Boro Butterflies

orion · #1 2010-09-03, 7:54pm

I have recently tried to take what I have 'learned' making butterflies for beads of courage and make boro butterflies. I have done it twice. The first was an on mandrel bead and the second time I got ambitious and tried to do something off mandrel. Maybe because I'm reasonably new to off mandrel work, the bead turned out nicer in terms of the connections of the wings to the 'body' of the butterfly. The off mandrel version became a messy blob as I tried to get the wings to attach to the body. My question is, would it be best to:
a)make the wings separately, and attach later to the body (whether off mandrel or to a cylinder bead)
b)maybe flatten the end of the glass rod when applying to the body?
c)what I did, but maybe do it better - apply rounded 'blobs' of glass to the body (that is heat up a gather of glass at the end of a rod and attach) and eventually work out into the wings.

suggestions would be welcome!

thanks!

JesterGlass · #2 2010-09-04, 7:13am

Disclaimer, I've never made one, but I'd start with making the wings separately.

LyndaJ · #3 2010-09-04, 2:42pm

I make a circle (off mandrel) and cut it to make wings. Heat and shape as desired.

artwhim · #4 2010-09-04, 4:08pm

I make the wings first, then the body, then attach. I get a stronger join if I super heat the attachment point of the wing and the body before, and as, I join them, than joining and going back to superheat. Hope that makes sense. I get less distortion that way too. Once on, I do superheat the back of the butterfly where the body and wing meet and slightly flatten, but if I don't apply enough heat at the beginning the join isn't strong enough. By doing it this way, I can maintain more of a crease on the front. Old photo, I really need to make some more. I have several sets of wings waiting for bodies.

orion · #5 2010-09-04, 9:47pm

Do you put the wings in the kiln while you work on other wings or the body?? Or is tha not necessary??

Thanks for the help, and for posting the wonderful pictures.

artwhim · #6 2010-09-04, 11:29pm

I usually put them in a fiber blanket. I used to put them in the kiln, but it seems like I have just as good of luck using the fiber blanket. The dicro ones are a bit more shocky though, so I should put them in the kiln, but usually don't.

I prefer to make the wings in batches and then later make the bodies and finish them off.

valerie_folly · #7 2010-09-05, 4:03am

I put my wings on the top of my kiln. Keeps them pretty warm!