[KA]

I have searched the forums and I guess I don't have a lot of patience after reading 10 threads on Bullseye related stuff that didn't answer my question.

I did TRY to find an answer before posting this.

I just started flame working after fusing for the last 12 years and I have a ton of Bullseye sheet, frit, dichroic, etc. glass. I have been buying Boro for making marbles and have made some up to 40mm.

I would like to use up some of my BE glass since I have so much and such a wide variety. I don't have a vitrigraph kiln. I have heard tell of molds that you can put flat glass or frit into and then use the result for flame working. I would like to do 2" marbles but need rod about 10-14mm to do marbles that size. I haven't seen any BE rod bigger than 5mm.

I have tied to make gathers from 3/8" strips of flat BE but they turn out looking scummy. I haven't tried fusing 3 or four in the kiln figuring the scum is coming from over heating the edges anyway.

Is there any tricks to making a gather in the kiln for a 2" piece? Is it even possible with Bullseye?

What is the best method to prepare a gather in the kiln with a mold? What is the best method to get out all the bubbles and what temperature is best to attach the rod at.

What do you use for a mold, graphite? I don't see these types of molds for sale. Is it a two step process to fuse the gather and then reheat after cleaning all the kiln wash off or can you fuse directly into a graphite, or some other type of, mold?

I know you can attach a Boro punty to a 104coe gather, I assume BE would be the same, but I am not sure of the technique of removing all the incompatible glass when you change punties.

Any advice, techniques or referrals to Youtube, etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave