OT sorta - lampworkers, glass trade?

Hi Kandice! I sent you an email - I have some of the things you are looking for.

Hi Kandice,

Sorry, I can't help, but I wanted to know what you think of the Vetrofond clear? I haven't used it. Is it as good or better than the Lauscha clear?

Last time I ordered some glass, I got a sample pack of the Vetrofond, not realizing that it was the colors and there was no clear in the pack, and that was the one I really wanted to try! Argh!

I'm not Kandice, but I love the Vetrofond clear. It's as clear as the Lauscha to me and it's lots cheaper. I just put in my second order for clear since I'm going through it so much.

Thanks Starlia! I guess I'll order some next time I place an order. Wish I'd thought to do that last time!

I don't have much of Kandice's colors but I wanted to comment on the Vetrofond clear. I love it!!! I just got two more pounds from Arrow Springs (along with their lovely half-price purples). I use Lausha, too, when I want to work with something thick and heavy (oh, the image I just got! LOL) but I love the Vetro because it melts easily, doesn't boil readily and just flows for encasing. My encasing has always been kind of hit or miss, but with this I can do nice smooth layers and avoid most bubbles. It's also a little thinner than the Lauscha which I like.

KarenK

I love the Vetrofond, but it does vary from batch to batch. Some batches are awesome, some are not really any better than Moretti. I just used up a batch that was kind of stony (white inclusions from parts of the furnace breaking away and getting into the glass) and tended to develop carbon streaks. The newer stuff I ordered is better.

I don't care for Lauscha because, though it looks pretty, I can't get the nice super-thin encasing I want.

Honestly my favorite glass for encasing is Bullseye... not the Schott clear, but original Bullseye clear. I love the consistency and it almost spreads itself over the surface of the bead. I wish I could use it with everything! Unfortunately, it tends to be a bit bubbly.

-Kalera

Ew, that worries me if you got some that wasn't good. Moretti's clear is garbage. I sure don't need any more. I wonder if they'll let me return it if it's not good.

I like the clarity of Bullseye too, but don't use it too much. I think if I had two torches, I'd have one set up for one and one for the other. It's too complicated to try to keep the table free of one when you're using the other one.

I haven't tried it yet, but I really need to, now that I want to do more encasing. I have been using Lauscha, and I really love it, but it's so stiff, it takes longer to melt than anything else. I want to try the Vetrofond to see if it's just as clear and a little softer. :)

Yes, cheaper - I forgot that!

And what IS the secret to getting this to work with Lauscha? I am finally to the point where I can (sort of) encase with Moretti, but don't like the results. But the Lauscha, I can't figure out how to get IT hot enough to shape, without losing the core bead inside.... Tips?

Thanks, Karin

Kandice Seeber wrote:

Okay, newbie here so take it for what it's worth: On WC, a lady said that she was encasing with stringers so, when I received my Lauscha, I pulled stringers and began to encase with that. I noticed it is stiffer than Moretti but I let the stringer *fall* on the bead by rolling the bead and heating only the stringer, it works for me. My stringers are about 1/8 of an inch big.

Denise

"Karin Cernik" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@delete.cernik.org...

Patience is the only think that works for me with Lauscha clear. It took me forever to melt down the encasing on my bead for the little challenge we have going on. They key is to heat the surface without heating the whole bead.

Ok. I need to know HOW patient. :-) are we talking 5 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour? I've worked for up to 10 minutes before getting disgusted and getting the whole thing too hot... :-) Am I *this* close to getting it, or does it take 45 minutes? (I know it depends on how thick, but just a guideline would help.)

As for encasing with stringer - I was going to try that the other night, couldn't pull any thick enough to do what the book recommended. Guess I should just try pulling a LOT of thin stuff... :-)

Thanks! Kar>

Well, that one large focal I did (the the challenge thread) took about an hour total. A lot of that was melting in the Lauscha clear. I think using Vetrofond will cut that time in half. But I don't make a lot of encased florals, so it depends on your experience.

I find different uses for the different clears. I like Vetrofond for thin encasing. I like Lauscha when I either want a thick, optic encasing or when I want the clear to 'pull' the design out to the edges (i.e. to make stripes) or when making hollow beads. I like Czech clear for making clear spacers, lentils or cubes, when I want to use the clear with frit or if I want a bead to crack. LOL.

I really like Vetrofond because it gives me a perfect thin encasing. I love my Lauscha too, but Vetrofond is easier to work.

I pull my Lauscha into stringer too. I love thick stringer so mine are about 2-3mm each.

I pull thick stringer by plunging in a heated mandrel into the heated rod. I then start pulling very slowly until I get my desired thickness. I continue to pull slowly until I it's starts to stiffen. I usually get a 12" piece; sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

When I wrap the stringer around the bead I make sure I have no gaps between the wraps. The I heat each end first and then work on the core.

This could be taken in many ways. Please excuse my filthy mind. I couldn't even look at this twice without giggling.

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess :)