help with dichro

[Will.T]

Could someone give me some pointers on dichroic? I have had it turn out ok once or twice but generally I end up with this. I am making sure to not get the dichroic side in the flame. I coat the edges with clear as soon as it is on the receiving piece of glass. I have been encasing it in more clear. It looks good until I started rounding. I am guessing too much heat? It seems like the heat needed for rounding it is too much. Or is there something else I am missing? Thanks-

[Dragonharper]

Yes, too much heat. I've swtiched exclusively to using Coatings By Sandburg (CBS) dichro. It's designed to be used with hot glass and doesn't burn out near as easily. CBS claims that you can't burn it out, I haven't tried to burn it out, but it is very tough stuff.


http://www.cbs-dichroic.com/dichroicglass.asp

from the link:

Put our glass in the fire

CBS Dichroic Coatings are specifically designed to be hot worked. We coat our glass for use in: Glass Blowing, Flameworking, Fusing, Slumping, Beadmaking, and any other technique that involves the manipulation of glass with extreme heat.


our dichroic glass does not burn out!

Many artists have experimented with Dichroic Glass before, but have become disappointed with its characteristics under extreme heating conditions. Some Pyrex workers had actually stopped using Dichroic glass because they claimed it disappeared or became white when hotworked. NOT CBS DICHROIC!! We have supplied several renowned artists with samples of CBS Dichroic Glass and instructed them to “Burn-it-out.” The only damage that was noted to the CBS coating under the most severe conditions was a slight residue formed on the edges. Thus our colors stayed vibrant, our coating remained intact, and the experiment was a true measure of CBS’s solid quality product. We invite all artists to try CBS Dichroic, especially if you have been disappointed in the past with lower quality Dichroic Glass.

[istandalone24/7]

when you spin up the dichro...you want it cool enough so that the surface of the gather gets all matte looking and frosty. work as cool as possible...way out in the flame. almost in the flare.

cbs 1/8" dichro is the best....

[lenora]

Are you pushing the clear on the edges towards the mandrel to seal in the dichro on the sides? That always helps. It looks to me like you have some exposed dichro before you are rounding out the bead. You could also go with a more nugget, organic shape so you don't need as much heat.

[Will.T]

Thanks for the help! I will try to work really really cool. I guess I didn't understand there are different quality dichro. I just ordered some scrap to play around with and don't know the manufacturer. I will look for some cbs.

Lenora, I believe I am sealing the edges but it is possible I have missed some. Going to try again today, will see what happens.

[istandalone24/7]

is it 1/8" or 1/16? the thicker, the easier to not burn out.

i've been using Dichroic Alchemy's Starship Tical dichro almost exclusively as this seems to be very hard to burn out.

[lenora]

Definitely not all dichro is created equally.

[Dragonharper]

Added link and text from CBS website to my first post. NOTE: I am on no way affiliated with CBS Inc. I just think their product rocks!

[Celestial B]

I have used what is claimed as CBS dichro scraps, so not way of really telling, but I have burned it up trying to use lattichino stringers on projects
. So I guess I need to spring for a sheet from a trusted vendor to see for sure. There is some really old school thin sheet dichro scraps on ebay and they will burn in a heartbeat.

[istandalone24/7]

dichro in a stringer will always burn out more/quicker then in a larger gather/filigree rod as there is less clear around it to protect it.

[sunray]

All the TG Dichro we carry at Trev's is thicker 2 coated by CBS. They are all
the color choices of Trev We sell a lot of it in 1" strips. Seems to be popular.
Trev loves it.

[tnehlers]

I have dichro scrap from MGA and had good luck with it. I will warm it in the flame (flame on the uncoated side) and lay it on my gather, heat gently, and add a thick encasement before shaping. I have found if it doesn't have a nice thick layer of clear it will burn out.

[Will.T]

Well I gave it another try and it turned out better but anything close to the surface really wanted to burn out. I am goin gto get some better dichro to work with. This took a really long time to make and I still was burning it up. Thanks for all the help. Not sure what I am going to do with these scraps.

[octarockstudio]

looking beter what help with dichro was these dvd the best its also where i get my dichro glass from.
http://www.dichroicalchemy.com/misc.html
and
http://www.dichroicalchemy.com/

[H1JACK3R]

Originally Posted by Celestial B

There is some really old school thin sheet dichro scraps on ebay and they will burn in a heartbeat.

The dichro that's 25-30 an LB? That stuff rocks.

I'd try a darker backing color. It looks like you're having trouble with melting it in exposed. It should be more apparent with a contrasting color.

[jjglass]

Looks like you aren't encasing the dichro? Make sure to take clear or a backing color and coat the dichros (on the coated side) with the glass, making sure to get the edges of the dichro as well. Once encased you should be able to apply a fair amount of heat without it burning up. Anytime you get white needles or a chalky appearance, you've burnt it out.

[laserglass]

you can encase dicro, or not for different effects....what you do not want to do with dicro is stretch it out or blow it out too much as it will fall apart

[istandalone24/7]

actually some dichro does in fact like to be stretched out.....it gets "shard" looking...needle like.
starship tical by dichroic alchemy is one fine example.