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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2010-07-16, 8:25pm
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Bead Maniac
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Join Date: Jul 17, 2005
Location: Beautiful Oregon Coast
Posts: 203
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Anyone having problems with foster fire
I just bought 2 large bottles of foster fire ...boro & presses ....
It is driving me crazy I have been using this brand for years ...suddenly the new bottles crack in the drying process before getting near a flame ...and get it near the flame and it flies off the rod ...I called Robin and she suggested I water it down ...no good ...I have wasted too much time for days now trying to make this work ....any more suggestions ? This is my busiest time of the year I need to be creating not messing with this stuff ....thanks ...Susan
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2010-07-16, 8:32pm
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Ass-kicking Cephalopod
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Join Date: Jun 19, 2006
Location: Duh, Squidville
Posts: 9,523
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when I used Foster Fire, I typically had to remove some from the jar to make room to add enough water to get it the right consistency. Do you have pics of the mandrels? Might be able to help if we can see it.
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2010-07-16, 11:36pm
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Bead Maniac
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Join Date: Jul 17, 2005
Location: Beautiful Oregon Coast
Posts: 203
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washed them off 3 times, I thinned it and they still cracked ....I will take photos tomorrow ...
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2010-07-17, 3:28am
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offically down under
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Join Date: Dec 22, 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
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I was having a similar problem and it was solved by thinning it with water.
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Tammy
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2010-07-17, 2:02pm
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Marbles, dude, Marbles
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Join Date: Jan 06, 2007
Location: Coral Springs, Florida
Posts: 653
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I do boro. If I heat the mandrel up in the flame too fast, foster fire cracks and spits off pieces. So I now heat the mandrel further back in the flame, slower, and I've not had any problems. This is how it was for both air dryed and flame drying. I've been using it for many years.
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2010-07-17, 6:05pm
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Dangerous Woman
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Join Date: Nov 21, 2005
Location: Southcentral PA
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What kind of water did you thin it with? I know if you have any type of water treatment system you can not use that water. I always keep a bottle of distilled water in my studio just for this.
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Nancy
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2010-07-19, 2:30pm
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Glass-aholic
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Join Date: Mar 21, 2007
Location: CT, tolland CT
Posts: 4,332
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I did have to thin it alot. Thin with vodka, flavored for a pretty smell the only other problem I ever had was a bit of mold, so now I thin with boozzzeeee I think it helps the drying process too somehow.... Always works better for me with the alcohol. (gin, or ammaretto in a pinch, works good too! LOL)
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Minor 10lpm Oxy-Con + HH on Propylene . . . . . .
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WASHERS & TOPPERS - layering components for interchangeable glass topper and to use in other jewelry/metalwork.:
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2010-07-19, 10:38pm
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Bead Maniac
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Join Date: Jul 17, 2005
Location: Beautiful Oregon Coast
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Thanks for the tips specially the booze ...too funny ...anyway I thinned the crap outta it and it works ...consistancy of cream ....phew!
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2010-07-20, 7:12pm
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Certified Glassaholic!
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Join Date: Jun 17, 2005
Location: In my own little world.....
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Mine made me so crazy that I finally couldn't take it anymore and switched to Sludge/Sludge Plus. Love it!!! Will never go back.
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2010-07-20, 7:13pm
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Ass-kicking Cephalopod
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Join Date: Jun 19, 2006
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Quote:
Originally Posted by heartglass
Thanks for the tips specially the booze ...too funny ...anyway I thinned the crap outta it and it works ...consistancy of cream ....phew!
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oh good
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2010-07-21, 4:43am
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Unmedicated since '62
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Join Date: Jan 18, 2009
Location: Hunter Valley, Australia
Posts: 5,907
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i've discovered a trick lately - when i dip my rods i pull them out and give them a sharp flick downwards, it takes off any excess and they work perfectly.
i'm too impatient to pull them out of the bottle sloooooowly to get a thin coating
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Deb
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2010-07-21, 2:14pm
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I'm not Barbie.
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Join Date: Sep 03, 2005
Location: Out of my mind - beautifully so.
Posts: 4,054
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Yeah, I've used it for years and it cracks like crazy and drives me crazier! Guess I should switch. I thin mine out too tho I've never tried booze.
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2010-08-11, 8:32am
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You talkin to me?
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Join Date: Jul 13, 2005
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 558
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I just recently bought a bottle and find my dipped mandrels are cracking as I introduce it into heat. Any tug or pull on the bead and the whole chunk of release loosens. I've added regular tap water to thin it, and it doesn't help at all.
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Melissa
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2010-08-11, 8:56am
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Bead maker and bead buyer
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Join Date: Jul 24, 2008
Posts: 676
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I don't have any of the new bottles - I got my huge bottle years ago. But at one point I left it in the trunk of the car in the middle of the hottest days of the year, and it got funny. Now, I can't put my mandrels in the flame or the bead release will break or flake too easily. So I just keep the mandrel out of the flame (I warm the mandrel just under the flame to start) and it works fine.
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2010-08-12, 10:37pm
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one day at a time
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Join Date: Jun 27, 2005
Location: We are MOVING!!!
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If your mandrels are wet or not completely dry when you dip them, then there is your reason for the cracking bead release. Does the bead release on these mandrels have a squiggly little line type of crack?? If so, then the wet mandrels are the problem.
This is what happens: if your mandrels are wet when you dip, the release traps that water and as it dries on the outside, the release is still fluid toward the inside next to the mandrel because of the trapped excess moisture.
Bead release dries fast on the outside + release is still "wet" inside = crack city.
Trust me on this. I discovered this for myself a looong time ago, and ever since I have dried my mandrels thoroughly before dipping, I have never seen cracked bead release on them again. With ANY brand of bead release, and I'm in a very humid climate! (deep south FL) But if it's not from wet mandrels, then it might just be too much moisture in the air itself.
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2010-08-13, 6:13pm
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You talkin to me?
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Join Date: Jul 13, 2005
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 558
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I never dip mandrels and then use them right away. I always get a bunch of mandrels, dip them and let them dry overnight, sometimes days or weeks go by before they get used.
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Melissa
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I work on a Minor burner, with an oxy-con and household natural gas
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