Rod size for marbles?

bepnewt · #1 2013-01-22, 8:40am

My new torch will be here soon and I'm going to start messing with Boro. I'll be focusing on marbles in the 1" - 2" range.

I'm thinking about getting a case of Schott clear from Salt City Glass ( clear case sale ) but want to get rods that are a good size.

I do already have some normal sized clear rods, 6-8mm I guess. For making marbles ( 1" - 2" ) will it help to get some bigger sized rods, like 12mm, 16mm or so?

-BEP

ps. I'll look into tubing for compressions much later on, just not now.

istandalone24/7 · #2 2013-01-22, 8:44am

i use 26mm simax for floral implosions, and usually 16mm for vortex's and cane making.

Cosmo · #3 2013-01-22, 9:11am

I usually use 12-14-16mm or somewhere around there for most marbles that will end up in the 1.5" range.

bepnewt · #4 2013-01-22, 9:25am

Thank you, gentlemen.

-BEP

deb tarry · #5 2013-01-22, 9:37am

I used rods between 15 and 20 mm. If you have a big torch go for the larger diameter as you have the mass closer to the amount of clear you will need. I see that you are running with a concentrator so the small range of 15mm might be better. I highly recommend you order through Salt City Glass, great people. They have a great marble mould I have been testing out too.

bepnewt · #6 2013-01-22, 10:47am

I have a new Bravo that will be running on the concentrator for the center and tanked for the outer. The Bravo had to go back to Bethlehem for an issue so I won't have it to use for another week or 2. By then, I'll have the O2 tank and be ready to melt some Boro for the first time. WOOHOO! Luke, I am your...

I have about 5 marble molds right now, including the one from SCG. I really look forward to trying it out. It's been too cold in my garage since I got the mold so it hasn't seen any glass, yet.

I don't want to be running the outerfire too much, so I would prefer to get rods that the innerfire of the Bravo can handle. I'll be sticking to a marble size that doesn't require blowing through a ton of O2 via the outerfire since this is just a hobby and I won't be making $$$ from it to pay for the O2. We'll see how it goes. There's always homefill if I stick with this.

Thanks for the input, Deb, and keep posting pics of your mibs. As far as Salt City Glass in concerned, I've had a lot of interaction with them online and offline and I'll be posting a review in the Kiosk forum in a couple weeks.

Tangent tangent tangent. It's my middle name.

I'm leaning towards a case of 16mm right now.

-BEP

istandalone24/7 · #7 2013-01-22, 10:58am

16 would be good i think. you can use the size you already have for handles.

i also stopped buying 5mm rod (mostly i use it for tearing/swiping) because i just throw it away...it's bought to be scrapped lol.
i use 26mm pyrex w/a 12mm handle, so i'm always left with a few inches of 26mm for scrap. i heat the piss out of it then pull it down to 5mm.

glassymom · #8 2013-01-22, 11:41am

I've been using 10mm ad smaller to make my marbles........takes me for ever!! I just ordered and received three 14mm rods........gosh these things are SO cool!! I can't wait to get out there and play now!! SSG is AWEEEESOMEEEE!!!! (in my best singing voice)

Dragonharper · #9 2013-01-22, 1:08pm

I'm going to buck the crowd and say it depends on the marbles you are going to make. If you are going to make compressions, go big 16+ mm. Vortexes 12-15 mm. Intricate details built from the center out, get some small stuff 3-5mm for encasing the tiny bits.

toothpayne · #10 2013-01-23, 1:45am

Since I love marbles and you folks make some of the best, how about a little competition? As a vendor I cannot start a new thread anywhere but the sale rack. Maybe we could convince Brian to let everyone send him pictures of their marbles by 1/31/13 and he could post them with a poll so everyone votes by February 10th and SCG will give the winner a $100. Gift Certificate. I picked on Brian for two reasons. He is a computer wiz and right now I am already indebted to him so I am willing to increase my debt to cover his time. Brian?
Anyone out there interested? Thanks -Robert

Rose · #11 2013-01-23, 3:50am

Brian,
I have a 4 stud Scorpion, and when working boro I use an M-20 for the center fire and for the outter fire I have another M-20 y'd with a 5. I thought this would be the cat's meow. Nope, not even. Unless your torch is way different than mine, that M-20 you have isn't going to get you very far. It's a start but you will really need that outter fire to melt much boro.

It sounds like you're off to a good start, though. A lot of us started with a Hothead, lol.

istandalone24/7 · #12 2013-01-23, 5:31am

you've connected an m20 inline with an m5?
not good. the m20 puts out 10lpm at 20psi, the m5 puts out 5lpm at 10psi.
the m20 you're running is overpowering your m5....essentially making the m5 not even there. also it's not good for either machine.

if you're going to link two oxycons together they need to match in psi...lpm is irrelevant.

glassymom · #13 2013-01-23, 7:26am

Sounds cool Robert. We will get to see some pretty awesome marbles for the show!!!

Mary K · #14 2013-01-23, 8:17am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose

Brian,
I have a 4 stud Scorpion, and when working boro I use an M-20 for the center fire and for the outter fire I have another M-20 y'd with a 5. I thought this would be the cat's meow. Nope, not even. Unless your torch is way different than mine, that M-20 you have isn't going to get you very far. It's a start but you will really need that outter fire to melt much boro.

It sounds like you're off to a good start, though. A lot of us started with a Hothead, lol.

You have an M-20 Y'd ( connected ) with a 5 lpm machine? Did I read that right? You can not connect 2 concentrators that are not equal, the strong one back pressures the weaker machine and will ruin it. Any concentrators that are y'd together must be equal pressure or it just won't work.
I also have a 4 stud Scorpion, that are y'd into 2 and my 2 regalias are y'd together for mazimum use of the air and pressure. That was suggested by the maker of the torch and gal I got the concentrators from ( Kimberly ).
And I can tell you, I can really rage my scorpion if I need to.

istandalone24/7 · #15 2013-01-23, 8:21am

that's what i was saying

deb tarry · #16 2013-01-23, 10:17am

I'm in for the marble thread.

J.Meader · #17 2013-01-23, 11:06am

Yea get the larger rods, they will make your life easier for some techs!

a marble competition...oh yea Im in!

zman · #18 2013-01-23, 3:18pm

I would be more than happy to part of the marble competition!

Rose · #19 2013-01-23, 6:36pm

You folks are right. I should not have the 5 lpm hooked up with an M-20. I DID know that, but lost my mind. I got a 2nd M-20, hooked it up and put my 5's in the closet. But it seemed to me that it was worse than before. So without thinking I hooked the 5 into the Y with the 20. I guess now I will change it and Y the 2 20's for the outter fire and 1 or 2 fives for the inner. I really expected 2 20's alone (one on each port) would work for more heat and they didn't. I'm on NG.

If anyone has any ideas I'm more than open. Thank you for bringing this up, hopefully I haven't ruined anything yet. I actually stopped boro and went back to soft glass this last year due to this problem so I haven't used that setup much.

CorriDawn · #20 2013-01-23, 8:28pm

A marble thread with a drawing or something could be done in the Boro room, or if toothpayne wants to sponsor it and put it in the sale rack, that can be done as well. If there is a set end date, let me know and I believe I can add a poll (anonymous poll) in order to vote. Unless it was a random, not voting thing.

Basically, let me know if you need any help from me.

deb tarry · #21 2013-01-23, 10:14pm

We have a 'marble room'

If its posted there then the soft glass peeps can join in, and a link to the post can be put in other areas of the forum to get traffic to the thread.
Adding a poll is a great Idea.
I love marbles and would love to see what others have been doing in the 'sphere realm' the marble room has been a little quiet lately.

bepnewt · #22 2013-01-24, 8:33am

Quote:

Originally Posted by toothpayne

I picked on Brian for two reasons. He is a computer wiz and right now I am already indebted to him so I am willing to increase my debt to cover his time. Brian?
Anyone out there interested? Thanks -Robert

Sorry I took so long to get back on here. The other developer here at work had his Grandmother pass away and is out the rest of the week. We both had Friday deadlines so now I have 2 person's worth of work to get done by Friday. Luckily, I love my job.

The only issue I see with setting up the contest is the polls have a 15 choice limit on them. If more than 15 people enter, then it would have to be done in multiple polls, then merged like a bracket. I kind of like that idea, anyway.

Thank you, CorriDawn, for offering to help with this on top of all the other stuff you do. What I will do is post the initial Thread on the subject, then when I get all the pics, I'll start the Poll thread in the Marble forum.

I'll link the thread here.

-BEP

bepnewt · #23 2013-01-24, 9:19am

The contest has been posted.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=238849

Play fair, play nice, enjoy the mibs.

-BEP

bepnewt · #24 2013-02-06, 7:40am

Several of you mentioned in this thread that you're "in" for the marble competition. Head's up that this Sunday at midnight ( Central Time ) is the entry deadline. Get those pics to me! Details at the link above.

-BEP

gmkcpa · #25 2013-02-08, 7:15am

For boro marbles between 1-1/2" to 2" I use 3/4" Simax rods. I used to use 5/8" rod, but changed years ago to 3/4". I tried 1", but I'm happier using the 3/4". I have a Carlisle CC.
Incidently, you can make your maria wider and thicker, or smaller and thinner, with the same rod, which will affect the size of your marbles. (With a 3/4" inch rod I can make a maria with a diameter of anywhere between 1-1/4" to 2-1/4" and a thickness of usually about 3/8" or so.)

1 inch = 25.4mm
3/4" = 19.05mm
1/2" = 12.7mm

cheng076 · #26 2013-02-08, 10:21am

I use 20 mm slugs about 3" long attached to 8 mm handleswhich I make up using the whole rod at one time. I end up pretty consistantly with 1 1/2" mibs, mostly flower implosions. I use 5 or 6 mm punties.

PJH

LarryC · #27 2013-02-08, 12:04pm

Anywhere from 18mm to 1" rod depending on the finished size.