My question on Lauscha

[mikefrantz]

For those of you who use Lauscha clear, I have some questions. Our customer recieved some of of clear Lauscha about two months ago. The beads seemed to crack either in the kiln, upon removing them from the kiln or even days later. I suggested that they put the beads in hotter. They had also been told the same from another person, but they put them in really hot, but I do not think that doing so would cause a problem. Upon looking at the broken beads through a stressmeter, there is lots of stress. I had thought that if they had put the beads in too cool, there might be stress that would show up on a stress meter, but I thought that the stress would be gone if they had put the beads in hot. Since this has happen to two different beadmakers, it has me worried. This glass may be from our latest shipment, or it could be from one six months ago. I do not recall any problems with either shipment of clear Lauscha. I am having the customer send me a sample of both sizes of clear for me to test, and that also disturbs me since if it was only one size that was breaking, but it is two sizes. Do I have two different sizes that were bad that nobody else got? My customers did lose lots of hours and I have no idea what went wrong. If anyone can solve this problem, I would be forever thankfull.

Sincerely

Mike Frantz

[Peach Blossom Beads]

I use Lauscha clear almost exclusively and I never understand why so many people have issues with it. I never have cracking on the colors that people complain about, like cobalt & silver, for example. I also don't use it or any other clear to encase colors that just shouldn't be encased, like sulfur colors & dichro. Well, sometimes I do, but not fully and only on small beads. Anyway, I ordered 2-4mm and 4-6mm rods from you in the last few months and haven't had any issues. (My last order was in January - I've been setting up another one but your site was down yesterday). I do know there was a bad batch maybe a year ago? Maybe that's what they got? I have some of that and they're the 8mm rods but I do NOT know if it was only that size that was affected. (I bought them from someone on LE).

Putting it into the kiln hot is what's recommended but I have never made a point of it and my beads never crack. Before I got a kiln I would make encased florals with lauscha clear and put them in a fiber blanket and they would totally survive, so I have no idea why all the issues.

Can you tell me what colors they were encasing and the size of the beads? (or are you saying there were A LOT of beads?) And they were putting their beads directly into a kiln, correct? Just putting them in the kiln hot isn't going to stop cracking, by the way. And with all that stress I'd say it's a bad batch. If I knew more about the beads I could tell you why they were cracking if it isn't a bad batch. But if every single beads that these customers are making are cracking, then it HAS to be the batch.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have, in exchange for free glass, of course! lol! (Just kidding!)
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[beadbroad]

Dunno. But thanks for obsessing about this so I don't have to. I still have a lot of good Lauscha clear that I've been using for a long time. Hopefully they'll sort it out by the time I have to restock.

[Janelle Zorko]

Mike,

I'm having terrible cracking problems with deep encasing lentils and big hole beads with Lauscha (this is a batch Larry got about 2 months ago (I think). Oddly, working with the same batch, Larry isn't - but he's encasing different colors than I am too.

Here are two I made yesterday. They looked absolutely fine when they came out of the kiln this morning. By this afternoon, this is what I had - very frustrating - especially the weekend before B&B! These went into the kiln pretty glowing and were garaged at 960 for an hour or two before the kiln came down on a programmed schedule. Again, they were fine before I put them in, and after I took them out of the kiln.

The first bead, admittedly, could be an incompatibility thing - it was probably more silver blue 96 than is allowed. However, this happened recently also with a very light coating of "Ocelot Spots" frit as well (which is also 96, I'm sure).


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The second is just Effetre black with silvered ivory stringer. This one was completely fine this morning and looks like a cracked mirror now. Weird.


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Don't know if that helps but you're welcome to the beads if you want them. I'll bring 'em to B&B.

Janelle

P.S. ACK!!! ACK!!! ACK!!! I just checked the very cool set of Kalera bracelet beads I made with Effetre black and silvered ivory and they're cracked right down the middle. Glad I didn't sell them at B&B and have them crack after a customer bought them! I'm switching to Vetro clear tomorrow!

[larrybrickman]

Darn... I hate to hear about cracking problems with Lauscha. I've been using Lauscha clear almost exclusively for over two years and have had minimul cracking problems. I feel like I do everything right when it comes to annealing, my regular annealing program is aboiut 8 hours and even longer for those big honkin' Brickman beads. But, I've got to admit, every once in awhile I'll have an encased bead crack, for whatever reason is beyond me. I want to say perhaps it doesn't like silver, it seems as though this is where you see a lot of the cracking. I encase reduction frit with it all the time... no problems.


This kind of problem is REALLY hard to track down and I hope a panic doesn't start where people won't touch Lauscha. But, if it becomes known that their compatability is off somewhat... people won't touch it!!

I don't think I've helped much here... but I still thank Lauscha is the best clear on the market. And that's coming from someone that is living with someone that's experiencing serious cracking problems (Janelle).

Cheers, Larry

[Mike H]

I have also had problems with extra large Fish and 2 1/2" gearshift knobs
that were encased in clear that cracked. The gearshift knob was on my wifes car for about a month and a half and just the clear encasment cracked.
I spent about 2 hours on that one piece alone! I have not used lauscha
to encase since. Its a shame because IMHO lauscha is by far the cleanest
clear available. I just wish it was a TRUE 104!

[evilglass]

I've used Lauscha almost exclusively since I started making beads. I'm just now, today, going to *gulp* try some moretti clear stringers and vetro clear stringers. I'm only doing it because of 1) the cost of Lauscha is getting to me since I do encase just about everything and I don't have sales to support my habit, and 2) I'm wanting to try some things with faster melting clear, to see if I can get a couple of things down.

I've never had an issue with a lauscha clear encased bead cracking-*unless* I admire the bead for too long before putting it in the perlite. I don't do a lot of pressed beads, just rounds. I use a lot of silver, and I batch anneal.

[Peach Blossom Beads]

Mike:
Why did the price of Lauscha clear go up? It never used to be $29.00 lb for 2-4 and 4-6mm rods. I've been buying from you for a while and am about to place an order and I can't be nuts! I swear it was never that expensive.

I remember it being about $22-$24 and the larger rods were $18-$20.

Ya know, I refuse to buy diamond clear b/c of the price and I refuse to buy Moretti super clear b/c of the price. Please tell me that this isn't going to be the price of Lauscha clear now.

Thanks.

[PaulaD]

I can answer that if Mike doesn't mind. Lauscha recently (Jan 07) raised their prices about 10% and the dollar is buying fewer Euros per dollar than ever. So people in the U.S. that buy abroad and import pay a lot more than they used to just because of the weak U.S. dollar currency.
These cracks look like totally incompatible glass. Ouch. I'm wondering if someone is using 90 or 96 by mistake.
I'll test my batch of Lauscha clear this week and see what happens..
Paula

[Julabula]

I had compatibility problems with Lauscha clear, too, especially on encased florals or encased press beads. I put the beads in hot, too. Mine were either cracking in the kiln, or worse, days later. On two occasions it was literally 3 weeks later. I ditched it about 7 weeks ago, and gave it to a friend who likes it.

[Janelle Zorko]

Well, for Bead & Button, I've remade all my sets that used Lauscha clear. Don't want to take the chance! I find the Vetrofond crystal clear (or whatever the real name) to be a good substitute.

Janelle

[Janelle Zorko]

Originally Posted by PaulaD
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These cracks look like totally incompatible glass. Ouch. I'm wondering if someone is using 90 or 96 by mistake.
I'll test my batch of Lauscha clear this week and see what happens..
Paula

Paula,

I'm the only one who posted pix and I can assure you that the silvered ivory one is Vetrofond black with Effetre silvered ivory stringer with Lauscha clear over it. No 90 or 96 there. The other is Effetre light ivory with Reichenbach or Kugler Silver Blue (which, as I said, is admittedly 96). When I duplicated this with Vetro clear - no cracking.

If it's discovered that this last batch of Lauscha clear is incompatible, I hope that every seller will be upfront about it and will discuss the problem with the Lauscha factory, rather than sweeping it under the rug. I appreciate that Mike publicly asked the question as it could effect a lot of people.

Janelle

[justK]

I've been using Lauscha since February, and have had a couple of beads crack weeks later. I was also using some colors that were new to me and chalked it up to practice. I do surface decoration on heavily encased beads and it can be tricky to evenly heat the whole bead before placing in the kiln without melting everything in, so I figured I must have missed a spot on the beads that cracked. Sure hope that was it! After an hour of working on each bbead, I think sometimes my patience is a bit short...

Lauscha clear is just what I needed for these beads, the clarity is gorgeous.


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I don't have a stress meter to test the beads out, would placing them in the freezer help expose any weaknesses? LOL now I'm almost afraid to try it!

[lunamoonshadow]

Oh Janelle, how SAD...those beads were BEAUTIFUL....sigh...I love the top one!!!

Kim I love your little ponds!

~luna
crying for all those poor beads!

[Aleigh]

I have been using Lauscha Clear for a couple of years now too and loved it, but A got a batch in January The cracks with everything. I used to have probelems when I used it with silver or glass with a high metal content, but this time it was everything. I switched to Vetrofond Crystal clear and absolutely have had no problems.


Amy

[PaulaD]

Hi Janelle,
I wasn't implying that you mixed up the COE's. Only wondering if they got mixed up in a warehouse some where along the way. Anyone's warehouse. I'll email this thread to Lauscha tonight when I get home from work. It is so sad to see a bead crack!
Paula

[Cosmo]

I bought a few pounds of Lauscha clear about two years ago (the only batch I have ever bought - sorry, I can't remember who it was from). I made quite a few beads with it then. They all came out fine. I had been told to put the beads into the kiln a little hotter. I did so, and everything was great. These were encased floral beads (insert guy making floral bead joke here). I still have most of them as they weren't that good. They are still fine - no cracks anywhere.

About three months ago I made some more beads with the same glass. I even used one of the rods that had been used before. Every one of them cracked. They were also encased floral beads. One I thought may have been because of the glass that I encased (CIM glass). The others were plain old Moretti. Every one of them developed cracks from hole to hole a couple days after coming out of the kiln. Every one looked fine for a couple days, then developed cracks that eventually spread the length of the bead.

I treated these new beads the same way I did the old ones. Same bead release, same torch, same kiln, etc. I would think that my technique has improved significantly since then as well. But they all still cracked up to three days after coming out of the kiln.

I don't know how glass is made from sand into rods, but I wonder if it's possible for the chemistry to change over time. I may be way off base here, but it confuses the heck out of me that the exact same batch of glass (and even the same rod) that would not crack before is now cracking.

[justK]

Guhhhh, the octopus cracked!
This, after it cracked initially and I managed to reheat it and cook the crack out Saturday, what a pain in the a**! It was fine when it came out, but this morning, crack-ola.

I tried the freezer, and all the others are fine, for what that's worth. It will be a stressful moment when I unwrap them at B&B. If anyone wants to learn new swear words, just give me your cell # and I'll call you as I'm about to open them up...

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Kim

[suzanne]

I bought a batch of lauscha last november ( directly from the factory, 4-6mm)
and I;ve had loads of problems with it. First my rubino looks horrible when encased with this batch ( livery) and second.... its completely incompatible sometimes. The beads Janelle showed could have been mine ( well, hers are prettier) but I've had major problems with it.

[Janine]

Thanks for the posts and the question! I was just about to unwrap the Lauscha I bought in January and I think I will be careful what I try it on.

Good luck to you B&B people. Happy, non-cracked bead vibes being sent!!! (and to everyone else too!)

[PaulaD]

I have an answer from Lauscha this morning. As I read it they do replace when people have had big problems. I have a question though. Has anyone had any cracking with Lauscha on Lauscha? I was told that their colors all have the same flow.
Also they ended up not raising their prices Jan 1st like they were going to. They had a lot of increases at the manufacturing end but absorbed them.
I did some test beads last night of the clear batch that we have but haven't seen then yet. I think our batch may be ok because we just got it in March and no one has come back with any cracked beads that bought it.

Paula

[Reenie]

Yea ditto here. No complaints on any colors or the clear. I haven't really had any issues on cracking with the one's I've played with.
I love using the tri colors and then encasing them. Gives it soo much depth and no problems whatsoever!
Irene

[PaulaD]

The 3 I did last night are ok. They were 1 1/2 inch lentils and were Lauscha on Lauscha. Tonight I did more 1 1/2 inch lentils with Lauscha on Moretti. Just because you are all making me paranoid!! I was sure to reheat them to a glow after pressing and put them in the kiln red hot. I LOVE the way Lauscha melts. As one customer said..."Just like butter!" Paula

[Reenie]

paula....you going to share a picture of your bead beauties???
Love to see them.
You know what looks really cool...I tried last night but won't post till I figure out how to make tree branch cane....but take the brown tri color and blue tri color for a lentil bead. It is the most beautiful thing. It's like wisps of sand on a semi cloudy day. I want to make a huge lentil (somethng I've never done before!) and maybe put a tree in it so it looks like a forest or something.
I need more time to play!!
Irene

[PaulaD]

Hi Irene, As soon as I have time! I'm not set up to photograph inside and work all day so it probably won't be till a weekend...
I need to get off this computer and work on my taxes!

Paula

[Peach Blossom Beads]

Originally Posted by PaulaD
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I have an answer from Lauscha this morning. As I read it they do replace when people have had big problems. I have a question though. Has anyone had any cracking with Lauscha on Lauscha? I was told that their colors all have the same flow.
Also they ended up not raising their prices Jan 1st like they were going to. They had a lot of increases at the manufacturing end but absorbed them.
I did some test beads last night of the clear batch that we have but haven't seen then yet. I think our batch may be ok because we just got it in March and no one has come back with any cracked beads that bought it.

Paula

So the prices did NOT go up? Then why are we paying more?

Thanks for everything you're doing, Paula.

[PaulaD]

The U.S. dollar vs the Euro dollar probably accounts for some of it. Higher cost to transport accounts for more. U.S. importing fees are pretty heavy too but I don't know what they have always been in comparson to what they are now.
Welcome.
I think I should let Mike answer this one!
Paula

[collectiblesbyrose]

Originally Posted by PaulaD
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I have a question though. Has anyone had any cracking with Lauscha on Lauscha? I was told that their colors all have the same flow.

Paula

Paula, I see you did make some Lauscha on Lauscha that came out ok. Anyone else do ok with Lauscha on Lauscha?

[PaulaD]

I spent most of my torch time last week making 1 1/2 inch pressed lentil encased with clear Lauscha beads. The bases were Moretti and Lauscha. I added silver (leaf and foil) to some of them but didn't mix in the 104 silver colors because I have never worked them before and didn't want to waste them on test beads! I didn't mix any 96 colors in either except for surface treatments (frit) on an already encased bead.
I used a very conservative annealing schedule as mentioned by Carol Ann on one of the Lauscha threads here. I was also sure to reheat throughly each time I pressed and put the beads into the kiln with a glow instead of cool.
I have never encased much until now so this was a good exercise for me! The Lauscha clear is by far the nicest glass that I have ever seen for a clear.
My advice is that if you are going to mix things up do a trial bead first because the same coe can have different viscosities. I did have one customer that encased the tranparent red with Moretti and it cracked on her. She is a fine beadmaker and has used lots of the other colors with Moretti without a problem. That is all that I know so far.

Paula

[Carolyn M]

My Lauscha on Lauscha are OK, but I have given up using Lauscha clear with anything else. Too much heartache!