Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsD
Ok I have 2 question, but they are general ones so if you don't want to answer them just let me know & I will post them in the forum rather than this thread  .
First question is - how easy is it to burn frit? I'm not talking about special frit like silver glass or anything, just normal everyday frit, opaques, transparents or a mix of both. I love using frit but sometimes after the beads have cooled I look at it & think "yuck!" because the colours look all muddy or really dark & I think it looks like I've burnt it.
Second question is - apart from obvious differences like the gauge of wire that you use when you string your beads or the fact that you want to make a bead into something like a pandora bead, what differences are there in the different mandrel sizes? I guess what I am asking is if I was just making an average everyday bead (so not a pandora BHB) does it make a difference what size mandrels I use? Is it just down to personal preference?
ETA - for the first question, I'm using a cricket, I wonder if I have my flame right or not? But then it looks right to me!   |
My guess on the frit is that it's not getting burnt (some frits will soot up very easily in an even slightly reducing flame, but I don't think this is your problem) but that it's reacting. Many frits contain lead, copper, or silver, all of which will react by creating a muddy or dark line where it touches any glass containing sulphur, such as yellow, amber, or ivory. Try the same frit on a white or light blue base and see if you have the same problem; if you do, it's likely that your flame is on the reducing side and you need to turn down your propane or add more oxygen.
As far as I can tell, most jewelry designers prefer a smaller hole in the smaller beads they buy. Many, however, prefer a larger hole in focal beads, so they can string them on thicker/multi-stranded material.