Bullseye Alchemy Glass: What is this stuff?

[danieljanse]

Hello! Looking again across the glass color/reaction spectrum and came across this crazy stuff. BE Glass Alchemy clears in silver-to-bronze or silver-to-gold...huh???

I am stumped to understand how anything added to clear glass could make silver foil appear gold or bronze.

Next question...has anyone used this in the flame? Does it work?

[echeveria]

Lots of 104 clears turn silver a gold or brassy color. DH Zephyr was formulated to be non-reactive. DH Aether turned some of their silver glass green, which I love. I have no clue what the reaction is, but it is common.

[danieljanse]

Thanks Kathy! I would LOVE to be pointed to a 104 clear that turns silver foil to gold/brass. Anyone know of a specific one I can order?

[ESC]

Daniel you can also get a gold effect of effetre over silver foil by adjusting the temp of the clear encasement. I haven't got the bead right in front of me but I'll dig it up and photo later.

[danieljanse]

Thanks for the temperature hint but I think I'd need something inherent to the glass. Got to be a glass additive that doesn't add color. Hmmm...

My thinking is that it is a variation of fining agents (bubble removing) that are used in glass making. Antimony is a common one and is used a lot in furnace glass. It's likely used in Zephyr as it is non-reactive with silver. I've heard that it is a bit prone to boiling so this may be why chemists in 104/flameworking glass have looked for alternatives.

A friend told me that Gaffer liked to use sodium sulfide as a fining agent. Interestingly, liver of sulfur is a patina used to turn silver, you guessed it, gold as well as a spectrum of other colors. So if there is a clear specifically touting that it doesn't boil it may be my best bet. Lausha, maybe?

Hurrah for the search tool: http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8751

[echeveria]

I think Aether does it, but might not still be available. It was discontinued. Effetre Super clear does, but is not 100% reliable. Like, when you want it to, it doesn't. And when you don't want it to, it will. I will do a test bead in the next few days and show it. Others might can chime in too. I don't do much encasing.

[danieljanse]

Thank you!
I guess another question would be has anyone seen a clear that changes silver to bronze...the other Alchemy glass from BE.

Following my line of reasoning, the bronze would just have "more" of whatever the thing is that causes golding. Maybe sulfur...

[designerbeads]

I seem to recall using effetre transparent yellow over silver foil for a gold effect

[ESC]

Daniel, this is a bead made with effetre dark ivory, silver foil and effetre super clear. The clear was just hot enough to stick without melting the silver, then cautiously melted to round out the dots. I hope the gold shows up in the photo.

[danieljanse]

Very well! Beautiful bead. Thank you.

I am hoping to find something that makes the gold no matter what.

Has anyone used the latest Lauscha clears (they have a normal and a soft version) and gotten a silver to gold effect? I contacted flamedame but she hasn't responded.

[danieljanse]

It turns out sulfides could be the "Alchemy" in silver to gold glass from BE...and the reason some lampworking clears turns silver to gold.

I used some Tekta alone on the right side in a silver foil sandwich. The frit is a light aqua. On the left I added a pinch of a sulfur containing compound to the same sandwich. GOLD!!!

Flipping over the piece shows the mottled colors between gold and bronze probably due to local sulfur concentrations.

Sulfur reacts with copper and lead colors. So if you see something unexpected with an "alchemy" clear, that may be the reason. This light aqua didn't react which I find puzzling as it contains copper...just not very much. Adding chemicals ON glass is a lot different than when they are IN glass.

Anyway, just thought I would share...

[ESC]

Interesting. I wonder what the chemical reaction is when you put 'relatively cool' clear over the silver foil that causes it to turn gold and not when you use 'relatively hot' clear over the foil.

[danieljanse]

Help me out here with the torch dynamics...feel free to call B.S. LOL

Propane has sulfur in it for safety reasons...everyone has smelled it (mercaptan). What if, the process you used to apply the clear exposed the silver foil to more of a sulfur reaction?

If it's cooler, maybe that means longer exposure? Also, maybe that temp is a sweet spot for the sulfur to not just vaporize before it gets to the bead?

[ESC]

Hmm, I had to go look up the MSDS on Mercaptan (methanethiol) to see if it would actually burn in the torch flame or stay bound to the propane and what the results would be. Looks like if it was actually burning we'd all be dead as decomposing (vaporizing) mercaptan produces toxic fumes.
And when I said 'cooler' I meant the glass itself, not the flame. I.E. get a gather really hot, count to five then apply to the foil instead of immediately slapping it on there (not a good idea as the silver will immediately go into solution in the really hot glass). The bead that's been rolled in silver foil never enters the flame until all the clear dots have been applied. I'm going to assume (I know, bad idea) that the sulfur is still bound with the propane and thus not capable of reacting to the glass at all.
Somebody else jump on here and add to/correct this.

[danieljanse]

Just about anything that we burn creates toxic fumes...CO just cannot be helped. I was staying in a rental house and the propane heater started burning incompletely. Carbon Monoxide meter was a lifesaver. I was so disoriented...nasty stuff. Credit to the owner...he just ripped out the propane and replaced with electric.

Ventilation is the key.

I knew you were talking about the glass rather than the flame. It doesn't sound like you have a way to keep it silver...it either disappears or turns gold? Maybe you are using one of the clears we have been discussing?

I've seen beads where they keep it silver. MaryBeth in this post uses Moretti and they look amazing. She also says it needs to be applied cool.
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8751

At 2500F-3000F, I doubt anything remains bound to propane...propane (with oxygen) becomes CO2, water (and a little CO). I'd guess the mercapten burns off as sulfoxide gas. Not sure how that reacts with silver.

[ESC]

Daniel absolutely you can keep it silver. It's just a matter of how hot the glass is when it hits the foil.