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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2012-08-14, 4:39pm
Cherri Cherri is offline
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Ok, I am new and I have read bunches of stuff, so I think I know the answer, but will ask anyway.

I recently started using Lauscha clear. The first beads I made came out fine, not one crack.

This last batch.. Some of them really pretty too, darn it. I have about half with cracks. One was a plant stake to start with and was done on the mandrel, no release. It cracked. That one had a crack going right down the middle of the the bead where the mandrel is. I figure this is caused because I did not flame cool it and even out the temp. So Thermal shock.

The others however, have cracks going across and on half the bead etc. None going down both sides at the mandrel location. I believe these are cause from incompatible glass/frit. Since I am new to the Lauscha, I am trying to sort it out. I am pretty sure they were hot going in, they were glowing (according to the suggestions on the lauscha glass). I did use some new frit I got that is 96 Coe and I am using 104 Coe. I am thinking I may have used to much of the 96. It appears the beads that cracked were the ones I used two frits on the same bead.

Am I on the right track here? I really like the two frits together, but scared the next set will crack too. Only get one day to play. I don't have any pictures yet, but I will if you think it will help.. Oh and it appears it is the clear cracked not the bead all the way through.

frit adventurine gold
magic gold

Thank you in advance.
LOL figures I finally get some beads I am loving and they CRACKED..
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Last edited by Cherri; 2012-08-14 at 4:41pm.
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  #2  
Old 2012-08-14, 8:26pm
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Jenne Jenne is offline
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If you use too much of the frit, you will see cracking from incompatibility. I've seen anywhere from 5% to 15% being the amount of frit that's "safe".

If you love the frit enough, you could look at doing some COE 96 clear. Then you don't have to worry about if you put too much or whatnot. That's my whole excuse for delving into 96
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  #3  
Old 2012-08-14, 8:32pm
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Are you using anything else apart from the Lauscha Clear and 96 COE frit?

I bet if you posted some pictures, there are people [not me, But somebody!] who might be able to tell from the pictures what is happening.
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Old 2012-08-15, 4:46am
Cherri Cherri is offline
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oh.. shoot, forgot.
I am using 104 base, then frit, then lauscha.

Will try to get some pictures. Did not have time yesterday at work.

Thanks
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  #5  
Old 2012-08-15, 6:28am
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Cherri, don't forget that the plant stake one can be warmed in the kiln, removed hot (the mandrel will be HOT, I use a wet cloth to cool it so I don't burn my fingers) and then slowly heated in the back of the flame to heal the cracks (assuming it is secure on the mandrel still since there is no release and it would be stuck on there even if cracked)
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Old 2012-08-15, 8:17am
Cherri Cherri is offline
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Eileen

I did forget that.. Thanks

I have it stuck in plant at the shop.
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Old 2012-08-15, 8:15pm
Cherri Cherri is offline
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Tried to get pictures today, but nothing worked out. Will try again tomorrow.

I will try again with the glass this coming weekend and see if I can adjust the amounts I am using (of the frit) and be cautious about keeping it evenly heated.

Cher
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  #8  
Old 2012-08-15, 9:45pm
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FosterFire FosterFire is offline
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Pole-to-pole are cooling cracks. I have made the mistake of wanting to see what the color would be and letting it cool too much. It went in the kiln fine but came out with a pole-to-pole crack. Lightening bolt cracks are from incompatible COEs, as someone above said it can be from too much frit.

Here are some misc FYIs - goldstone can have a varying COE. I am a dedicated Lauscha clear fan, but had a few rods from a bad batch from years ago. Everything made with those rods cracked.

To test if a bead will be ok in the long term: place in freezer, allow to get cold, take it out and let it come up to room temp, see if it cracks. I recently made some frit beads with ThatFritGirl Hare of the Tortoise on avocado effetre with Lauscha clear and they turned out just fine.
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  #9  
Old 2012-08-15, 9:47pm
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I have had some issues with Lauscha clear. Could be a bad batch.

dh
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  #10  
Old 2012-08-16, 5:55am
Cherri Cherri is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FosterFire View Post
Pole-to-pole are cooling cracks. I have made the mistake of wanting to see what the color would be and letting it cool too much. It went in the kiln fine but came out with a pole-to-pole crack. Lightening bolt cracks are from incompatible COEs, as someone above said it can be from too much frit.

Here are some misc FYIs - goldstone can have a varying COE. I am a dedicated Lauscha clear fan, but had a few rods from a bad batch from years ago. Everything made with those rods cracked.

To test if a bead will be ok in the long term: place in freezer, allow to get cold, take it out and let it come up to room temp, see if it cracks. I recently made some frit beads with ThatFritGirl Hare of the Tortoise on avocado effetre with Lauscha clear and they turned out just fine.

THANK YOU

Well what I was trying to show a picture of is there is no "lighten bolt effect" straight line cracks, but not necessarily pole to pole.. I have one that is on one side and sort of makes a "T" shape. I don't think I used to much frit, but being rather new, I certainly could have. I love the lauscha, I can't get a decent clear with the others without smoking or tinting. I am going to try again.
I have only used two of the frits I got from "ThatFritGirl" and I can't wait to try more.

I have two beads that I did that are about the same size. The larger one, no cracks looks wonderful (to me) the other is smaller and it cracked. I have almost convinced myself that I admired it to long. I think the one that cracked was tuxedo black, adventurine frit, lauscha clear encasement.
The other that did not crack was ivory, frit (not adventurine), heated and raked, (was fussing) and then encased with lauscha. It is larger, but I had the what the %*& attitude and let it rock and did not look at it much; even placed a murrini I got from De in it and all was well. ???

I am going to put the remaining "good ones" in the freezer.. lol lets see what those puppies do.

Thank you so much.
Can't wait to try again.

"repeating to myself: I will get this, I will get this"
Thanks again
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  #11  
Old 2012-08-16, 6:10am
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Three Muses Glass Three Muses Glass is offline
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Tuxedo black? You might want to try a search on that one. I know there is at least one thread on that, fairly recent. A lot of CIM opaques are finicky being encased.
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  #12  
Old 2012-08-16, 6:12am
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There is another thread here somewhere that some people were saying that they were having issues with tuxedo cracking when being encased. However, the only time I have had issues with tuxedo cracking under encasement is when the encasing is really thick. If you use a thin encasement it shouldn't crack.
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Old 2012-08-16, 7:30am
Cherri Cherri is offline
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yep, just saw another post about the tuxedo.

well, I would rather it happen now and get it figured out then give or someday sell something and have it crack!.

I used the tuxedo.. I am almost positive. I will have to double check of course. The small bead that I referred to above had a tuxedo black base.

Going to give it a go again and I am going to try the freezer attack.
Thanks
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Old 2012-08-16, 8:48am
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Oh Cherri, I'm sorry you're having cracking problems I hear you on the frustration front - it IS annoying and disappointing. I feel especially bad because I was the one encouraging you to try the Lauscha...

I can tell you that from my experience, I stay entirely away from adding any 96 - even in the smallest amounts - to my beads 'cuz I'm just too skeered to try the whole "ratio" thing. If it came right down to it, I'd make my own multi-color frit in 104 and use that instead to help avoid the compatibility game.

On using black, I strictly use CiM "Hades" and have no problems, save for the occasional bead that I admire a wee bit too long before sticking in the kiln.

If you decide to go the Hades route, I just purchased mine from ABR Imagery http://www.dichroicimagery.com/produ...oducts_id=8372 I know it's a bit pricy - and I think Frantz has it too and maybe on sale - but Frantz doesn't have PayPal at the moment, so I went with ABR for convenience.

Hope you get to the bottom of the problem soon!
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  #15  
Old 2012-08-16, 8:50am
Diane (clarus) Diane (clarus) is offline
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Cherri, do you put your beads into your kiln, or do you cool in a fiber blanket or vermiculite to batch anneal later?
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  #16  
Old 2012-08-16, 9:29am
Cherri Cherri is offline
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DE ! DON'T YOU dare feel bad... I am a maniac, LOL. Not much scares me when it comes to trying to learn. Of course when I get serious, I will be more reserved. I try all kinds of stuff and I really REALLY like the clear. (I just needed to ask my peers because I need to know). If I don't try, I will never know what it will do, either that or I would be on here constantly reading and trying to remember and not melting anything.

I can always earn more money to buy more glass, as long as I don't blow myself up or burn my shop down.. All is wonderful. Yeah, was bummed on the one bead because I really liked it.. I can make another, I am sick.. I really like the black with the adventurine frit and lauscha.. can't help it.

I need to find some 104 raku though.. I am determined to try that on the hothead too!.. Just got to.

I used the tuxedo, because I didn't even know there could be a problem.. now I know. I will give it a go again as soon as I can.

The good news is I put the beads that had no cracks in the freezer (only one was tuxedo black with no encasing, just a dot of clear on the top of it) and they are sitting on the table now. So far so good.
De, I need more paw murrini..lol

Will let you guys know what I am up to.

Oh, almost forgot, did an off mandrel pendant with the lauscha over the magic frit and then covered the back of the maria with the tuxedo. Put it on a premade tiny bead for the bail and fired it. OHHHHh preeeeettty. The magic frit (has raku in it) made a pastel color in the pendant.. I gave it to my friend she went nuts!.. so not all was lost.
See, I am all over the place!


Diane, no I put them directly in the kiln.

Oh nuts, I got carried away.. sorry.
Cherri
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  #17  
Old 2012-08-16, 10:16am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theglasszone View Post

I can tell you that from my experience, I stay entirely away from adding any 96 - even in the smallest amounts - to my beads 'cuz I'm just too skeered to try the whole "ratio" thing. If it came right down to it, I'd make my own multi-color frit in 104 and use that instead to help avoid the compatibility game.
Best advice in the whole thread. Beat me to it Deanne. Mixing COEs is not a good practice regardless of the ratios.
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  #18  
Old 2012-08-16, 10:21am
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How hot are you annealing your beads? And how long are you soaking them? I have had less cracking issues with Lauscha clear and 96 frit since I upped my anneal temperature to 980, and for 2 hours soak instead of just 1.

Also, don't count the "soak" time to include any garage time while you're still working (eg, if you did your bigger beads first, and they've already been in there an hour or more, they still may need 2 hours of soak without the door opening and closing and the resulting fluctuating temperature).
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  #19  
Old 2012-08-21, 5:33am
Cherri Cherri is offline
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Well so far so good.

Switched to coe104 raku frit.
changed the base black.

So far all of the beads came out fine, except for the ones I bumped. I guess I am going to have to get some kind of rack. When I the kiln starts to fill up, with the small kiln door I have it is hard not to get the new hot ones in.

I will keep playing and see what is what, but I may have some frit for sale. lol

Thanks everyone, for your help and advice.
Cher
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