What are these glasses?

[bepnewt]

I'm slowly getting a grasp on the lingo here at LWE, but there are some glass names that I'm not quite grokking. I see names attached to glass as if they are a brand or a maker's name or something of the sort.

Here are some examples:
Vetrifond
Effetre
Lauscha
Northstar
Miro

Please enlighten me as to what these prefixes mean.

Also, what is "Messy" glass?

Thanks,
-BEP

[Sheila D.]

Vetrofond, Effetre, Lauscha and Northstar are brand names...I don't know about Miro. Might be boro like Northstar. Hope this helps!

[jamie lynne]

Those are glass companies.

[MagpieGlass]

Vetrofond, Effetre (also known as Moretti) and Lauscha are call COE 104 glass manufacturers ... as well as Messy glass which is also known as CIM or Creation is Messy.

Northstar is a big player in boro but also has some 104 colors also known as Precision Glass.

I'm not familiar with Miro but a google search will probably make that name pop up.

Welcome to LE.

[sangita]

Vetrifond, Effetre, and Lauscha are glass manufacturers. So is messy.
Messy is short for CIM glass which stands for Creation Is messy.
Each of these manufacturerers will offer a color line.
Some like Laucha offer a color line in differant COE's.
Do not mix glass of differant COE's. Your glass will break. (Yes I know when you are an advanced user you can slightly bend this rule but just dont do it)

[Dreamsincolor]

I think that Miro is one of the colors of silver glass named for various artists, Da Vinci, Picasso, etc.

Andrea

[PerfectDeb]

messy is CiM - creation is messy - its a glass company owned by Americans but produced in China (i love it)

[bepnewt]

Thanks, folks!

And can I safely assume that different people will prefer glass from different manufacturers? IE. it's not all the same?

And, as a beginner, is there a preferred "brand" to go with for ease of use or anything? I'll be starting with soft glass using a HotHead or some other inexpensive torch.

-BEP

[sangita]

A lady in the garage sale area is offering assorted COE 104 for $40. http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=221655
Thats a good price. Disadvantage is that you dont know what you are using as its not labeled.
Otherwise I would do Arrow Springs Effetre full rod assortment or starter assortment, http://arrowsprings.com/html/assortments.html
I also recomend that if you get a sample color chart you snip a piece of glass and fill in your chart. i find my chart useful.

[Torched Art]

Since you are new to the glass world, you might find a good tip from my blog http://torchedart.blogspot.com/2012/...uld-i-buy.html

[Eileen]

People do have preferences, many times for the melting properties or colors available in a certain line. Many have glass from more than one manufacturer though, as long as they are compatible.

A lot of people begin with Effetre, getting the basic neutrals (clear, black, white, ivory) and maybe a selection of basic colors if the budget allows to begin. Effetre is COE 104 and there is a large variety. You will notice that prices vary quite a bit depending on color, so I bought the basic cheaper stuff so I wouldn't be afraid to use it & ruin it at first.

There are various vendors here that sell glass & other supplies, many times sales are around too. Some of the inexpensive torches have issues, but HotHead is one that many say is reliable.

Don't forget the safety issues and the other things that you need:
Didymium glasses & fire extinguisher for example, as well as making sure you have adequate ventilation.

If you haven't done it yet, you can find a lot of good information in the safety folder.

[Sheila D.]

Brian, I don't think it is that one prefers one glass company over another, but more about color. Each company has it's own color palette and while alot of them cross over, each one is different. Frantz Art Glass http://www.frantzartglass.com/ sells assortments too.
Just get some glass and have fun with it! You'll learn as you go.

[bepnewt]

Originally Posted by sangita

A lady in the garage sale area is offering assorted COE 104 for $40. http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=221655
Thats a good price. Disadvantage is that you dont know what you are using as its not labeled.

That sale is pretty much what prompted me to ask about them. I've seen glass at different price-per-pound and was wondering if what she was selling was a "good" deal but I didn't know if I needed to look for specific glass names. Thank you for letting me know it's a decent price. I was more interested in getting a mixed color lot than buying 4-6 rods of each color and getting fewer colors.

Thank you for the tip on the chart, too.

-BEP

[bepnewt]

@Torched Art: I've added your blog to my list of links I've started. Looks like a good resource for me.

@Eileen: Good tips, thanks. I've read quite a bit in the safety forum so far and will go back and make a definitive list of things I need to start in the hobby, soon. There was a thread someone else made about what to get when starting that I need to find again when I do that.

@Sheila: Ah, understood. Kind of like in the miniature fig painting arena - different companies make their own line of paints with their own palettes.

-=-=-=-=-

Assuming Charmaine still has one of the 5# boxes for sale, I've ordered my first glass. Can't wait.

-BEP

[Eileen]

This is just an FYI in case you don't know about it.
I'm not sure if you've already found this or not, but if there is a particular thread you want to be able to find quickly, etc. you can go to Thread Tools (see top right of 1st post) and subscribe. You will be notified when someone posts, but you can also go to your list of subscribed threads if you want to reread.

[mandoziller]

Welcome Brian. Have a big bucket of water close-by in case of burns or random bits of fire where you don't want them.

[eregel]

Brian - I'm a relative newbie, been rocking a HotHead since late January. What you'll find is that most of the Effetre/Moretti glass is pretty easy to use - but some colors are nearly impossible. For instance, you'll see people call the alabaster colors "alabastard." BUT - this is one of those things where your mileage may vary. I LOVE the alabastars and opalinos, and have never had a problem with them. I suspect that I run my torch cooler than some people, given that I don't find it all that loud, and I also don't freeze up as quickly as some people say they do.

My best advice is, experiment a lot - you'll find a HUGE difference in very small changes. If you move an inch either way you'll be in or out of the "sweet spot". What I find helps is if I occasionally lift my didys and look to see if the rod is really flaring, or just kinda warm. Turning the torch up or down just slightly will make the same kind of difference. You really need to pay attention to what works, and what doesn't - take notes if you need to.

You may also find that it makes a big difference how fresh your can of gas is.

[Dragonfly Queen]

One piece of advice I wish somebody had told me when I first started is label your glass rods as soon as you get them.
This will help if you find a color you really like to be able to order it again or duplicate a color combo you like.

I agree play, play, play. There is some glass that is a little more snappy than others, you just need to be patient and heat it slowly before actually melting.

PS....for the sellers, it would also be very helpful when listing glass to also list the COE for beginners that don't know glass by suppliers. Just sayin'.

[cheng076]

Brian,
Forget all that COE stuff. Go straight to the dark side. GO BORO. It's all COE33 and all compatable. Once you get your feet wet you'll want to do marbles and pendents and real glass stuff so go for it first. Learn real glass!

Just Kidding....sort of

Lots of good advice above. With glass start simple and develop a 'feel' for the glass and heat control. Play with it and learrn.

PJH

[bepnewt]

Originally Posted by cheng076

Brian,
Forget all that COE stuff. Go straight to the dark side. GO BORO. It's all COE33 and all compatable. Once you get your feet wet you'll want to do marbles and pendents and real glass stuff so go for it first. Learn real glass!

Just Kidding....sort of

You're not far off the mark! I really think I'm going to enjoy the hobby and then want to jump straight to Boro. My big love is glass blowing, but it's out of my financial grasp, now. My wife got her bigger, nicer, house, but it realyl changed our financial situation. So, I'm hoping Lampwork will get close to filling that glass niche in me. I'm not into making jewelry but I am completely DIGGING the marbles that are being shown on here. I love just looking at blown glass so if I can make my own marbles to display in my curio cabinet, I think that will be a big win for me.

So, for now, I'm going to mess with beads to learn as much as I can. If any of them turn out decent, I'll give them to my 2 aunts, my cousin, and my 2 coworkers who do jewelry. Then, I'll probably join the dark side.

For some reason, I just pictured a Darth Vader made out of black Boro wheezing "COE 104.... I am your fahhhther."

Just don't tell my wife what the costs involved are... I just got buy in for a torch, some glass, and as few tools as possible to get started. She's getting a new crock pot out of it, so that was a selling point! When she hears how much a kiln and torch for Boro plus all the hoses, hookups, tanks, gas, etc. are going to cost, I had better have a second job lined up.

Again, thanks for everyone who has offered advice. I was going to start my newbie thread later after doing more research, but this has kind of turned into it because of all the people here who enjoy helping others.

-BEP

[2tumblingdragonz]

Don't worry, you will become a glass addict and soon own way too much of all of it.

Welcome.

namaste
Rowyn

[SerendipityArtGlass]

Originally Posted by bepnewt

My big love is glass blowing, ...........-BEP

So get yourself some stainless steel tubing and blow vessels! Yes, you can do that with soft glass on a small torch. ....It's more fun with boro but...

just sayin!

Marie

[bepnewt]

Originally Posted by SerendipityArtGlass

So get yourself some stainless steel tubing and blow vessels! Yes, you can do that with soft glass on a small torch. :) ....It's more fun with boro but...

This knowledge will be my undoing. Thanks! I searched around and found some videos already on blowing Boro.

-BEP

[houptdavid]

Originally Posted by bepnewt

Just don't tell my wife what the costs involved are...

She's getting a new crock pot out of it, so that was a selling point!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! {snort}

She should be getting all new appliances!

[bepnewt]

Originally Posted by houptdavid

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! {snort}

She should be getting all new appliances!

She's getting a new house WITH new appliances! And a pool. And she got to pick the house.

Admittedly, I got a new game room, but she still made out ahead in the deal.

What's a little glass and torches and stuff in the whole realm of things, eh? Right? RIGHT??? I'm still trying to convince myself...

-BEP

[Dreamsincolor]

I don't think I've seen it mentioned here when talking about coe, but even though glass can all be 104 it doesn't mean that they will automatically play nice together. In general clear colors take longer to melt than opaques. You will have fun with white for instance because it likes to do it's impersonation of soup when it takes a heat bath. Sometimes it seems that learning what colors will or won't do next to each other is the longest part of the learning curve. An important thing to remember is to NOT look at everything from the aspect of what it could sell for in the market. That sets you up for stress you don't ever need. If down the line you find there is demand for your work think of it as something that will pay for your "habit" LOL

Andrea

[jaci]

Originally Posted by Dreamsincolor

I think that Miro is one of the colors of silver glass named for various artists, Da Vinci, Picasso, etc.

Andrea

Yep. It was a rocccio r4 whatever it was green that reduced to gold like double helix Gaia. Almost exactly the same.