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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2014-12-01, 6:52pm
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Default Why is this clear burning?

Ok, I am working with clear glass that was given to me. Multiple manufacturers and not labeled, so I can't say, however I can tell its not hand pulled. It came in a box with mixed rods of Italian, DH, and some lauscha.

Here's the problem, my little hothead seems to burn half of it, and I can't tell that it's burning until I am trying to encase. I mark the rods as I find them, but seems to be happening more often than not! I need to buy some clear to work with, but I am afraid I will end up with more of the same!

This doesn't happen with any other color. I am new, but a fast learner. What clear has worked for others and their hothead torches?

It won't let me upload an image, sorry, I tried...
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  #2  
Old 2014-12-01, 7:01pm
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Is it a yellow color? Could be Aion. Or precision (or maybe TAG) Zeus.
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  #3  
Old 2014-12-01, 7:44pm
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It would help a lot to know what you mean by 'burning'. is it bubbly? changing colour? turning black/streaky or dirty-looking? A pic would also help a lot, both of the rod with melted end and the thing you made with it.
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  #4  
Old 2014-12-01, 8:33pm
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Sorry, I took pics, but the image uploader keeps telling me the graphic is too large, and I am working off an iPad. I don't know how to change that!

The clear turns a smokey grey. I have one layered piece, where I used 4 different rods of clear down its length, first rod turned smokey, second was clear, third was smog grey, fourth was clear!! The white and translucent colors come out fine. Just clear seems to be picky. Honestly, I can't afford double helix clear, I am new to this, and can't use such pricey glass for learning, but can't learn encasing with these nasty results!

I am using propane, and not working too close.
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  #5  
Old 2014-12-01, 8:37pm
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Are your rods clean? Are you using a graphite tool that might be releasing graphite into the glass?
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  #6  
Old 2014-12-01, 9:12pm
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I wonder if you have a couple rods of Smoke rings.

Sounds like soot in your glass. Turn up your oxy?
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  #7  
Old 2014-12-02, 6:05am
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If you want to email me the pictures I will resize & post for you.
eileen dot robbins at gmail dot com
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  #8  
Old 2014-12-02, 6:48am
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Eileen. I sent you a pic.

I am using an arrow springs graphite tool, but rarely, I am trying to let gravity and heat do most of the work, as I was told. It seems graphite would muddy all the rods tho?

I guess I am asking the hot head users out there, what clear do you use?
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  #9  
Old 2014-12-02, 6:54am
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I don't know about the HH/clear question, as I don't use my HH very often, but I do know I had to go cooler and further out to keep it clear.

Here you go.

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  #10  
Old 2014-12-02, 6:55am
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When you use the rod, does the tip of the rod go back to clear when it cools, or does it get a tinge of color?
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  #11  
Old 2014-12-02, 6:55am
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While I only used a hothead in class when I was first learning, I have been told that propane burns dirtier than the standard fuel that most others here use with hotheads. So I am wondering if using propane or working too close could also be part of the issue?

Just a thought.
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  #12  
Old 2014-12-02, 8:30am
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Looks like a rod of silver glass that wasn't labeled. If you were burning or reducing the clear it wouldn't have that funky yellowish tinge. If you have some dark ivory, make a small bead, but some stringer from the questionable rod on and cook it long enough that a silver glass would fume the surrounding ivory a bit. If this doesn't happen, it then it might be a nasty clear, but burned clear looks more inconsistent than your photos.
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  #13  
Old 2014-12-02, 10:17am
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use the double helix zephyr 2nds. @ $30 a lb you can't go wrong and usually you can't even tell that they're seconds.
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  #14  
Old 2014-12-02, 11:46am
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Thank you for the suggestion! I didn't know they did seconds! Where can I buy those from, currently?

The fact that some rods seem to scum, and not all, and no colors get funky, I am pretty sure I am working in the right part of the flame, I get awesome color results. I just need help picking who to buy my next lot of clear from!

Thank you Eileen for getting that picture up! So appreciated! And the end of the rod goes back to clear, no shine or coating.

Art whim, I will try that! Thank you!

Last edited by Khaleesi Dane; 2014-12-02 at 11:48am. Reason: Forgot something.
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  #15  
Old 2014-12-02, 12:06pm
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I see exactly what you mean with the different clears on that middle bead. Some clears just muck up like that easily. CIM clear is one; used to behave beautifully, then somewhere along the line BAM, something changed and any time I use it now it burns like that.

Do you clean the rods prior to using? Even a wipe down with vinegar will help get anything coating the rods that you may not see that might be messing things up.

And I adore DH Zephyr - I only use the seconds and they work great. They have em right on the DH site.

Alli
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  #16  
Old 2014-12-02, 12:16pm
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Heartily agree with Zephyr seconds.

Glad to see you post on LE!
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  #17  
Old 2014-12-02, 2:13pm
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Double Helix Seconds
http://www.doublehelixglassworks.com/secondquality.aspx
I'm planning on a purchase from here after the holidays
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  #18  
Old 2014-12-02, 4:42pm
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I use clear on my HH all the time.. When I first started I burned and sooted the heck out of it.. Now I just have to remember to slow it down.. burn a bit cooler and further out like Eileen said, go slow.. Even though it is a HH it gets hot as hell and can really cook some of the glass.. I can't remember which clear I am using, but I will check it out for you.. Last time I purchase I bought a lot, so now can't remember except that I bought it from Frantz..
If it is indeed DH glass that is a whole nuther critter on a hh..
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  #19  
Old 2014-12-02, 7:01pm
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If your clear is getting sooty, you are working too close to the head of the torch. Move your glass further out. Slow it down, cool it off and you will have much better results. Also watch where you hold your bead within the flames. If you're "normal," you will see that you keep moving the bead closer to the flames. It's an experience thing and involves the dreaded "ppp," which means "practice, practice, practice." You need to train yourself to keep the bead further out in the flames. It's funny how the bead wants to migrate on its own closer to the torchhead, as in "it can't be me that's doing that!"

Just my thoughts.

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  #20  
Old 2014-12-03, 4:57am
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I used Effetre 006 on a hothead as my main clear (along with others, also CiM clear and Lauscha soft clear) - I'm not sure I'd recommend going straight for the DH clears at the start. If you are making big encased beads and getting frustrated by the occasional trapped bubble, sure, but even the DH seconds are significantly more expensive, and 006 is generally good, so...

You could also do some encasing with very pale transparents, pale blue or purple.

The uniform greying in that stripe of clear is weird. It does kinda look like it might be more metal-rich glass, and you're bringing that to the surface. It isn't even streaky. Clean those rods anyway, but they mgiht be something else. (If you look down the ends of rods of clear into sunlight they often have a slight colour cast. You could see if your grey ones have any differences that way that would let you separate them out).

The one time I got sooting up of clear on my HH was when I'd got something like mica dust all over my workspace. Even though the rods looked clean, they weren't.
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  #21  
Old 2014-12-03, 5:01am
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Basically, if you get some known Effetre 006, clean it, and you're still getting sooting, then you need to work further out. If using 006 fixes your problem, then you had weird glass.
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  #22  
Old 2014-12-03, 9:29pm
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OK, I was thinking of this today.
If you have some you aren't sure about, maybe make a very small spacer with each rod to test, or even melt the end and squish it to make a paddle, maybe heat it up & do it a few times to put it through it's paces & make sure it is clear.
But I use mostly 006, and did on the Hothead too, although I'm on dual fuel now. I just had to be very cautious with how I used it in the flame, just like when using turquoise or sky blue, etc.
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  #23  
Old 2014-12-04, 9:35am
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Thank you everyone, good ideas!
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