need help with boro crayon colors

pattycake · #1 2013-09-05, 3:15pm

Hi, am a beginner using clear and going to color, getting ( now I am told) crayon colors and that they need to be treated differently in the flame. Any advice? thanks
maria

Talonst · #2 2013-09-05, 3:41pm

Cooler flame - add oxygen, work farther out in the flame.

Another approach is to prewarm the rods in the kiln and then encase them in clear either by striping or coiling.

Can also tube encase single rods to make clear encased rods or use multiple rods to make stick stacks for clear encased tube.

Once the colors are encased flame chemistry and temp aren't so much of an issue

pattycake · #3 2013-09-05, 5:22pm

oh my, thank you sooo much

gmkcpa · #4 2013-09-06, 5:59am

I use crayon colors in a SOFT flame. I don't turn the oxy up - I turn it down, along with the propane, to get a weak, soft flame and work the crayon color in that flame. If you see the crayon color start to boil your flame is TOO hot. Not boiling your crayon colors takes a LOT of patience.

Dragonharper · #5 2013-09-06, 10:01am

If you are going to encase your rods with tubing, standard or thin wall is better than heavy, you only need enough clear to protect the color from the flame.

bexrox · #6 2013-09-06, 11:37am

So tube encasing means that you drop the rod into a closed end tube and melt the tube? I would imagine you have to be quite specific with the ID of the tubing, and careful to get all air out. I am just dipping my toes in the boro water too, and want to know all I can! Maybe I'll youtube encasing with tube...

pattycake · #7 2013-09-06, 12:06pm

not going to learn tube encasing at this point, but thanks, I think I get it, and like all glass work, practice, this is good to know info,

Dragonharper · #8 2013-09-06, 12:29pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bexrox

So tube encasing means that you drop the rod into a closed end tube and melt the tube? I would imagine you have to be quite specific with the ID of the tubing, and careful to get all air out. I am just dipping my toes in the boro water too, and want to know all I can! Maybe I'll youtube encasing with tube...

Yup that is pretty much it. if you are careful and melt from the bottom up you will not trap any air during the encasing. It is one of the easier boro tricks to master. As long as you don't try do something ridiculous like encase a 5 mm rod with 25mm heavy wall size is not really an issue. I usually have 12mm heavy and standard wall in my rack, they usually work fine unless the colored rod is really thick.

Rough_necked · #9 2013-09-06, 1:40pm

You can also give a little suck to draw the air out to avoid bubbles. Just have to make sure you are heating evenly to avoid wrinkling the tube as it melts.

Onekura · #10 2013-09-06, 4:45pm

I am very careful heating the crayon colours so they don't boil, but when they are hot it is actually no problem working with them - the heating up part is the tricky one - just take it slow. Once they are red hot I have hardly any issues with them.

istandalone24/7 · #11 2013-09-07, 6:03am

oxy is NOT the last thing you want. you can work cad colors in a super oxidizing flame just as well if not better then a soft reducing flame......push so much oxy that it actually cools the flame. you'll know you're on the right track when it's hissing like a pissed off housecat and you can see streaks/lines above your candles.

i think depending on your torch you might have better luck using the low cool flame or the hissing cool flame.