Cutting through layers?

[StellaBlue]

I'm working on a design where I would like to cut through a thin opaque layer of glass to reveal bits of another color.

I'm having trouble with the cuts. I'm heating the area and slicing where I want the glass revealed. I've tried both a razor blade tool and a knife. I am not succeeding in slicing through - I am just managing to crease the glass and push the top opaque casing into the crease. Am I getting the glass too hot? Not hot enough? Is my blade not sharp enough? (I'm about to go buy new ones just in case...) Or maybe the tool is not cold enough and the glass is sticking a little and pulled in?

The bead looked nice, but just wasn't what I was trying for. I *think* I've seen someone do this before although I can't place where. If anyone has done this and would be willing to share the technique, I would really appreciate it.

[2xMI]

The only beads I've seen with a "cut" or portion that reveals different layers beneath the top layer have been actually cut with (probably a lapidary) saw when cold, then re-introduced into the flame and fire polished. I'm sure there are other ways, but that's the only one I'm familiar with. I'd be interested to know if what you're trying works! good luck.

Mimi

[Jeri]

Following up on what Mimi said, I have made windows through one layer into another with sandblasting the cold bead and then re-heating and fire polishing the cut edges. Jeri

[piedradesigns]

Rita—tell me if I'm right. You don't want to cut a flat surface on a finished bead; you want to cut through a stringer as you work on a bead and have the segments separate. I would also love to know how to do this!

[StellaBlue]

Originally Posted by piedradesigns

Rita—tell me if I'm right. You don't want to cut a flat surface on a finished bead; you want to cut through a stringer as you work on a bead and have the segments separate. I would also love to know how to do this!

Sort of. I want to encase a (in this case) transparent bead in a thin layer of opaque, then cut a line (for example) from one hole to the other, revealing a line of the transparent interior through the opaque encasing. This might be the final layer, or there could be other layers of decoration and further encasing after the little slice is revealed.

I'm not looking to create a flat "window" - those are lovely and cool looking, but not the effect I'm trying for. I just keep thinking that if I can get the encasing thin enough and get the tool sharp enough and get the heat just right I should be able to do this. I'm gonna keep trying.

[IF-Designs]

Ive also seen a similar technique with sandblasting to reveal layer after layer of color / design with resist etc

[Aretz]

Kinda like this?



Different method since it's a candle, of course, but I think this is the effect you're looking for. It would look awesome and unique, so I say keep trying.

[StellaBlue]

Originally Posted by Aretz

Kinda like this?



Different method since it's a candle, of course, but I think this is the effect you're looking for. It would look awesome and unique, so I say keep trying.

Yeah, kinda like that, sorta

[RyanTheNumberImp]

I am inclined to think you could pull off this effect by including stripes of a transparent color to break the opaque encasement, kind of like how you can use dots of the same color as the base bead to distort the actual decoration.

[Elizabeth Beads]

How about using silver leaf as the opaque layer and using a rubino stringer which will push the silver around and reveal the glass layer below. This is a trick Michael Barley uses for his window beads.

[evolvingBeau]

It's a tough route to go because the tool chills the glass. Scissors are the only way that you can really "cut" hot glass because it doesn't quite slice the way you are wanting it to.
You could try snipping at it with scissors but here's what I would suggest, it may be odd in comparison to what you had in mind, but the only way I can think of that would reveal the inner layer.
Make your layered bead, spot heat part of it to a fairly soft consistency, then with tweezers or the tip of a rod, pull a point up from the bead, let it chill for a bit then nip it off as close to the bead as possible using some murrini nippers or carbide wheel nippers.
You want the extremity to cool so it snaps when you cut it rather than so hot it squashes.
Then when you melt it back in you'll have a kind of window to the core where the tip was nipped off.
You could then heat again and rake the edges (with a pointed tungsten rake) of this window outward to reveal more of the inner color.
Good luck!

[Listenup]

In Jeri Warhaftig's Glass Bead Workshop, on page 134, she shows a couple Near Misses that look exactly like what you're describing - beads 9 and 10.

[StellaBlue]

Thanks everyone, these are all great ideas. Even the ones that might not work for what I'm trying to do have got me thinking about other new designs to try. So much glass so little time

And a new book to buy - there goes my budget! You are all the best and so creative. I knew asking here would get some nifty ideas coming. Off to play!

[Jeri]

HI Kay - actually, you can't tell in the photo, but those beads are split open through into the hole in the center, like you would see the cord if you ran it through the bead! I made those as bi-cones, which I flattened, then I tried to bring them up to slumping temp and bend them in the kiln using Rocio's benders. In my first efforts I let them heat to long and they split open. Very cool effect, but not what I had hope for in those beads! Jeri

[NMLinda]

Rita - If you can get the encasing layer thin enough, perhaps cutting your stripes with a small dremel tool tip on a room temp bead might work. You'd then need to carefully go back to the flame to fire polish it. There are other great suggestions here: it would be fun to see what you decide to do!

Linda

[MaryBeth]

Originally Posted by NMLinda

Rita - If you can get the encasing layer thin enough, perhaps cutting your stripes with a small dremel tool tip on a room temp bead might work. You'd then need to carefully go back to the flame to fire polish it. There are other great suggestions here: it would be fun to see what you decide to do!

Linda

This does work. I've seen it done! Use one of the bits that have an end that looks like a tiny ball.

Make your opaque layer an opaque enamel then draw your design on it when the bead is cold. You will only need a very light touch with the Dremel to reveal the underlying layer.

[Torched Art]

Here is an example of enamel on glass. It was made in the flame, annealed, and cold worked with a diamond bit, then fire polished. Unfortunately the edges chipped off when I dropped it. Be sure to melt the enamel in really good.

I like all the other suggestions. Love the silver and rubino tip.

[StellaBlue]

Christina, that bead is awesome! I have a really nice Fordham, so I will probably try this, too. When you fire polish, do you warm your bead back up in the kiln first, or do you just gradually reintroduce it to the flame?

The rubino and silver is also a cool idea. Does the rubino radically change the color of the glass beneath it? If so, are there another transparents (maybe even one of the infamous silver-eating clears) that might work? The rubino and silver trick won't work for the bead I originally had in mind, but it gave me an idea for something else.

Unfortunately I can't work much more until next weekend at least - I went on to play and ran out my tanked O2 mid-bead. Feh. I've been playing with some boro stuff lately and I I neglected to take into account how much more oxy was using. This tank just didn't go as far as the last 104-only tank

Wonderful ideas, though - I hope there are a few others who are inspired to play with this, too.

[Crazy Woman]

I snip stringer on boro beads all the time. Go to Family Dollar and go to the garden department and buy their $1.00 long fine nose shears.... Work like a charm

[Torched Art]

If you reintroduce a cold bead into a flame, I would pretty much guess that it would pop on you. It would have to be brought up to temp in the kiln first. But to answer your question, I just fire polished the glass at slumping temperature. This piece was a flat cabochon. I haven't tried it on a bead yet. I hope it wouldn't lose its shape. I suspect someone in here would have more experience on that.???

[Crazy Woman]

Okay, I initially only read part ~ so my above answer please ignore. I think that you probably could use (as already said) a cutting disk on a rotary tool to make your design to reveal the underlying design or whatever and then put the bead(s) back into the kiln and do a tack fuse to take away the haze from the cutting disk. Or possibly polish with cerium oxide. Just a thought!

[pam]

So, if we have migrated to cold work, which is the only way I know of to cut through layers, if you have or buy an engraving tool, it works beautifully. A friend of mine, Jen Zitkof, would make a bead, then cover the bead with a layer of powdered enamel, and anneal. Once the bead was out of the kiln she would encise designs on the bead, cutting through the layer of enamel to expose the inside color. If you think of those pictures we all did as kids where, using crayons, you colored all over a piece of paper, then covered the paper in black crayon and scraped the black off in a design, that is similar to the effect you get. I have one of her beads and will look for it and take a picture. She had a wonderful piece of equipment she used that was extremely expensive to make the fine cuts. I drooled over one for years. It was similar to a dental drill, water cooled, and could make the finest lines in the glass without "breaking" the glass.

[bgurden]

to cut thru layers and have the line effect, put a stripe of opaque white down. then cover with layers of transparent colors and melt in. take razor tool that you can get at arrowsprings and cut in when the bead is hot. will give great lines.