Bead Surface Texture Marred-Bad Torch Adjustment on Minor?

[FlaminCrazy]

If this is a repeat post, my apologies – I didn’t find anything. I’m a confused new surface mix torch user. I’ve learned conflicting information on proper torch adjustment, and I’m getting teeny tiny bumps or divets appearing on a portion of the surface, off and on, in my pressed pendant beads, since day one (6 months ago). I also sometimes find with the marred area, the glass doesn’t have the shine or gleam it should. You have to get the light to shine just right on most of the beads to see the teeny tiny things easily, but once you do, you know the glass on the bead is flawed. I’ve experienced air bubbles, and it’s not the same as those at all. I can’t figure it out, especially when it’s intermittent. I suspect it’s related to the adjustment of my flame at the torch head since it varies every time I turn it on.

I have my regulators set correctly (now), I believe. The O2 is twice the fuel, and they are marked, so they are consistently correct … now, for the flame at the head: that’s entirely a mystery … well, almost. I understand what large and slight reduction flames are. And I would assume an oxidizing flame has more of a hiss and is more pointed in shape, although I don’t know why I’d use one.

The terms: focus, candles, cones. What are they, and what do they mean? Do they relate to the proper type of flame in achieving a neutral flame? Secondly, how do I adjust to a neutral flame? Can I turn up the volume, as long as the proportions are right, and not overheat my glass? Finally, what’s causing the marred surface on the beads, and how to correct this? I need to stop ruining my glass supply and wasting effort, I know that for sure! I’m in the dark, and I know someone can shed some light on this (no pun intended).

[Kalera]

What kind of glass? Do you have any pictures?

[kbinkster]

Candles and cones are two terms that mean the same thing. When you look at your torch flame, you will see seven individual streams of fire. These come from each of the fuel ports. These little jets of fire are the candles or cones. They should be mostly blue in appearance. In a neutral flame, where the fuel is being most completely combusted, the candles will have little yellow or white tips. You can adjust the size of the candles by adjusting the amount of oxygen and propane. The more you add, the longer the candles will be.

Different colors have reactions based on the flame chemistry. The most common reactions are brought out with a reduction flame. However, there are some colors that react with an oxidizing flame. For most things, though, you will use a neutral flame. You will know the flame chemistry by the proportion of the size of the candle's body to the size tip on the end:

*In a reduction flame, the candles will have pronounced yellow tips. The tips will be about a third of the length of the candles, or longer. The flame will get streaky. On natural gas, the yellow is not as strong as with propane. You can have very little yellow and be in a reduction flame. Sometimes, you can have a reduction flame because of a problem with the torch - like if it has a stray candle that runs longer than the rest with a yellow tip that cannot be cleaned up. A reduction flame is cooler than a neutral flame.

*In a neutral flame, for soft glass, the candles should be 1/4" - 3/8" long and have small tips. If the candles are shorter than 1/4", they should not have tips at all, but it will still be neutral. The neutral flame is the hottest flame.

*In an oxidizing flame, the candles will still be the same length, but there will be no white or yellow tips. The torch will also hiss. An oxidizing flame is cooler than a neutral flame.

Once you have your candles figured out, you should look to your placement in the flame. You do not want to work close to the candles. This will overheat the glass and burn/boil it. Try finding a sweetspot maybe 4" - 5" or so away from the face of the torch. How far out you work will depend on how long your candles are. Sometimes, you will want to be directly in the flame. Other times, you will want to be a little above or below it in the envelope of heat that surrounds it. It really depends on what you are wanting to do and how your glass behaves. Just remember that the further out from the face you work or the further in or out of the flame, the cooler it is.

Another thing to be aware of is that the tools affect your glass. Tools take heat away from glass and leave marks. The easiest marks to find are the ones left from flat surfaces - the fingerprint-like chill marks. These can be erased by fire polishing.

Sometimes, though, you can do everything just right and the glass will still have problems. Sometimes, there are just bad batches of glass.

I hope this helps.

ETA: This is for soft glass. When working boro, you will usually run longer candles and work closer in. When your candles are really long (like 1/2" - 1" range), they can have bigger yellow tips without being in a reduction flame.

[beadygirl]

I'm having the EXACT same problem!! It's VERY frustrating! Etching helps some, but I'm not big on etching. Most of my problems are happening with black, but then again most of my bead bases ARE black. It's like EDP--only black. Grrrr!
Maybe it IS back glass.

[Dale M.]

Here is good example of "candles" or "cones" on a minor torch....



Graphic courtesy of Cosmo!

Dale

[La Guera]

Thanks so much for this information. This is the first explanation that I have been able to completely understand.

Jeanette

[FlaminCrazy]

What kind of glass? Do you have any pictures?

Kalera, I'm using Uroboros and Effectre exclusively. My best graphics option for pictures of my pieces and generally used for cataloging purposes, sometimes for emailing commissioned piece work, is to scan the pieces. I’ll give this a try and see if the bead’s marred surface will show up to illustrate what I’m talking about. I’d tried using a digital camera on jewelry and the necklace was hardly even recognizable, even lit from another source and no flash.

Dale, thanks for the beautiful, helpful picture from Cosmo; that says it all.

Paulette, what a great description and explanation of the different flames and their characteristics, even uses. Thanks! I'm cognizant to not work too close to the torch head, and I generally look to see that I have just a small yellow glow on the ends of the blue candles. I suppose for the most part, I am using a near neutral flame, if not right on the mark. Maybe the fuel is still too high (propane) on the regulator. Kim Cox helped me adjust the fuel proportion since I was getting soot and muddy frit colors before. Maybe I’m not reading the regulator dial’s value correctly on my O2 tank.

I'm having the EXACT same problem!! It's VERY frustrating! Etching helps some, but I'm not big on etching. Most of my problems are happening with black, but then again most of my bead bases ARE black. It's like EDP--only black. Grrrr! Maybe it IS back glass.

Tera, I wish I could blame it on the glass this time, but it’s different batches and all different colors of Uroboros (COE 96) and Effetre (COE 104), AKA Moretti. That’s what I thought I’d try to do to improve those that are dull on a portion of the surface … make the whole dang surface the same!! Could you please tell me if the etching process is simple but most importantly, what type and form of acid should be used and where I could find it (online, if possible)?

I don’t know how those of you on this forum come up with such beautiful pictures in your work. I’m limited to what I can do physically and financially, being bed bound close to ‘round the clock. My scanner is on the left side of my bed beside my computer, then when I can, I sit up and lampwork over in the right half of my bedroom. I even use my computer from my hospital bed – if I could lampwork in bed, I’d be doing that here too! But , if people set their beds on fire when they smoke cigarettes, by all means I’d better not even mention what I just said again, although I can dream … mmmm ….

Thanks everyone!

Annette

[kbinkster]

Annette,

Don't worry too much about the regulator settings. They just get you in the neighborhood for the mix. You control the amount of fuel and oxygen that gets to your torch head by the control valves on the torch.

The higher your regulator pressures, the more responsive your torch valves will be (you won't have to turn the valve as far to make an adjustment in the flame). The lower your regulator pressure, the less sensitive you torch valves will be (you will have to turn the valve more to get an adjustment at the torch).

You can have 20 psi oxygen and 20 psi fuel and still be able to get whatever flame you want on your torch just by using the control valves at the torch. The only time it really matters that the regulator pressures be set to an exact proportion is when your torch valves are wide open and you are relying on adjusting your torch with the regulators themselves.

You do, however, want to be sure that you have enough pressure available to your torch. If your oxygen pressure is set too low at the regulator, then there just won't be enough available to the torch. You can never have too much. It is better to set the pressures higher and have it available than to set it lower and not have enough when you need it. Setting the pressure at the regulators higher in and of itself will not increase your fuel or oxygen consumption. Opening the valves at the torch more to let more through controls that.

~Kimberly