Anyone do back of marble in yellow crayon?

[gmkcpa]

When I stack dots on the back of the marble, because of all the heat needed to melt them in, I gotta make sure that the underlying base color can handle the heat. So I generally fill in/cover the back of the marble with a cobalt blue or one of the striking reds (like light ruby or pomogranate) and stack my dots on it.
I'd really like to do some marble backs in bright red or yellow, but the crayons boil easily... Has anyone done this, or have a solution?

[Cosmo]

There are a few solutions that come to mind...

1. Sleeve the yellow with clear and then use it. It works, but doesn't always give a smooth yellow appearance because of the clear being all the way around the color rod.

2. Cover the back with yellow and work it in slowly with a soft flame. Once it starts to melt smooth, cover the whole back with a 4mm clear stringer then melt smooth.

3. Don't do anything special to the yellow. You can work it hot once it starts to get melted in. Work it slower and cooler until it gets to that point, and then you can work it a little hotter. This takes some practice though. I don't do it that often because I just don't like the crayon colors in big areas, but when I have done it that's how I do it.

[SleepyCreekGlass]

I've have really good success rates with Rasta gold powder melt in smooth with a cool flame...then a quick dip in clear super fine. That thin layer of clear makes all the difference.

[Bunyip]

Crayons really do work much nicer once you get them melted in...but I hate to use them as the last bit on a piece because one mistake and you can hose the whole thing.

A trick I've used in rod implosions is to heat the crayon dot just enough that it gets soft, marver flat (as flat as I can), reheat, then poke the center of the dots down with a tungsten rod or something similar, reheat, marver, reheat poke, until it's melted in. You can also try using a flame that might be more appropriate to soft glass during the first round. Ron Bearer Jr. showed me the part about poking the center, it really helps.

[gmkcpa]

When I poke the tungsten point into hot glass and then reheat - I've just made a bubble.
Definitely you can hose that marble!

[Bunyip]

I'd suggest that you try GENTLY poking warm glass sir Try it on something non vital, you'll see.