did you encase the TNT2.1?

Thanks to both of you for the tips.

Thanks guys. Gretchen pm me what batch you have, I have notes. :lol:

Thanks, the red is Vetro Striking Red, one is American Beauty (top left). At least one is encased, I will have to look for the beads to see which one. I prefer TN 2.1 un-encased, the colors are more vivid I think. :)

I have one rod of this and I put it in a stringer swirl on black, and I got streaky grayish olive green. This colors is capable of blues and purples? I don't see much info on the color, I have done numerous searches on here and didn't find much. I was thinking it wasn't such a popular color to work with.

Jamie Lynne - What GORGEOUS beads!!!!

wow that is some nice work !!!
I must have a crappy batch mostly green and brown the occasional navy
how can you tell what batch it is from i don't see any lot numbers on it

Thank you Lisa!

Six.. I try to buy my Terranova 2.1 directly from Double Helix, that way I know what batch I'm getting. They write the pull date on the label. I occasionally buy from other places but they all go in seperate bins... all of them... I have 14 slots for TN 2.1, and I just ordered more (thanks a lot Tracidawn) I think I'll go hide under a rock now. :lol:

Ahhhhh... TerraNova, the apple of my eye. It's my favorite striking glass alongside Green Dalai.

I got lucky to keep this one this translucent. Other attempts are more opaque, but I still get these wild colors. Put your gather on the mandrel, get it screaming hot. I mean dripping off the mandrel, barely able to control it hot. The footprint doesn't matter because I get it so hot it spreads to be about twice as wide as I started. I keep going until I see these ghostly lines show up and it looks like glass comes to the top from the inside, it's hard to explain but you'll know it when you see it. I cool it quickly by blowing on it, and at this point is a transparent light peridot green. I barely strike it in the tip of the flame, just enough so it gets faint streaks, then I encase it. Once again I get it screaming hot so eveything is clear, take it out and let it cool a long time until the glow is gone. I strike it again in the tip of the flame for just a few seconds. The sooner I get it in the kiln, the more transparent it is. There are hardly any colors on this bead going in, and this is what comes out. If I put it in with these colors, it comes out very opaque and a tad darker.

http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.129388911.jpg

Also TN2.1 worked the same way, but struck more going in the kiln:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beadsbytraci/4104002727/

I've only gotten the wild blues & purples Jamie Lynn gets once, the stars were aligned that day or something. I've never been able to reproduce it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beadsbytraci/4103996955/

It's funny... Jamie Lynn gets what I want, and I get what she wants out of it :lol:

Wow Traci. Just... wow. I hope I wake up more like you tomorrow and that's what the kiln gives me. Thanks for sharing how you do it!

Thanks Melanie :)

I tried to remake the same bead the following day. I struck it a bit longer after the clear went on and put it in the kiln with more color than the previous one, so it turned out more opaque. The ghostly blue patterns kind of show what you're looking for when you're getting it as hot as you possibly can. The hotter you get it before you cool it, the more of these weird surface patterns you get, and the wilder the colors get (for me, at least).

http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_430xN.129712852.jpg

I still want the blues & purples :(

Traci is an enabler. This is why I needed to buy MORE TN. And girly if you want blue, do I have a batch for you! :lol: And again "gaaaaaa" ~drool~ at your beautiful bead!

ETA: The batches that stay that transparent Green after super heating and cooling are my favorite, some batches go to brown while cooling, those are good for getting the blue colors, but these stay green until reintroduced to the flame, and seem to have a wider range of color.

And it ain't funny Traci! :lol:

Double-damn, Traci!!! Those are some kinda wonderful beads. Okay, I'm resolved to melt my mandrel to get these colors. [-o<

Me too, Gretchen! ](*,)
Traci - Those are TDF and thank you so much for the information!!

Does anyone know if this can be done on a hothead?

I couldn't get it to work on a hothead. I think I remember Traci saying she did.... I think... I don't think it was as vibrant though.

It was one of my favorites on a HH. I didn't get anything close to what I get now, though. My favorite was to pull stringers and scroll it over Vetro yellow ice, it turned a nice streaky burgundy color. You also get cool reduction effects with a HH, it turns a nice shiny penny color.

Thanks for the quick answer guys, I think I will save it for when I can use my Cricket....I love the look of the rainbow inside, just beautiful!

Hum...why haven't I tried any of this? :lol: Can anyone tell us what batches (#s?) to look for? How is the stuff currently listed on the DH site? I'm itching to give this a try...

De

Oh, and what is the rod color? Just curious (I would love if it was RED! Wink...)

De

1.15.09 is a good batch... but if you find any you are here by ordered to send it to ME. I like their seconds right now. The batch I just got from Frantz is good. Lausha Lady (Grace) has TN2 (not .1) , and it was a killer batch I got from her last time, but that was a while ago. I don't like DH's current batch... I think it is 1.25.09, in my opinion it is very dark. But I haven't purchased any (besides their TN seconds) for a while. They might have a fresh batch up now. There was a May 09 batch that I didn't like either I think it was 5-11-09? I think it is now known as TN2.1 light. I think... I only have a nubbin left.... I sent it back. :(

I tried Traci's technique yesterday and I got crap. My kiln was at 900 degrees. I did a fabulous bead a few days before and I hadn't read this thread yet and my kiln was at 980 so I know it's not the kiln anyway. I really don't like the batches I have. I miss the very first batch that I would work hot, get curdling, let cool to turn brown and encase. As soon as I encased all the colors would pop up and you could work on your encasement and shaping and the colors wouldn't budge. I got the prettiest pastels out of it. Then I got a good batch of 2.1 and once that was gone, I haven't gotten any batches that work well for me. It's inconsistent or I'm inconsistent with it. I haven't figured it out yet. :lol: I guess I need to spend a day making beads and taking notes.

Dang this thread is awesome and I am late to the party!

I LOVE Terranova 2/2.1! Here is one of mine:

Terranova 2


Terranova 2.1