Simax or Pyrex CLEAR ROD?????

giapet · #1 2011-02-18, 2:01pm

I've read that everyone prefers Simax clear to Pyrex and am wondering why.

Looking for 19mm rod and seems the places with the best prices are out of it right now or it has ship so far that I'm thinking of using Pyrex instead.

What's the difference between the 2 when making implosions?

Thanks,
Karen

ginkgoglass · #2 2011-02-18, 2:20pm

I love Pyrex, and have both Simax and Pyrex. Not sure where the dislike of Pyrex is coming from but check out this post.
I know some people really dislike Schott though.
http://lampworketc.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=109

There are differences in how the clear reacts with silver color.

There was also a thread in the Melting Pot about the differences.
http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showt...ferences+clear

Cosmo · #3 2011-02-18, 2:37pm

There are differences in how the the clears react with color and how they react with fuming. For color, I prefer (and will only use) Simax. Pyrex, Kimble and Schott all have calcium in them (I think that's what it is) that reacts with the metals in the colors. This can cloud or dull them. This really only happens with colors with silver in them. It doesn't really effect crayon colors or colors like that.

For fuming, I prefer Kimble or Pyrex. You can get good colors fuming with Simax, but you work it differently. With Kimble you almost always get good results with fuming.

Otter's Flame · #4 2011-02-18, 10:33pm

Another Simaz only user here... also.... Schott has a line called Schott "Artistic" It TOTALLY clouds glass with silver,

chummsdoe · #5 2011-02-19, 5:31pm

I was under the impression that it was Pyrex that had the calcium in it, causing it to react the way it does with silver. I thought the calcium is what helped with the crystal growth. I thought that simax didn't have this calcium, giving the artist more control over the crystal growth and that was the reason Northstar uses it for all their dipped tubes. I'm probably wrong though.

That being said, Simax all the way for me. I find I have much more control over the final look of my silver colors when encased in simax over the other brands of clear I've tried.

Mr. Smiley · #6 2011-02-20, 4:00am

Simax user here... I stopped using Pyrex years ago when I used a lot of solid rod on the lathe... Pyrex had so many flat spots and bends, it was a pain to use... not nearly the quality of Simax...

Rodger · #7 2011-02-20, 5:27am

I've been trying to get some Pyrex to fume with for a while now, and I assumed that it'd be better with silver colours too, since it's good for fuming... But now I don't know what brand I'd want if I ordered a case of rod for general use! I guess I'll just have to try the Pyrex first before I order anything expensive lol

Bunyip · #8 2011-02-21, 7:18am

Cosmo - I can't seem to get fume implosions to look like yours in the tutorial when I use Simax tubing - which is all I have at the moment. I have gotten some cool results but... different

Any suggestions?

e. mort · #9 2011-02-21, 7:46am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunyip

Cosmo - I can't seem to get fume implosions to look like yours in the tutorial when I use Simax tubing - which is all I have at the moment. I have gotten some cool results but... different

Any suggestions?

I had the same problem. You can do it, but it takes a lot more control of the fuming. I still fume over it from time to time, but I prefer the pyrex/kimax now for fuming.

Bunyip · #10 2011-02-21, 12:03pm

Mine come out hella transparent. Maybe I'm not using enough fume, or I'm making too large of dots in the fume, or something... Hmm. Probably should start a thread with pix (which I don't have right now).

e. mort · #11 2011-02-21, 4:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunyip

Mine come out hella transparent. Maybe I'm not using enough fume, or I'm making too large of dots in the fume, or something... Hmm. Probably should start a thread with pix (which I don't have right now).

This was my problem with the Simax as well. I either got way too little fume, or way too much. It seems that the sweet spot for good fuming results is a lot smaller than with pyrex/kimax.

ABR Dave · #12 2011-02-22, 7:43am

I have been a Simax guy for 13 years. But when we recently started carrying the Kimble, I noticed I liked it more, for certain things. Fuming with the Kimble is the best thing about it. Seems to hold so much better. I should make the same thing with both, and see what happens.

TheNovice · #13 2011-02-23, 7:32pm

Pipe makers view........ I cant tell the difference, all the clear glass is the same except cracky asian.

Cosmo · #14 2011-02-24, 7:48pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheNovice

Pipe makers view........ I cant tell the difference, all the clear glass is the same except cracky asian.

For outside work there isn't a lot of difference. But, doing inside out work, I see a big difference.

e. mort · #15 2011-02-26, 9:45am

Ok, these two pendants aren't any great shakes. I just did them quickly yesterday to show the difference between simax and kimax when using silver color. I used the same twisty for both of them which was a mix of silver strike 3, aquatic carnival, jet black, and something from a NS mystery bag. I didn't change my torch settings with either. With the exception of the twist being a bit tighter on the right hand pendant, the only difference was that the left one was made with simax and right one was made with kimax.

Chad, is this the same difference you see when you work the two different glasses?

ginkgoglass · #16 2011-02-26, 10:18am

Wow the color is much more brilliant with the Simax, but I guess it depends on what look you are trying to get.

gmkcpa · #17 2011-02-26, 4:27pm

I love when pictures speak really loud. Excellent, Eric!

deb tarry · #18 2011-02-26, 5:48pm

Thanks for showing this Eric.

castaway · #19 2011-03-01, 1:42pm

Not that I am trying to resurrect this thread or anything but I noticed the comment about "calcium" in boro, here is an analysis of Pryex.
silica 81%
boron 12.5%
alumina 2%
soda 4.5%
this is pryex as used after 1936
I don't have info on other types of boro but it would be interesting to compare them, it is my belief that silver enters the glass in an ion exchange with sodium so I would think that boro high in soda would fume best, and I don't believe calcium is used in boro, but I may be wrong there.
B

Mr. Smiley · #20 2011-03-07, 5:25am

There was a batch of Kimble years ago that rocked... I had no idea about the reaction with some silver colors until another glass worker asked me if I had some of this in a date range. I looked and i did have a case or two. It was 96 or 98 kimble... apparently, they made tea pots that they blew into molds lubed with an oil... the broken ones got rebatched and the oil introduced a reduction quality to the clear... it was weird, but it freaked out some silver colors in a very good way... I wish my memory was better, but there is a huge difference in clear for silver glass. Schott Artistic is the devil for what I do... I had a teaching studio switch clear on me without telling me... i had taught there before, so I didn't think to ask about it before class... every single implosion we made was fuzzy... schott artistic will make silver colors look like they've got mold growing on it...

Rodger · #21 2011-03-20, 9:10pm

Well I got myself some Pyrex, and I've been experimenting a bit, comparing it with Simax...

This is Blue Moon and Caramel with Simax: (and a pretty sweet vortex if I do say so myself lol)

And this is Blue Moon and Caramel with Pyrex:

And this is silver fume on Pyrex:

(no gold fume, only silver)
I couldn't even get the Simax to fume noticeably at all haha

Karen Hardy · #22 2011-03-20, 9:21pm

So who sells Pyrex and Simax by the pound now?
I can only find it by the case or the rod.
I'd like to get a few pounds of each.

e. mort · #23 2011-03-21, 4:00pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen Hardy

So who sells Pyrex and Simax by the pound now?
I can only find it by the case or the rod.
I'd like to get a few pounds of each.

ABR Imagery